Gurdwara Bangla Sahib

We finish at one of the most welcoming places in Delhi. This marble building with a golden dome is Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, and anyone may enter, whatever their faith, barefoot and with their head covered.

1The child Guru

In the 17th century a bungalow, or bangla, stood here, belonging to Raja Jai Singh I of Amber, a nobleman in Mughal service. In 1664 it hosted Guru Har Krishan, the eighth Sikh Guru. He was only seven years old. Aurangzeb had summoned him to Delhi over a succession dispute. During his stay, an epidemic of smallpox and cholera was sweeping the city. According to Sikh tradition, the boy cared for the sick and gave them water from the house's well. He caught the disease himself and died in March 1664.

2The pool and the kitchen

Over that well the sacred pool, the sarovar, was built. Many of the faithful take its water home because they believe it heals, a matter of faith. The general Baghel Singh built a first shrine here in 1783.

Don't leave without seeing the langar, the community kitchen. Volunteers of all ages cook and serve free meals every day for thousands of people, who sit in rows on the floor, regardless of caste, religion or wealth.

In the langar everyone sits at the same level: a lesson in equality served on a plate.

3What to look for

• The golden dome and the Nishan Sahib.
• The sarovar, framed by white galleries.
• The langar kitchens, open to view.