KARTARPUR (Pakistan), Aug. 27 — Flooding from the Ravi river has inundated large parts of the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, with water levels rising inside the shrine complex and raising alarm over the worsening situation. Visuals from the site showed half of the gurdwara submerged after Pakistan released heavy volumes of water into the river.
Sources in contact with people at the shrine confirmed widespread waterlogging, with two to three feet of stagnant water across the premises. Inside the Darbar Sahib, four steps of the main staircase have already gone under water, while the ground floor samadh and an adjoining mazar were reported to be fully submerged.
“The situation is deteriorating as water levels continue to rise,” one individual familiar with conditions at the shrine told Sikh Siyasat News.
Despite the flooding, the sacred Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji remains secure on the first floor of the shrine, along with sevadars (volunteers) ensuring continuous care. Pakistani authorities are said to be preparing contingency evacuation measures, including the use of helicopters and vehicles, should conditions worsen.
The surrounding region has also been hit hard. Villages near the shrine have been inundated, while the Kartarpur Sahib–Narowal road was breached by floodwaters, severely disrupting transport and daily life for residents.
The crisis comes as the Kartarpur Corridor — inaugurated in 2019 to mark the 550th Parkash Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji — remains shut since April 22, 2025. The cross-border link connecting Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab with Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan was suspended by Indian authorities after the Pehalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year.
As water levels show no sign of receding, concerns persist that further flooding could damage more sections of the shrine complex, one of Sikhism’s holiest pilgrimage sites.
