Gurdwara Panja Sahib
A gurdwara at Hasan Abdal built around a boulder bearing what Sikh tradition holds is Guru Nanak's handprint, beside a spring-fed pool.
Updated 21 October 2026
The shrine takes its name from the panja, the open hand, and is built around a large boulder in which an impression resembling a handprint is visible. Sikh tradition tells that a local ascetic, angered at Guru Nanak, rolled a rock down the hill at him, and that the Guru stopped it with his palm, leaving the mark; a spring is said to have opened at the same moment. That spring feeds the sarovar, a large tank of clear running water in the middle of the complex where pilgrims bathe, with fish visible in it. The present buildings are largely of the nineteenth century, from the Sikh period, with later additions. The Baisakhi festival in April is the largest gathering of the year, when pilgrim trains arrive and the complex is packed. Hasan Abdal itself sits on the old Grand Trunk Road with other historic remains nearby.
History
The Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who came here in the 7th century CE, described the sacred spring of Elapatra about 70 li northwest of Taxila, identified as the spring of Panja Sahib. Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana reached Hasan Abdal in the summer of 1521, when according to Sikh tradition the handprint was left on the boulder, and the shrine was named Panja Sahib by Hari Singh Nalwa, a general of the Sikh Empire (Wikipedia, Gurdwara Panja Sahib).
Highlights
- The handprint boulder - the rock at the heart of the shrine.
- The sarovar - the spring-fed bathing tank with its fish.
- The gurdwara buildings - nineteenth-century structures around the tank.
- Baisakhi crowds - the April festival, the year's main gathering.
When to go
October to March for the weather; Baisakhi in April is the great occasion but the complex is then extremely crowded and access is managed. Weekday mornings outside festival periods are calm and the water is at its clearest.
Good to know
Heads must be covered and shoes removed at the entrance. Photography inside is restricted in places. The town around is busy and unremarkable, and parking is awkward. During major festivals the site may be closed to casual visitors for security reasons.
Nearby
Wah Mughal Gardens are minutes away; Taxila lies a short drive southeast.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q2619968, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Gurdwara Panja Sahib
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- Modest clothing - Shoulders and knees covered - the single most common requirement. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A scarf or shawl - To cover the head or shoulders on entry; women especially at mosques. Find on Amazon
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