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He told the rest of his
retinue to retire to their homes if they so wished, but he bade one
Bhai Santokh Singh to stay on here and keep Guru ka langar going. Many
others also chose to remain. Together they built a room over the
platform where he used to sit while holding his court and installed
Guru Granth Sahib on it. They called it Takhat Sahib. Guru Gobind
Singh, while conferring Guruship on the holy Book, had himself named
Nanded as Abchalnagar (lit. steadfast city) after the first word of a
hymn read at random on the occasion. Sachkhand (lit. region of Truth)
had been used by Guru Nanak Dev to mean the abode of God. The present
building of the Takhat Sahib was got constructed by Maharaja Ranjit
Singh with money, artisans and labour sent from Punjab during early
1830s.
The building complex of the Takhat Sahib about half a Kilometer from
the left bank of the river Godavari is spread over several hectares.
Besides the Takhat Sahib proper it also includes two other shrines,
Bunga Mai Bhago ji comprising a large room where Guru Granth Sahib is
seated and some historical weapons are at display, and Angitha (lit.place
of cremation) Bhai Daya Singh and Dharam Singh. These two survivors of
the battle of Chamkaur, who were among the Panj Piare (Five beloved
Ones who had offered their heads at the Guru’s call when the Khalsa
was created in Kesgarh Fort of Anandpur Sahib on the Baisakhi Day of
1699), had accompanied the Guru to Nanded and had died here
subsequently. The complex also has a 300 room rest house for pilgrims,
Guru ka langar, and office blocks of the Gurudwara Board besides a
press and publishing house and a school for scripture-reading and
kirtan.
 The two-storey building of the Takhat Sahib proper standing on a high
base has a small square room on the second floor bearing the gilded
ribbed dome topped with a tall gilded pinnacle and umbrella shaped
finial. There are some rooms in the basement too, so that the edifice
is technically four-storeyed. Corners of the roof of the first floor
are decorated with domed kiosks on octagonal pedestals. Other
embellishments on the exterior included oriel windows and a wide
coping on the sides and a fancy fencing on the roof top. Inside, the
sanctum has marble lining decorated with inset work in floral patterns
on lower parts of the walls and stucco and tukari work on the upper
parts as well as on the ceiling. The sanctum is not occupied by Guru
Granth Sahib during the day as is normally the case in all Gurudwaras.
Here some old weapons and other relics are placed on a marbled
platform. This include steel quoits, a broad sword, a steel bow and an
arrow, a gilded dagger-sized sword, a few swords and a mace. Guru
Granth Sahib is seated in the room in front of the sanctum from early
morning to late evening and is placed in the sanctum only during the
night.
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