Sultanpur Lodhi to Haridwar: 317km

At Haridwar, Guru Nanak arrived during a great pilgrimage when thousands had gathered to bathe in the Ganges, believing the water would wash away their sins. Watching the crowds, it was clear to him that few remembered the Divine, most came only to cleanse their guilt for their own pride.

At sunrise, as the pilgrims faced east to offer water and salutations towards the sun, Guru Nanak stepped into the river, turned west, and began pouring water in the opposite direction. Shocked, the priests and onlookers demanded to know what he was doing. They asked “Why turn your back to the sun and pray to the West like a Muslim, yet in the Ganges like a Hindu?”.

Guru Nanak calmly asked them why they threw water eastward. They replied that it was for their ancestors, so the holy water would reach them and bring blessings. Guru Nanak smiled and said, “I am watering my fields in Punjab as they are dry and need rain.” The crowd laughed, saying the water could never travel that far.

Guru Nanak then responded, “If this water cannot reach Punjab, how can yours reach your ancestors? You have become lost in ritual and forgotten truth. Serve your parents and elders while they live as once they are gone, no offering can reach them.”

The people grew silent. Through this simple act, Guru Nanak revealed that real devotion is not in empty hollow rituals but in understanding, compassion, and remembrance of the One light present in all.