Anandpur
Sahib
 From
Chandigarh, barely 75 km up the highway towards Dharamsala
and Manali, lies Anandpur Sahib, the impressive gurudwara
that is one of the holiest Sikh Shrines.
It
is located on the lower spurs of the Himalayas surrounded
by picturesque natural scenery, with the river Satluj
forming a shimmering and shiny blue border on the south west
barely four miles away. So far as the historical significance
of Anandpur Sahib is concerned, it is second only to Amritsar,
the city of Golden Temple. Anandpur Sahib was founded in the
year 1664 by the ninth Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur
ji, near the ruins of an ancient place, Makhowal.
The Guru purchased the site from the ruler of Bilaspur.
The
Takht Sahib proper is a square hall with
a balcony in front overlooking a spacious courtyard on a lower
level. In the middle of the inner domed room are placed some
weapons preserved as sacred relics. The space being limited
on the top of the hill, the sarovar is on the plain ground
west of the Takht Sahib. A large spacious pavilion is also
around for larger congregation. Although the town is small
but on the occassion of Hola Mohalla every year in the month
of March it booms into boisterous activities and recaptures
its old glry andsplendor.
Unique Attraction of Anandpur
Sahib
Hola Mohalla
Anandpur Sahib comes to life every year on the occasion of
Hola Mohalla. This tradition dates back to the times of the
10th Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The Guru decided that
the occasion of the festival of Holi, fun and frolic and colour
splashing, be the occasion for the display of the martial
spirit of his people and he gave this festival of Holi a more
masculine name of Hola Mohalla. Each year Hola Mohalla marks
the congregation of lacs of devotees from all over the country
for a festival of colour and gaiety.
Baisakhi
1999 at Anandpur Sahib had been significant as it marked the
completion of 300 years of the Birth of the Khalsa. It was
on Baisakhi day in 1699 that Sri Guru Gobind Singh
Ji baptised the 'Panj Pyaras' at Anaandpur Sahib
at the place where Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib stands.
Travel Information:
1 . By Air
: Nearest Airport at Chandigarh (75km away)
2 . By Rail
: Nearest railhead at Nangal
3 . By Road
: From Chandigarh
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