The article focuses on the discussion concerning a possibility to proclaim the Pakistan-based Nankana Sahib gurdwara a Sikh takht (throne), i.e. a place of paramount spiritual and temporal importance for all Sikhs. Currently, there are five takhs in India - three in Punjab, one in Bihar and one in Maharashtra.

In 2018, on the eve of Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday anniversary, Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi president Paramjit Singh Sarna came up with a proposal to give a special status to Guru Nanak’s birthplace, which remained in Pakistan after the 1947 partition. Since then the Nankana Saheb has almost been inaccessible to Indian Sikhs.

Sarna’s suggestion triggered a new round of debates on the necessity and legitimacy of such a decision. It also boosted a long-standing dispute on Sikh leaders’ powers and authority and on the practical significance of sacred places in Sikhism. Gurdwaras represent sites of historical memory and spiritual unity of Guru Nanak’s followers providing “a focus for genuine personal devotion and for a continuing loyalty to traditional forms; and at the same time [they] serve as an arena for disruptive political strife” (McLeod). As of today, the prospect of making the Nankana Saheb a sixth takht seems vague owing to a strong opposition of current Sikh authorities in India. On the other hand, it cannot be ruled out that this idea could be favored by the Sikh community against the background of attacks on the Sikh shrines in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the recent launching of the Kartarpur corridor.