North India · Punjab
Anandpur Sahib, Punjab
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia
Before you go
Where the Khalsa was founded; Hola Mohalla (March) is the great gathering, with martial displays.
About Anandpur Sahib
- Hills
- Riverside
Where it is
Anandpur Sahib is a town in Rupnagar district of Punjab, on the edge of the Shivalik hills beside the Sutlej river, close to the Himachal Pradesh border and about 30 km north of Ropar.
History
Guru Tegh Bahadur founded the town in 1665 as Chakk Nanaki, and his son Guru Gobind Singh made it his base. On Vaisakhi in 1699 Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa here, and the town, renamed Anandpur, the city of bliss, became one of Sikhism's holiest places, home to Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib.
People
Anandpur Sahib's people speak Punjabi and farm the fertile land along the Sutlej, and the town is a centre of Sikh worship and learning. At Hola Mohalla, Nihang Sikhs in blue robes and turbans gather in great numbers, and langars feed the crowds.
Known for
- Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib
- Hola Mohalla
- The Virasat-e-Khalsa museum
- Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
- Naina Devi Temple nearby
Did you know?
Hola Mohalla, usually held the day after Holi, was begun by Guru Gobind Singh as a gathering for martial exercises, and Nihangs still show horsemanship and swordplay at it.
Shrines and sites
- Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib
- Virasat-e-Khalsa museum
- Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
- Naina Devi Temple
Traditions
- Sikh
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