Plot

"Gurdwara Panja Sahib" is a 20-minute documentary Directed By TJ Sandhuu, Voice-over and Interviews done by Priya Barjatya Dhingra, written by Sangeeta Jain and Kamini Jain. The documentary is depicting the famous shrine situated at Hasan Abdal, in Pakistan. The word "Panja" in Punjabi means an "outstretched palm" from the word "Panj" which means "five". The shrine is thus called because the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji left his handprint that is still etched on a boulder at the Gurdwara. The sacred handprint also serves as a symbolic reminder of the important lesson Guru Nanak Dev Ji preached to his devotees.

Many thousands of faithful Sikhs from all over the globe visit this shrine. However, four times a year, during special celebrations, an enormous number of Sikh pilgrims attend this Gurdwara from every corner of the world. Special visas are allocated by the Pakistan government to cater for the increased demand. The film starts with explaining /looks at the history, structure of the shrine. It also explains main principles of Sikhism. Deeply embedded values of spirituality and selfless service plays themselves out in the form of everyday activities like the langar. The film starts with explaining the history and the structure of the shrine, discusses role of SGPC(Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) in India and Pakistan, explaining how one can procure Visa and the travel formalities

The shrine was at some point easily accessible to all, today it is in Pakistan. The film tries to show its impact on Sikh psyche. It shows how emotional people get while talking about Panja Sahib. It depicts that Panja Sahib is not just any other Gurdwara, people connect with it very much. The film discusses role of SGPC in India and Pakistan, visa formalities one has to go through. It interviews people who have actually visited the Gurdwara Panja Sahib or people who are authorized to take people/Sikh Sangat on Pilgrim Visas

Priya interviewed various people including Navtej Singh Sarna, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Manjit Singh GK, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Giani Ranjit Singh ji (Bangla Sahib Head Priest) associated with the holy shrine and lent her voice to this 20-minute documentary. The film was showcased in the prestigious Sikh International Film Festival organized by Sikh Art and Film Foundation, New York.

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Directed by: TJ Sandhuu Voice over and Interviewer: Priya Barjatya Dhingra Concept and written by: Sangeeta Barjatya Jain