Sahib Shri Guru Nanak Ji in Sultanpur Lodhi

According to widely cited historical and Sikh tradition, Sahib Shri Guru Nanak Ji came to Sultanpur Lodhi as a young man — traditionally around the age of sixteen — at the invitation of his brother-in-law Jai Ram, who served as a steward in the court of Nawab Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Sultanpur. Guru Sahib Ji was appointed to manage the Modikhana, the royal granary responsible for distributing grain and supplies.

This appointment proved to be a period of deep significance. Guru Sahib Ji was known for his extraordinary honesty and generosity in managing the store — according to traditional accounts, he would distribute grain generously to the poor and those in need, always maintaining perfect accounts despite his open-handed generosity. His conduct earned him great respect among the people of Sultanpur Lodhi.

During his time in Sultanpur Lodhi — traditionally associated with a period of around fourteen years — Guru Sahib Ji combined his daily responsibilities with deep devotion, prayer, and service. Each morning, before dawn, he would walk to the Kali Bein rivulet to bathe and meditate. He gathered a growing community of devoted followers who would join him in prayer and the singing of shabads (devotional hymns).

His home in Sultanpur Lodhi became a centre of spiritual activity. He lived here with his family and continued his service at the Modikhana. The spot where the granary once stood is traditionally marked by Gurudwara Sri Kothri Sahib, and the place associated with his prayers and the ancient Ber tree is today the site of the revered Gurudwara Sri Ber Sahib.

The most profound event associated with Guru Sahib Ji’s time in Sultanpur Lodhi is the miracle of the Kali Bein. According to widely recorded Sikh tradition, Guru Sahib Ji went one morning to bathe in the Kali Bein rivulet and disappeared beneath the waters. He was not seen for three days. When he returned, the first words he spoke were:

“Ik Onkar Satnam Karta Purakh Nirbhau Nirvair Akal Murat Ajuni Saibhang Gur Prasad”
— The Mool Mantar, the foundational declaration of Sikh faith

He then declared: “Na koi Hindu, na koi Musalman” (There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim) — a powerful statement of the universal spiritual truth he had received. This event is considered the moment of his formal calling to spread the divine message, and shortly after, he began the first of his great Udasis (spiritual journeys).

This account is widely cited in Sikh historical and devotional literature and is central to Sikh tradition. It is presented here as tradition records it.

Following his experience at the Kali Bein, Sahib Shri Guru Nanak Ji began his great missionary journeys — the Udasis. These journeys took him across the Indian subcontinent and beyond, including travels to Sri Lanka, Baghdad, Mecca, and Medina. He went accompanied by his devoted companion Bhai Mardana, a Muslim rebab (string instrument) player, whose presence itself was a powerful statement of the universality of Guru Sahib Ji’s message.

Sultanpur Lodhi thus holds the unique distinction of being the city where Guru Sahib Ji’s formal mission began — where his message of Ik Onkar (One Creator) was first proclaimed to the world, and from where he set out on the journeys that would transform the spiritual landscape of Asia.