Gurdwara
Rakab Ganj was built in 1732 by Lakhi Banjara, the devotee who performed
the last rites of the martyred Guru Teg Bahadur. It is located on the
Pant Road in New Delhi, facing the Parliament House. An interesting
legend is attached to Gurdwara Rakab Ganj. It is said that Guruji were
executed on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, for not converting
to Islam. After he was beheaded, Lakhi Singh escaped with the body of
Guruji to his home & cremated the body and later set fire to the
house to remove any evidences. When the fire extinguished, he put the
holy ashes in an urn and buried it on that site itself. Gurdwara Rakab Ganj was built there to commemorate the event. It is said that at that time, the area was a market for stirrups - the 'stirrup' is known as 'Rakab' and 'market' is known as 'Ganj'. Thus, the name of the shrine as Rakab Ganj Gurdwara! The Gurdwara, with a white building and the prominent domes, holds an important place in the Sikh community of India. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens on all sides. It has four entrances, depicting that it is open to all without any distinction of caste, creed or religion. The gigantic Gurdwara took 12 years to build, at a cost of 25 lakh.