Nanded is best known for one thing: Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, the gurdwara on the Godavari where Guru Gobind Singh spent his last weeks in 1708 and where, according to Sikh tradition, he named the Guru Granth Sahib as his successor. It is one of the five Takhts of Sikhism, and pilgrims arrive here from Punjab, Maharashtra and abroad all year round. The city of roughly half a million people lies in the Marathwada region on the Godavari, and its Sikh community, the Deccan Sikhs, has kept the shrine and a chain of associated gurdwaras alive for generations.
A good visit is built around the pilgrimage circuit. Hazur Sahib itself deserves a morning and an evening, with a langar meal in between. Nagina Ghat and Banda Ghat sit within walking distance on the river, while Sangat Sahib and Mal Tekdi take a little more effort and a vehicle. Outside the Sikh story, Nanded has a ruined riverside fort, a 13th-century Shiva temple at Vishnupuri and, further out, Kandhar fort, the Renuka Devi pilgrimage at Mahur, the Chalukya temple at Hottal and the monsoon waterfall at Sahastrakund.
It is a straightforward city for families and older travellers if you plan around heat and festival crowds. The main shrine is largely level, rooms and meals are available through the Gurudwara Board, and the airport, railway station and bus stand are all close. April and May are very hot, July and August are wet, and the weeks around major Sikh festivals are crowded. Come between November and February and two or three days is comfortable.
Before you plan
Nanded at a glance
- Best months
- November to February is the most…November to February is the most comfortable, with October and March workable. April and May reach about 40 C, and June to September is the monsoon.
- Ideal trip length
- 2 days for the main gurdwaras2 days for the main gurdwaras; 3 days if you add the fort, Kaleshwar or one day trip
- Airport
- Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji AirportShri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport (NDC), about 4 km from Hazur Sahib; Star Air resumed commercial flights on 31 March 2024
- Railway station
- Hazur Sahib NandedHazur Sahib Nanded (NED), about 1 km from the main gurdwara, on the Secunderabad-Manmad line
- Getting around
- Autos and taxis in the cityAutos and taxis in the city; a hired car for Mal Tekdi, Kandhar, Mahur and the other day trips. The Gurudwara Board has also arranged hired transport between shrines.
- Daily budget
- Modest: meals and rooms at the…Modest: meals and rooms at the gurdwara are free or low-cost, so the main costs are transport and any hotel; car hire for day trips is the biggest item
- Senior comfort
- Good in the cooler months: the city…Good in the cooler months: the city shrines are mostly level, though crowds at festivals and heat in summer are the main strain
- Language
- Marathi, Urdu and Hindi are the main…Marathi, Urdu and Hindi are the main languages; Telugu is also spoken. Hindi is widely understood at the shrines.
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Nanded: January, February, November, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Nanded itinerary
One good day
1 day in Nanded
Reach Hazur Sahib soon after dawn, cover your head, remove your shoes and join the line for darshan in the cool of the morning. Sit through some kirtan, then eat in the langar hall. In the late morning, walk or ride to Nagina Ghat and Banda Ghat, about 400 metres apart on the Godavari. Rest through the afternoon. Return to Hazur Sahib after dark when the complex is lit, and check whether the evening light-and-laser show is running that day.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Nanded
Spend the morning at Hazur Sahib, with a langar meal, then visit Nagina Ghat and Banda Ghat on the river. Rest in the afternoon and return to the main shrine in the evening.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Nanded
Dawn darshan, langar, a quiet afternoon, and an evening return to the lit complex.
Day-by-day plan →
