Kartarpur , was established by Guru Nanak in 1522. When Guru Nanak died, Hindus and Muslims disagreed on how to perform his last rites. A samadh (Hindu tradition) lies in the Gurudwara and a grave (according to Muslim traditions) lies on the premises as a reminder of this discord. The gurudwara is located next to a small village named Kothay Pind (village) on the West bank of the Ravi River

Ravi River

The Ravi is a trans-boundary river flowing through Northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region ....

 in Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

, Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

. The original abode established by Guru Nanak was washed away by floods of the river Ravi. The Gurudwara at Kartarpur can be seen from another Gurudwara located across the border at the historical town of Dehra Baba Nanak

Dera Baba Nanak

Dera Baba Nanak is a city and a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India.-Demographics: India census, Dera Baba Nanak had a population of 7493. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Dera Baba Nanak has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the...

 in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 (It is not Dera, as so many people wrongly call it. Dehra is derived from the word Deh or body)
. Both sites are one of the holiest places in Sikhism located in the Majha

Majha

Majha is a region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Narowal, Lahore and Kasur in the Pakistani Province of Punjab. The term previously applied to Panjabis living north of the Sutlej...

 region. Recently, there has been lobbying to open the corridor for Sikhs from India to visit the shrine without any hindrance or visa. It lies only 3 km from the border.

History

When it became clear that the death of Guru Nanak Dev was near, a dispute arose among his followers. His Hindu followers wanted to cremate the remains while his Muslim followers wanted to bury the body following Islamic tradition. Nanak brokered a compromise by suggesting that each group should place a garland of flowers beside his body, and those whose garland remained unwilted after three days could dispose of his body according to their tradition. However, the next morning, upon raising the cloth under which the Guru’s body lay, only the flowers shared between his followers were found. The Hindus cremated their flowers whereas the Muslims buried theirs.The Guru departed to heaven as he came from.
" Jeo jal meh jal aaye khatana !! Teo joti sang jot samana!!"

Geography

Kartarpur is located at 32°5′13"N 75°1′0"E. It is located in Narowal

Narowal

Narowal is a city in the northeast of the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is the capital of Narowal District and tehsil. It is situated on the banks of Ravi River about 4–5 km from the Indian border.-Etymology:...

District of Pakistan.. It has an average elevation of 155 metres (511 feet).