Historic Shrine Faces Unprecedented Flooding
Kartarpur, August 27, 2025 — The historic Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, was submerged in floodwaters on Wednesday morning after the Ravi river overflowed following heavy rainfall.
Located in Pakistan’s Narowal district and connected to India by the Kartarpur Corridor, the shrine is one of the holiest sites for Sikhs worldwide. Visuals from across the border showed the gurdwara complex under five to seven feet of water, with the langar hall, parikrama, sarovar, and serais inundated.
Authorities in Punjab, India, had earlier released excess water from the Ranjit Sagar Dam in Pathankot, which worsened the flooding in the region. This is the first instance since the Kartarpur Corridor opened in 2019 that the Ravi has submerged the shrine.
Guru Granth Sahib Saroop Remains Unharmed
Despite the severe flooding, gurdwara officials confirmed that the holy saroop of Guru Granth Sahib is safe. The scripture is housed on the second floor of the shrine, which remained above the floodwaters.
Other sacred texts, including the gutka sahib (prayer book of Gurbani), were also reported safe under the supervision of sevadars who have stayed behind to protect the sanctity of the shrine.
“The saroop of Guru Granth Sahib is secure. All other scriptures are under constant supervision,” gurdwara sources told local media. This assurance has brought relief to devotees around the world, many of whom had expressed concern after videos of the flooded complex circulated on social media.
Kartarpur Corridor and Pilgrimage Halt
The Kartarpur Corridor, a 4.5-km visa-free passage linking Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, India, to Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, has been closed from the Indian side since May 2025. The suspension came after Operation Sindoor, a counter-terror campaign launched by India to dismantle militant bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
The last group of pilgrims visited Kartarpur Sahib on May 7, 2025. Since then, travel through the corridor has remained suspended, and Indian devotees have not been able to visit the shrine during the current crisis.
The flooding has raised fresh concerns among Sikh religious bodies in India, which have urged both governments to ensure structural safety of the gurdwara and to create safeguards against future disasters.
Rising Flood Threat Near Dera Baba Nanak
On the Indian side, the Ravi river continues to flow above danger levels, breaching protective embankments near the zero line. Agricultural fields adjoining Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district are already submerged.
Local residents fear that if water levels continue to rise, Dera Baba Nanak town itself could face flooding. Authorities are monitoring the situation and reinforcing dhussi bundh embankments to protect nearby villages. Relief teams have been kept on alert as forecasts predict more rain in the coming days.
Symbolism and Global Concern
Kartarpur Sahib holds immense religious and emotional significance for Sikhs across the globe. It is revered as the place where Guru Nanak Dev spent his final years. The corridor, inaugurated in November 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s leadership, was hailed as a bridge of faith and diplomacy.
The unprecedented flooding has not only disrupted the shrine but also stirred emotions among the global Sikh diaspora. Sikh organizations in the UK, Canada, and the US have called for immediate restoration efforts and better flood-prevention measures to safeguard the shrine.
What Lies Ahead
Experts believe that climate change-driven extreme rainfall events, coupled with dam releases in Punjab, have heightened flood risks along the Ravi basin. Environmental groups have called for better transboundary water management between India and Pakistan to prevent such disasters in the future.
For now, the focus remains on restoring normalcy at Kartarpur Sahib. With the holy scriptures safe, officials say floodwaters must recede before a full assessment of damage can be carried out. Sikh devotees hope the corridor will reopen soon, allowing them to once again pay respects at the shrine after months of closure.