Lahore was the capital of the Sikh Empire for half a century, and its Walled City still holds some of the most important Sikh heritage sites outside India, but not all of them are open to the general visitor. The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh and Gurdwara Dera Sahib are restricted to Sikh pilgrims and those with special permission, while other Sikh-era buildings, including a haveli that now houses a girls' school, can only be seen from outside. This guide sets out what each site is, its history, and realistically what a non-Sikh visitor to Lahore can and can't see.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Main cluster | Hazuri Bagh, between Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque |
| Access for Sikh pilgrims | Permitted at the Samadhi and Gurdwara Dera Sahib |
| Access for other visitors | Requires special permission from the Evacuee Trust Property Board |
| Haveli Nau Nihal Singh | Working girls' school; viewable from outside only |
| Best combined with | Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Hazuri Bagh walk |
Why Lahore has Sikh heritage at all
Ranjit Singh made Lahore the capital of the Sikh Empire from 1799 until his death in 1839, and his court, his family and his successors built and maintained several major structures in and around the Walled City during that period. After the British annexation of Punjab in 1849 and again after Partition in 1947, most of these buildings passed into the custody of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the Pakistani government body that administers properties left behind by minorities who left for India.
The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
This is the funerary monument of Maharaja Ranjit Singh himself, standing beside Badshahi Mosque and facing the Hathi Pol gate of Lahore Fort. His son Kharak Singh began construction in August 1839, and it was completed in 1848 under his youngest son, Duleep Singh. The building mixes Sikh, Hindu and Islamic architectural styles, with gilded fluted domes, a marble balustrade and 48 interior frescoes depicting the Sikh gurus and Hindu epic scenes. The British made repairs after annexation, finishing in 1851.
Access is restricted: it is open to local and visiting Sikhs, and anyone else needs special permission from the ETPB. In practice, this means most Pakistani and foreign visitors will see the samadhi's domes from outside, across Hazuri Bagh, rather than go inside.
Gurdwara Dera Sahib
Just outside the Walled City, facing the fort's Hathi Pol gate, Gurdwara Dera Sahib marks the spot where Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh guru, was martyred in 1606 under the Mughal emperor Jahangir. His successor, Guru Hargobind, commissioned a memorial here in 1619, and the current building with its gilded dome dates largely from Ranjit Singh's reign, with further changes made up to 1947.
Like the samadhi, entry is limited to local or visiting Sikh pilgrims, with the ETPB handling permission requests from anyone else. Sikh pilgrim groups from India do visit under bilateral arrangements around occasions such as Baisakhi, when access is coordinated in advance rather than open to casual callers.
Haveli Nau Nihal Singh
Built in 1840 as the residence of Nau Nihal Singh, Ranjit Singh's grandson and briefly his successor, this haveli near Mori Gate in the Walled City is considered the finest surviving example of Sikh-era domestic architecture in Lahore, the only one to keep its original frescoes, cut brickwork and woodwork largely intact across its roughly forty rooms. Since 1887 the building has housed the government-run Victoria Girls High School, which is still in operation.
That means it is not open to tourist visits during school hours, or generally at all, since it functions as a working school rather than a museum. Its exterior, visible from the street in the Mori Gate area, is the most people will see of it.
Other Sikh-era buildings to know about
A few more structures from the Sikh period survive in the Walled City in varying states of access:
- Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das, in Chuna Mandi, marks the traditional birthplace of the fourth Sikh guru and functions as an active gurdwara.
- Gurdwara Diwan Khana, also in Chuna Mandi, is in the custody of the Auqaf department and is not generally open for worship or visits.
- Haveli Dina Nath, once the home of Ranjit Singh's finance minister, survives in the Walled City in a much altered state.
Most of these are best appreciated from outside, as part of a walk through the Walled City's lanes rather than as ticketed attractions.
Planning a visit around the Sikh sites
Because access to the two main sites is restricted, the realistic way to experience Lahore's Sikh heritage as a general visitor is to see the Samadhi's domes and Gurdwara Dera Sahib's gilded dome from the outside, understand what you're looking at, and combine it with a full visit to Hazuri Bagh, Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort, all of which are open without restriction and sit within a few minutes' walk of the Sikh monuments. If you are a Sikh visitor planning a pilgrimage specifically to these sites, apply to the ETPB well in advance of your trip, since permissions are not issued on the spot. Our plan your trip page has more on building a Walled City itinerary around these and other sites.
Frequently asked questions
Can non-Sikh tourists enter the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh?
Not without special permission from the Evacuee Trust Property Board. Casual tourists can view the building from Hazuri Bagh but are generally not admitted inside without prior approval.
Is Gurdwara Dera Sahib open to the public?
It is open to Sikh pilgrims, local and visiting. Non-Sikh visitors need ETPB permission to enter.
Can I visit Haveli Nau Nihal Singh?
Not in any practical sense. It currently functions as Victoria Girls High School, so it is not open for tourist visits.
How do Sikh pilgrims from India get permission to visit these sites?
Visits are arranged through bilateral religious pilgrimage protocols between Pakistan and India, often timed around occasions like Baisakhi, and coordinated well ahead of the visit rather than arranged on arrival.
What can I see of Lahore's Sikh heritage without special permission?
The exteriors of the Samadhi, Gurdwara Dera Sahib and Haveli Nau Nihal Singh, all visible from public streets and from Hazuri Bagh, along with active gurdwaras such as Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das in Chuna Mandi.
