Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is situated in the heart of New Delhi’s Connaught Place area. It is located on the east side intersection of Ashok Road and Baba Kharag Singh Marg. Originally this place was the Bungalow (haveli) of Mirza Raja Jai Singh, hence the name Bangla Sahib. It’s original name was Jaisingh pura Palace. Mirza Raja Jai Singh was an important military leader of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
A popular religious destination of Delhi, this gurudwara can be seen even before you actually reach it, from the golden dome that shines through the heart of the city. The bungalow was known as Jaisingh pura Palace, before it was converted into a gurudwara. Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji, the 8th guru of the Sikhs, is believed to have stayed at this place in the year 1664. It is further said that at that time, people were suffering from an epidemic and they were given help by the guru. After the guru died, Raja Jai Singh built a tank in his memory. Water from this tank is believed to have medicinal properties and most of the devotees take back this water from the gurudwara. The gurudwara complex houses a school, a library, a hospital and a museum also.
There are many additional functions that the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib handles. There is a hospital located in the basement of the building. This hospital is run by the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee.
There is also a school for children at a building that is next to the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. This building is open for all children. The Khalsa Girls School is one of the most notable points of the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib of Delhi with regards to education.
A new tank was also created at the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib of New Delhi. This tank is more than two hundred feet in size on each end. This tank was built with three sides and was created primarily by people who volunteered to contribute and physically work on the construction of the tank.
An art museum is also featured here. This museum is located in the basement of the Bangla Sahib Sikh Temple of Delhi. This museum features a number of paintings that are reflective of the history of the Sikh religion in Delhi and other parts of India. These include paintings that relate to the General Sardar Bhagel Singh. Singh had worked to build a number of Sikh shrines around the city in the late eighteenth century. This gurudwara was one of those shrines that Singh worked on during this time period.
The construction of this religious site is just as notable as the buildings and functions that are performed in the area. This building features a massive golden dome at the central part of the gurudwara. This area also features a series of smaller domes situations around the lower ends of the building. There are also several intricately designed windows around the entire building.
There is also a massive flagpole featured in the middle of the area. This flagpole is easily noticeable from a distance because of its flag. The Nishan Sahib flag on to top of the flagpole features a bright orange color and a triangular appearance that features a downward slant from the top to the bottom of the flag. This is used to distinguish the place from the area.
