Takht Sri Patna Sahib, also called Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji, is a Sikh shrine in Patna City, Bihar. It stands where the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born on 22 December 1666, and it is one of the five takhts, the seats of Sikh religious authority. If you want the short version of the takht sri patna sahib history, it goes like this: a family home became a place of prayer, a Sikh ruler had it rebuilt, an earthquake damaged it in 1934, and the building seen today was raised in the 1950s.
This guide is for readers planning a first visit to the Patna Sahib gurdwara and for anyone who wants the history in order. It also notes where sources disagree, because they do on a few dates. It is general information. For timings and rules on the day, ask the gurdwara office.
Key takeaways
- Guru Gobind Singh was born at this site on 22 December 1666 and lived here as a child before leaving for Punjab in 1670.
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh had the shrine rebuilt. One source dates the work to 1837 to 1839 and says he died before it was finished.
- An earthquake in 1934 badly damaged the older building. The present five-storey building was raised through kar seva (volunteer service) in 1954 to 1957, according to one source.
- Gurdwaras welcome everyone. Visitors usually cover their heads, remove shoes and may eat in the langar, the free community kitchen.
- Sources disagree on some dates and on the cost of the rebuild, so this article marks which facts are firm.
Why does Takht Sri Patna Sahib matter?
Sikhs honour five takhts. A takht is a "throne", a place from which religious and community decisions have been guided. Patna Sahib is one of two takhts outside Punjab, according to the All About Sikhs site. The other is Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra. The Patna district website calls it "considered the second holiest Takhat".
The reason is simple. It is the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru. His father was Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, and his mother was Mata Gujri. The Tribune, reporting ahead of the 350th birth anniversary celebrations in 2016, said Sikhs around the world consider the site one of their holiest places.
It also matters to Patna itself. Many visitors know the city for its ancient past. The takht adds another layer, because Patna was visited by Guru Nanak and Guru Tegh Bahadur, according to Wikipedia. You can read about other places in this city in our guide to temples to visit in Patna.
Timeline of the takht from 1666 to 1957
The table below puts the main dated events in one place. Where a date comes from only one source, we say so in the last column.
| Year | What happened | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| 22 December 1666 | Guru Gobind Singh is born at this site. | Wikipedia and All About Sikhs give the full date. The Tribune gives the year. |
| 1670 | The young Guru leaves Patna for Punjab. | All About Sikhs. |
| 1781 | Sir Charles Wilkins visits and writes about the site in Asiatic Researches. | Wikipedia. |
| 1837 to 1839 | After a fire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh has the shrine rebuilt. He dies before it is complete. | All About Sikhs. Wikipedia and Incredible India say "early 19th century" without exact years. |
| 1887 | The rulers of Patiala, Jind and Faridkot add rooms and a gateway to the compound. | All About Sikhs. |
| 1934 | An earthquake seriously damages the older building. | All About Sikhs, Tribune and Wikipedia agree. |
| 1954 to 1957 | The five-storey building is completed through kar seva. | All About Sikhs. Wikipedia's text gives 1948 to 1957. |
The 1948 start in Wikipedia and the 1954 start in All About Sikhs do not match. We have not found a source that explains the gap. We use 1954 to 1957 for the building work and flag the difference.
Who built and rebuilt it?
From a jeweller's home to a place of prayer
According to All About Sikhs, the site was first the haveli (large house) of Salis Rai, a devotee of Guru Nanak. He turned it into a dharamsala, a resting place for travellers and pilgrims, and Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed there. The child Gobind Rai was born in that house.
The fire and Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Wikipedia says the building burned down in a fire and was rebuilt by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. It gives no date for the fire. All About Sikhs gives the work as 1837 to 1839, describes a flat-roofed hall with a walkway around it, and says he died before it was finished. The Incredible India tourism page says he commissioned the shrine in the early 19th century. The Tribune also places his building in the late 1830s.
The earthquake and kar seva
After 1934 the old building could not stay as it was. The Tribune says the present shrine was built in the 1950s over the remains of the structure from the late 1830s. All About Sikhs says the work was done by kar seva under Sant Nischal Singh and Sant Kartar Singh. Kar seva means that volunteers give their time and labour freely, a common way Sikh shrines are built and repaired.
The cost is less clear. Wikipedia says the rebuild cost 2,000,000 rupees, but we could not find a second source for that number, so we do not rely on it.
What do the sources disagree on?
A careful reader will meet these differences, so here they are side by side.
| Question | One version | Another version |
|---|---|---|
| When did Ranjit Singh's rebuild happen? | 1837 to 1839 (All About Sikhs) | "Early 19th century" (Wikipedia, Incredible India) |
| When did the modern rebuild happen? | 1954 to 1957 (All About Sikhs) | 1948 to 1957 (Wikipedia text); the Wikipedia infobox also lists 19 November 1954 as a renovation date |
| What did the rebuild cost? | 2,000,000 rupees (Wikipedia, no second source found) | No figure found in other sources we opened |
| Who built the present building? | Kar seva under Sant Nischal Singh and Sant Kartar Singh (All About Sikhs) | Not named in the Tribune, Wikipedia or Incredible India |
What do visitors see at Patna Sahib?
