By: Rai Faisal Rasheed Bhatti
Just 5 kilometers outside the present-day city of Nankana Sahib in Punjab, Pakistan, lies a little-known but historically sacred site, Talwandi Rai Bhoe, the original ancestral estate of Rai Bular Bhatti, the noble Muslim landlord who recognized Nanak’s divine light.
While most of the world knows Nankana Sahib as the spiritual heart of Sikhism, few are aware that the actual estate and court of Rai Bular, where many of Guru Nanak’s early life events unfolded, stood apart from the city’s current boundaries. Today, that ancient land lies largely forgotten, its ruins buried beneath time and modernity.
Rai Bular – Larger than Life
Rai Bular Bhatti was the chief of Talwandi and a respected Muslim nobleman of his time. Despite religious differences, he became one of Guru Nanak’s earliest admirers. Moved by miraculous events like the hooded cobra shading the sleeping child Nanak or the Sacha Sodha incident, Rai Bular saw in Nanak Dev Jee a divine soul destined to guide humanity.
Guru Nanak’s belief in one God and his love for common people impressed Rai Bular to an extent that he donated a significant portion of his estate (18,500 acres) to him - not for personal use, but for the common good of the people.
The Earthquake That Buried a Legacy
In 1668, a powerful earthquake struck the region, with tremors felt across large parts of present-day Punjab. This catastrophic event, with an estimated magnitude of 7.6, caused massive destruction and claimed tens of thousands of lives.
It is believed that the original Talwandi Rai Bhoe estate, including Rai Bular’s court and surrounding structures, was destroyed during this seismic upheaval. Over the centuries, the ruins were buried, and a small village of around 200 houses now stands quietly over what was once a thriving spiritual and administrative center.
Though much of the world sees today’s Nankana Sahib as the heart of Guru Nanak’s early life, the true ancestral site lies quietly on the outskirts - still holding its sacred stories beneath layers of time and earth.
From Talwandi to Nankana Sahib
The vast land, over 18,500 acres in size, is now managed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and includes the present-day city of Nankana Sahib along with more than 40 surrounding villages. This land was distinct from Talwandi Rai Bhoe, the original estate and administrative seat of Rai Bular Bhatti, which remained with his family. Guru Nanak's father, Kalu Mehta, served as the manager of Rai Bular’s entire estate, especially after the early demise of Rai Bular's father, Rai Bhoe Khan Bhatti.
Talwandi Rai Bhoe was the original town and court of Rai Bular Bhatti, while the current Nankana Sahib was the area gifted to Guru Nanak, which was a new beginning, built on land that embraced everyone, regardless of caste or faith. It is important to note that when Rai Bular divided his estate into two, he retained the part where his family’s village and the estate court were operational. The portion given to Guru Nanak Jee included the residential area where estate employees, such as Kalu Mehta, lived - land designated for the welfare of the common people. Later, at the time of the Partition in 1947, almost all Hindus and Sikhs living in Nankana migrated to India. In their place, Muslim families arriving from India were settled and allotted homes and shops in Nankana by Rai Hussain Khan, the estate’s custodian at the time.
Talwandi remains a sacred but under-recognized origin point, which is still in possession of Rai Bular’s descendants, and carries within it the first footprints of Sikhism’s journey.
A Living Legacy - Water for the People
In a beautiful continuation of Guru Nanak’s message of selfless service (seva) and community well-being, a fresh water RO (Reverse Osmosis) plant was installed at Talwandi Rai Bhoe in January 2019 by the 18th generation descendants of Rai Bular Bhatti.
This water plant provides free, clean, and treated drinking water to people from Talwandi Rai Bhoe and surrounding villages. The initiative has become a source of life and unity for hundreds of families.
Preserve & Honor
Recognizing Talwandi Rai Bhoe as a heritage site is vital. It’s not just a place, it’s a symbol of interfaith harmony, visionary leadership, and the very soil where Sikhism took its first breath.
And now, with the continued seva of clean water flowing through the land, it reminds us that Guru Nanak's legacy is not just history - it’s living service. The site should be dug by the archaeological department to find items from Guru Jee’s and Rai Bular Bhatti’s era.
We owe it to history, to Rai Bular’s legacy, and to Guru Nanak’s universal message to ensure that this sacred site is documented, preserved, and respected.
(The author, Rai Faisal Rasheed Bhatti - philanthropist, is an 18th generation descendant of Rai Bular Bhatti)