Guru Teg Bahadur Library, Sis Ganj Sahib, New Delhi
Origin
Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is one of the nine historical gurdwaras in Delhi. The Gurdwara was established by Sikh general Baghel Singh to commemorate the martyrdom of Ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1783. Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded here on 11th November, 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam on orders of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The present gurdwara structure was built in 1930. Some historical symbols are still present there i.e. the trunk of the tree under which the Guru was beheaded, the well from which he took bath while in prison and Kotwali (police station) where his disciples were tortured.
Guru Teg Bahadur Library was established in 1992. Like other Gurdwara libraries in Delhi this too is being managed by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. The Gurdwara also has a Museum attached to it.
Building
The library occupies a spacious room on the ground floor of the Gurdwara premises. In centre is a huge reading table and book almirahs are on the sides. Librarian's Desk/Circulation Desk is in one corner.
Location
The Sis Ganj Gurdwara is located at the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi. It is one of the most prominent building in the region and visited by thousands of devottees everyday. Chandni Chowk is also considered shoppers paradise. Old Delhi railway station is just a stone's throw away. The Kashmere Gate Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) is about 1.5 kms away. Red Fort is about 0.5 Kms away. Chandni Chowk metro station is opposite to the Gurdwara and can be accessed through gate no. 5 of metro station. The library is located on the ground floor of the Gurdwara Complex.
Staff
The library has two professional staff working in two shifts i.e. morning shift from 7am to 2pm and evening shift from 11am to 6pm.
Collection
The library has collection of 3000 (approx.) valuable books. The collection has been classified according to DDC and manual catalogue is also available though not very updated. In addition the library subscribes to many newspapers in languages English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The prominent subscriptions are as under,
| English | Hindi | Punjabi | Urdu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Times of India | Rashtriya Sahara | Ajit | Milan Today |
| Hindustan Times | Hindustan Times | Rozana Spokesman | Pratap |
| The Asian Age | Nav Bharat | Punjabi Tribune | Hind Samachar |
| The Indian Express | Jan Satta | ||
| Economic Times | Veer Arjun | ||
| The Pioneer | Punjab Kesri | ||
| The Hindu | Dainik Savera | ||
| Statesman | Navodaya Times | ||
| English Tribune |
Membership
The library has about 25 registered active members. However, there are a considerable number of unregisted visitors, who visit the library routinely or occasionally for reading newspapers or consulting library resources for specific pieces of information on Sikhism. The library is storehouse of resources on Sikhism and welcomes general public from around the world with specific information needs.
Information Technology
The library is managing its resources and offering its services manually.
Working Hours
The opens from 7am in the morning to 6pm in the evening throughout the year.
Contact
Guru Teg Bahadur Library,[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Sis Ganj Gurdwara Complex,
Chandni Chowk,
New Delhi - 110006.
INDIA.
Phone: +91 11 2328 5117/18