Udasis of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Between 1499 and 1527 CE, Guru Nanak Dev Ji undertook five extraordinary journeys — known as Udasis — covering an estimated 28,000+ kilometres across South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. He walked, engaged, and transformed — speaking to scholars, saints, rulers and the common people alike.

Interactive Route Map

Click a button to solo that Udasi — map zooms to its route. Click again to show all. Solid lines = outward journey; dashed = return. Arrows show direction of travel. Use the thickness slider to adjust line weight.

Udasi 1 — East India & Sri Lanka (~1499–1509)

The first and longest Udasi took Guru Nanak eastward through the sacred cities of the Gangetic plain — Haridwar, Mathura, Varanasi, Prayagraj — then south to Jagannath Puri, Tamil Nadu, and finally across to Sri Lanka (referred to as Sangladweep in Janam Sakhis). The journey lasted approximately ten years and covered the full breadth of the Indian subcontinent.

Key encounters on this Udasi include the famous episode at Haridwar where Guru Nanak threw water westward (toward his fields in Punjab) to counter the practice of throwing water east toward the sun for deceased ancestors — a powerful metaphor about the futility of ritual divorced from understanding.

Udasi 2 — North: Kashmir, Ladakh & Tibet (~1510–1515)

The second Udasi took Guru Nanak northward into the Himalayan region — through Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, and into the Tibetan plateau. He engaged with Nath yogis and Buddhist monks, challenging asceticism and isolation from society as paths to God.

The famous Sakhi of Guru Nanak at Achal Batala — where he debated with the Siddhas (yogis) — is associated with this period. His message: true renunciation is of ego, not of family and social responsibility.

Udasi 3 — West: Sindh, Arabia, Mecca & Baghdad (~1516–1521)

The third Udasi was the most geographically ambitious — westward through Sindh and Balochistan to the Arabian Sea, then by sea or land to Mecca and Medina, and onward to Baghdad. Guru Nanak wore a distinctive robe combining elements of Hindu and Muslim dress, accompanied by the Muslim musician Bhai Mardana.

At Mecca, the famous episode of his feet pointing toward the Kaaba — and the Kaaba appearing to rotate rather than his feet — illustrates his teaching that God is omnipresent and not confined to any one direction. In Baghdad, a memorial (takhti) commemorating his visit is said to have existed for centuries.

Udasi 4 — North-East: Assam & Bengal (~1521–1524)

The fourth Udasi covered North-East India — through Mathura, into Bengal and then Assam, reaching as far as Majuli (the world's largest river island) and the Kamakhya temple region near Guwahati. Guru Nanak engaged with Tantric practitioners and the Shakti tradition, emphasising that divine power does not reside in rituals of fear but in love and devotion.

Udasi 5 — Punjab & Nearby Regions (~1524–1527)

The fifth and final Udasi was shorter in scope — through Punjab, back toward Kashmir and Jammu, and the areas around present-day Pakistan. After this journey, Guru Nanak settled permanently at Kartarpur, established a farming community, and instituted the practices of sangat (congregation) and langar (community kitchen) that became foundational to Sikhism.

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