Punjab

Guru Arjan Dev's Martyrdom (Jor Mela) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Barsi

Two June gatherings beside Lahore Fort: the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at his samadhi.

Each June, Sikh pilgrims from India and Pakistan gather at two neighbouring sites below Lahore Fort. Gurdwara Dera Sahib marks the place of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh guru, in 1606; the anniversary, the Shaheedi Jor Mela, is held there in mid-June. Next door, the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh holds the urn of the Sikh maharaja who died in Lahore on 27 June 1839, and his barsi is observed in the last week of June.

Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lahore
Hazuri Bagh
Gurdwara Dera Sahib
Langar and kirtan

When to plan: June: in 2026 the main Jor Mela ceremony was on 16 June; the barsi falls around 27 June. Pilgrims from India come on visas arranged with Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property Board, which hosts both events.
Getting there: Both are just outside the Walled City between the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort, by the fort's Hathi Pol gate.
Where: Lahore guide →Punjab guide →

Gurdwara Dera Sahib

Guru Arjan's son and successor, Guru Hargobind, built a memorial here in 1619; the present gurdwara with its gilded dome was built under Ranjit Singh. It faces the Hathi Pol, the Elephant Gate, of Lahore Fort.

The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh

Begun by his son Kharak Singh after the maharaja's death in 1839, the samadhi holds his funerary urn. Its walls keep 48 fresco paintings from 1839 to 1849, in a blend of Pahari and Punjabi styles, showing the Sikh gurus, scenes from the Indian epics and courtly figures.