Hotels near Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib occupies the site of a bungalow owned by Raja Jai Singh, where the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Krishan, stayed in 1664 and treated victims of a smallpox and cholera outbreak before dying of the illness himself at the age of eight. The gilded dome and the sarovar, the large tank of water regarded as holy, define the complex. The present building dates from 1783, when Sardar Baghel Singh had it constructed.

The langar, or community kitchen, serves free vegetarian meals to tens of thousands of people daily regardless of faith, and visitors are welcome to help wash the steel plates. Entry is free and the gurudwara never shuts. Heads must be covered; orange bandanas are handed out at the entrance. Shoes go to the free deposit counter. Photography is allowed in the courtyard but not during ceremonies. Connaught Place is a fifteen-minute walk away, so this slots easily into a central Delhi afternoon.

Pro Tip: Eat in the langar rather than just looking at it. Meals run continuously and you sit on the floor in rows with everyone else. Arrive around 11 am on a weekday for the calmest turnover, and walk clockwise around the sarovar as local worshippers do.