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{{Infobox building
| name = Sarai
| image = Saragadisaraiasr.jpeg
| caption = Saragarhi Sarai near the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab
| location = [[Amritsar]]
| location_country = India
| owner = [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee|S.G.P.C]]
| building_type = [[Sikh architecture]]
}}

A '''Sarai''' or '''Niwas''' is a type of [[Sikh architecture|Sikh structure]] that function as rooming-houses, inns, or hostels for religious pilgrims.{{Efn|Alternatively spelt as 'serai'.|group=note}}<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Dilgeer |first=Harjinder Singh |title=The Sikh Reference Book |publisher=The Sikh Educational Trust |year=1997 |isbn=9780969596424 |edition=1st |pages=42}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Sarai Booking |url=https://old.sgpc.net/sarai-booking/index.asp |access-date=21 January 2025 |website=Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Darshan |title=The Sikh Art and Architecture |publisher=Department of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies, Panjab University |year=1987 |pages=22}}</ref> Nearly all of the major Sikh gurdwaras have sarais associated with them.<ref name=":5" /> Many well-known sarais are attached to the Golden Temple complex in [[Amritsar]] and are operated by the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]].

== History ==
This Guru Ram Das Niwas was originally built in 1931, with its foundation stone having been laid by Sant Sadhu Singh of Patiala on 17 January 1931.<ref name=":0" />

There are six sarais operating to serve pilgrims of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sarai Info |url=https://sgpc.net/sarai-info/ |access-date=21 January 2025 |website=Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee}}</ref> A couple of the sarais serving the Golden Temple were lit on fire during [[Operation Blue Star]] in 1984.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dhillon |first=Gurdarshan Singh |title=Truth About Punjab: SGPC White Paper |publisher=Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee |year=1996 |location=Amritsar |quote=The buildings of Guru Ram Das Sarai, Guru Nanak Niwas and the S.G.P.C. office in the Teja Singh Samundri Hall were also set on fire.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Deora |first=Man Singh |title=Aftermath of Operation Bluestar |publisher=Anmol Publications |year=1992 |pages=443, 449, 459}}</ref>

In 2021, ''[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]'' reported that the SGPC planned to demolish the structure of the Guru Ram Das Niwas for new constructions, which was criticized by heritage-advocates.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 August 2021 |title=Don't raze Sri Guru Ramdas Ji Niwas 'sarai' in Golden Temple: Activists |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/dont-raze-golden-temple-sarai-activists-291623/ |access-date=21 January 2025 |work=The Tribune}}</ref>

== List of sarais ==

=== Amritsar ===
Some notable sarais of Amritsar include:

* Shri Guru Ram Das Niwas – 160 rooms (free).<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":0" /> Guests generally can only lodge at the sarai for three days at a time and must obey the principles of Sikhism during their stay.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Golden Temple |url=https://old.sgpc.net/golden-temple/around.asp |access-date=21 January 2025 |website=Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee}}</ref> It is currently the oldest extant sarai of the Golden Temple complex.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 June 2016 |title=Sikh body against demolition of oldest serai at Golden Temple |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/community/sikh-body-against-demolition-of-oldest-serai-at-golden-temple-258534/ |access-date=22 January 2025 |work=The Tribune}}</ref>
* Shri [[Guru Nanak]] Niwas – 21 rooms (free).<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> This sarai is also contains sectarian offices of various departments of the SGPC.<ref name=":0" />
* Shri [[Guru Arjan]] Dev Niwas – containing 65 rooms.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Located at the entrance point to the main sarai section.<ref name=":0" /> A branch of the [[Punjab & Sind Bank]] can be found in it.<ref name=":0" />
* Shri [[Guru Hargobind]] Ji Niwas – containing 88 rooms and 3 halls.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> It is located near [[Gurdwara Baba Atal]] and its basement hosts the Sri Guru Ramdas Library.<ref name=":0" />
* Mata Ganga Ji Niwas – containing 94 rooms and situated exactly opposite to the Guru Hargobind Niwas.<ref name=":0" /> The structure hosts the Internet department of the SGPC.<ref name=":0" />
* New Akal Rest House – containing 45 rooms<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
* Baba Deep Singh Ji Niwas – containing 142 rooms and located near Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib (Shaheedan).<ref name=":0" />
* Mata Bhag Kaur Ji Niwas – containing 41 rooms and located at Chownk Ram Talai, G.T. Road.<ref name=":0" />
* Saragarhi Niwas<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=G. S. |date=18 June 2024 |title=Golden Temple sarai: Despite plaint, devotees still being duped by fake web portals on pretext of booking rooms |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/despite-plaint-devotees-still-being-duped-on-pretext-of-booking-rooms-632089/ |access-date=21 January 2025 |website=The Tribune}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Photograph of the Shri Guru Hargobind Ji Niwas of the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023.jpg|Photograph of the Shri Guru Hargobind Ji Niwas of the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023
File:Photograph of the Mata Ganga Ji Niwas of the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023.jpg|Photograph of the Mata Ganga Ji Niwas of the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023
File:Photograph of the Shri Guru Ram Das Ji Niwas within the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023.jpg|Photograph of the Shri Guru Ram Das Ji Niwas within the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023
File:Photograph of the Akali Baba Phula Singh Jathedar Budha Dal N.R.I. Niwas, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023.jpg|Photograph of the Akali Baba Phula Singh Jathedar Budha Dal N.R.I. Niwas, Amritsar, Punjab, India, April 2023
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Seraglio]]
* [[Dharamshala (type of building)]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Sikh architecture]]

Sarai (building) - Revision history

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