Gurdwara Chowa Sahib is a Sikh shrine on the northern edge of Rohtas Fort, near Dina in Jhelum district, built over a spring that Sikh tradition says Guru Nanak brought out of the ground for his companion Bhai Mardana. The present building dates from 1834 and was commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It stood closed and neglected from 1947 until the Evacuee Trust Property Board reopened it in November 2019, and restoration has continued since. Most visitors see it as part of a day at Rohtas Fort.
Chowa is the Punjabi word for a spring, so the name means the gurdwara of the exalted spring. This guide covers the story, the building, how to find it inside the fort, and what is known about pilgrim visits.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Northern edge of Rohtas Fort, beside the Ghan (Kahan) river, near Dina |
| From Dina | About 6 km to the shrine |
| Built | First memorial by Charat Singh; present building 1834, under Ranjit Singh |
| Closed | 1947 to 2019 |
| Reopened | November 2019, for Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary |
| Managed by | Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) |
| Combine with | Rohtas Fort, Tilla Jogian, Jhelum |
What is the story of the spring?
According to Sikh tradition, Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana passed through this country on the fourth of his long journeys, the udasis. They had spent forty days at Tilla Jogian, the old yogi centre on the hill to the south-west, and on the way down Mardana became thirsty. The Guru is said to have struck the ground with his staff and moved a stone, and a spring of fresh water came out.
The spring was there before the fort. Sikh lore adds that when Sher Shah Suri's engineers built Rohtas in the 1540s, they tried three times to shift the spring uphill to supply the garrison and failed each time. Treat that as a pilgrim story rather than a record; the water itself, according to older accounts, was still being used by people living inside the fort.
If you plan to visit Tilla Jogian as well, our Tilla Jogian guide covers the climb.
Who built Gurdwara Chowa Sahib?
The first memorial was put up by Sardar Charat Singh, grandfather of Ranjit Singh, who laid out a sarovar (pool) and a place for reading the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikhs took Rohtas itself in 1825, when Ranjit Singh's general Gurmukh Singh Lamba captured it from the Gakhar chief Raja Noor Khan.
The present building was raised in 1834 on Ranjit Singh's orders, and Sikh sources record that he endowed it with 27 ghumaon of land and 260 rupees. It is in the Sikh style of the period, and its stepwell (baoli) is its most distinctive feature. A pre-partition fair was held here every year on the 15th of the bright half of Kattak, around Guru Nanak's birth anniversary.
What happened after 1947?
When the Sikhs of the area left at partition, the gurdwara was shut, and for more than seventy years it was left to decay. By 2007 it plainly needed repair.
In July 2019 the ETPB announced a restoration as part of preparations for Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary, the same year the Kartarpur Corridor opened. The gurdwara was reopened in November 2019. In 2020 Ranjit Nagara, a Sikh community organisation based in the United States, took on further rehabilitation, starting work on 1 August with the aim of returning the building to its original form while adding modern facilities. SikhNet describes the building today as three storeys with a langar hall named Guru Ramdas Hall. We could not find a published completion date for that work, so expect some parts to be closed or under repair.
How do you reach the gurdwara?
Rohtas Fort is reached from Dina, on the GT Road between Sohawa and Jhelum. Our Rohtas Fort guide covers the drive, opening times and tickets for the fort.
The gurdwara is on the fort's northern side, with the Ghan river on one side and the fort walls on the other. Sources disagree on which gate it sits by: the ETPB announcement and Wikipedia place it at the Talaqi Gate, while older Sikh sources say it lies outside the Kabuli Gate. SikhNet notes that the way in is through the fort. Ask anyone in Rohtas village for "Chowa Sahib" and you will be pointed the right way. Our guide to Rohtas Fort's history gives the background on the fort itself.
Whether the gurdwara is open to non-Sikh visitors on an ordinary day is not published. It is an ETPB property and may be locked outside pilgrim visits. If it is open, the usual etiquette applies: cover your head, take off your shoes, wash your feet if asked, and do not bring tobacco or alcohol anywhere near it.
Is Chowa Sahib part of the Sikh yatra?
Each year the Pakistani government hosts groups of Sikh pilgrims (yatrees) from India and elsewhere for the main occasions: Vaisakhi in April, Guru Arjan Dev's martyrdom and Ranjit Singh's death anniversary in June, and Guru Nanak's birth anniversary in November. Those visits centre on Nankana Sahib, Hasan Abdal, Lahore and Kartarpur.
The 2019 reopening was announced as part of the effort to receive more yatrees, but we could not confirm that Chowa Sahib is a fixed stop on current yatra itineraries. Pilgrims planning a visit should ask the ETPB or the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in advance. For the wider circuit, see our guides to Sikh heritage sites in Pakistan, Vaisakhi in Pakistan and Gurdwara Panja Sahib.
Is it worth seeing?
If you are at Rohtas anyway, yes. It takes little extra time, the setting by the river is quiet, and it shows a side of the fort's history that the Sher Shah story leaves out. For Sikh visitors it is a site linked directly to Guru Nanak's travels.
It is not a reason to drive to Rohtas on its own unless you are a pilgrim. Access can be uncertain and the restoration may not be finished. Pair it with the fort, and if you have a second day, with Tilla Jogian. Our experiences page has more heritage ideas around Jhelum.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Gurdwara Chowa Sahib?
On the northern edge of Rohtas Fort near Dina, Jhelum district, beside the Ghan river. It is reached through the fort.
Why is it called Chowa Sahib?
Chowa means spring in Punjabi. The gurdwara marks the spring that Sikh tradition says Guru Nanak brought out of the ground for Bhai Mardana.
When was Gurdwara Chowa Sahib built?
A first memorial was built by Charat Singh, and the present building dates from 1834, commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Is Gurdwara Chowa Sahib open?
It was reopened by the ETPB in November 2019 after being closed since 1947, and restoration continued from 2020. Day-to-day opening for general visitors is not published, so check locally.
Can I visit the gurdwara with a Rohtas Fort ticket?
The gurdwara is reached through the fort, so you will be on a fort visit anyway. Whether the shrine itself is unlocked depends on the ETPB and its caretakers on the day.
