The Kartarpur corridor was first suggested by Kuldeep Singh Wadala, a veteran leader of Punjab. He urged the authorities of India and Pakistan for many years for this . For this, he worshiped in Dera Baba Nanak and Kartarpur for 18 years. The first dialogue between India and Pakistan was held in 1998. After this, the present government acted on it.
Pilgrims from India first visit Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and then Nankana Sahib. Guru Nanak Devji, the first Sikh Guru, started living in Kartarpur Sahib in 1522 after completing his 4 famous journeys. Nanakji spent the last 17 years, 5 months and 9 days of his lifetime here, while he was born in 1469 in Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib), present-day Pakistan.
India has built a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab to the international border, next to that Pakistan has built a corridor till Kartarpur.
Dera Baba Nanak is the place where Guru Nanak Devji meditated in 1506 after his first sadness (yatra). The place where Guru Nanak Devji had meditated, Maharaja Ranjit Singh built a gurudwara around 1800 AD at that place.
Kartarpur Sahib is located on the banks of river Ravi in Narowal district, Pakistan. This place is located just 3 kilometers from the Indian border. The area of the Indian territory from Dera Baba to the international border is just 3.5 kilometers. This corridor is about 6.5 kilometers.
The Government of India has spent Rs 1.74 crore to build this corridor while the Punjab government has spent 159 crore at the Dera Baba Nanak site. On the other hand, the Indian government has spent Rs 500 crore on the pilgrimage terminal.
