Gurudwara Charan Paduka Patshahi 1 te 9 (Nizamabad)

Gurudwara Charan Paduka Patshahi 1 te 9 – Nizamabad is a small town in the interior of Azamgarh district. An eight-kilometre link road connects it to Serai Rani on the Jaunpur-Azamgarh road. Another six-kilometres road links it to Phariha. Both Serai Rani and Phariha are railway stations on the Ballia-Shahganj metre gauge section of North-Eastern Railway. Nizamabad was visited by Guru Nanak Dev during his eastern udasi in the early sixteenth century, and by Guru Tegh bahadur during his journey back towards Punjab in 1670. A shrine called Charan Paduka (lit. wooden sandals) common to both Gurus existed here of old under Udasi priests until Bawa Kripa Dayal Singh of Goindwal established a proper Gurdwara and himself settled here to preach Sikhism. It became a well known Sikh missionary centre during the time of his son Sadho Singh and grandson, the well-known scholar, author and poet Bawa Sumer Singh. The shrine is named Gurdwara Charan Paduka Patshahi 1 te 9. Its buildings have been renovated by Sant Sadhu Singh Mauni, whose successors continue to administer it. Besides a pair of wooden sandals kept here as a sacred relic one used by Guru Tegh Bahadur, there are fourteen old hand-written copies of Guru Granth Sahib.