All About Sikhs says the sanctum marks the place of the Guru's birth and has a walkway around it. The Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, sits on the central canopied seat. The Dasam Granth, a second Sikh text, is placed on its left.
Incredible India says there is a museum on the premises and a langar hall. Items listed by the two sources include:
- a cradle with golden plates, said to be the Guru's
- a sacred sword
- a pair of sandals (Incredible India calls them ivory)
- four iron arrows
- handwritten hukamnamas, which are written orders or messages, of Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Tegh Bahadur
Displays can change, so ask the staff what is open to view. Incredible India also mentions shops on Harmindar Gali selling bamboo and leather goods.
Respectful visiting tips: head covering, shoes and langar
Gurdwaras welcome people of every faith. The points below are common practice at Sikh shrines in general. They are not taken from an official Patna Sahib notice, and Incredible India lists no dress code, so check the signs at the gate or ask the volunteers.
- Cover your head with a scarf or clean cloth. Many gurdwaras give loose head cloths at the entrance.
- Remove your shoes and wash your hands and feet at the entrance. Leave footwear at the shoe counter.
- Do not bring tobacco, alcohol or other intoxicants.
- Keep your voice low and switch your phone to silent.
- Sit on the floor in the hall if you are able to. Avoid pointing your feet toward the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Ask before taking photographs. Rules differ between areas of a gurdwara.
- If you eat in the langar, take what you can finish and sit with others in the row.
The langar serves free meals to every visitor, according to Incredible India, and you may also volunteer. Incredible India lists opening at 9:00 AM and closing at 5:00 PM. We have not confirmed those hours with the gurdwara committee, and they may change on festival days, so treat them as a guide only.
Prakash Parv is the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. Its date in the English calendar can change from year to year, so check it before you plan. For the 350th anniversary in 2016, the Tribune reported that old streets such as Guru Gobind Singh Path were being widened, and officials proposed a temporary tent city of about 75 acres near Kangan Ghat.
How does it fit with other Patna sites?
Patna City, the old part of town, holds the takht. Another Sikh site, Gurdwara Handi Sahib, is in Danapur, about 20 km west of old Patna City according to Wikipedia. The Bihar tourism site says Gobind Rai and his mother Mata Gujri made their first halt there after leaving Patna in 1670, and an old devotee, Mai Pardhani, served them khichdi in a clay pot (a handi). Wikipedia names the woman differently, so the story has small variations. Check a map for travel time on the day.
| If you want to see | Go to | Read first |
|---|---|---|
| The birthplace of the tenth Guru | Takht Sri Patna Sahib | This article |
| A famous Hanuman temple and its trust | Mahavir Mandir | Mahavir Mandir visitor guide |
| A Shakti Peeth temple | Patan Devi | Patan Devi guide |
| Ancient capital sites and day trips | Pataliputra, Nalanda, Vaishali | Heritage day trips from Patna |
| A wider plan across Bihar | Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Sikh sites | Bihar pilgrimage circuits |
Our Visiting Patna section collects all of these guides.
What should you check before you go?
- Opening times on the day, using the gurdwara committee or a local contact. Wikipedia lists takhatpatnasahib.com as its website, but we have not checked it.
- The date of Prakash Parv and other festivals. Crowds are far larger then.
- The rules on photography and bags at the gate.
- How you will reach it. The Incredible India page names Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport and Patna Junction as the nearest airport and railway station.
- Footwear that is easy to remove and a clean scarf for your head.
What we do not know yet
- The exact cost of the 1950s rebuild. We found only one figure and no second source.
- Exactly when Ranjit Singh's rebuild began and ended, since sources give different levels of detail.
- Why Wikipedia gives 1948 as the start of the modern rebuild when another source gives 1954.
- Current photography rules and entry hours. These are set by the committee and can change.
Common questions
Where is Takht Sri Patna Sahib?
It is in Patna City, the old part of Patna, Bihar. Wikipedia gives the address as Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Sahib, Patna, Bihar 800008.
Who was born at Patna Sahib?
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, was born here on 22 December 1666. He lived here until he went to Punjab in 1670.
Do non-Sikhs need permission to visit?
No. Gurdwaras welcome people of all faiths. You should cover your head, remove your shoes and follow the signs inside.
Is the langar really free?
Yes. According to Incredible India, the langar serves free meals to all visitors. The page does not mention payment. Gurdwara langars are generally run on donations and volunteer help.
When was the present building built?
All About Sikhs says kar seva built it in 1954 to 1957, after the 1934 earthquake damaged the older building. The Tribune says the 1950s. Wikipedia says 1948 to 1957.
Sources
- Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Wikipedia
- Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib, Patna, Bihar, All About Sikhs
- Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib or Patna Sahib, Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism)
- Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib, Patna district website
- Gurudwara Handi Sahib, Bihar Tourism
- Gurdwara Handi Sahib, Wikipedia
- Patna gearing up for Guru Gobind Singh's 350th birth anniversary, The Tribune, March 2016
Last checked on 24 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us through our contact page.