City Of Bliss

Anandpur Sahib is one of the most holy places of the Sikhs. City is closely linked

with their religious traditions and history. It is situated 45km from Ropar on the

left bank of the river Sutlej.City catch up the importance with the construction

of Nangal and Bhakra projects nearby, 20 km from the north.  Nangal and Bhakra

projects have brought Anandpur Sahib on the rail and road map of India.

City is located at a distance of 80 km from Chandigarh.

Anandpur sahib (city of bliss) is one of the five most important religious places of the

Sikhs. This is the birthplace of the Sikh faith. Here Guru Gobind Singh founded the

Khalsa Panth on Baisakhi day in 1699. Takht Shri Keshgarh Sahib stands at the place

where the tenth Guru of sikh baptized the 'Panj Pyaras'( the five beloved ones) and
administered Amrit to them.

Best time to visit: Every year on the day following Holi, Hola Mohalla festival is
celebrated at Anandpur Sahib. On the day of Hola Mohalla,  relives the martial splendor of
the Khalsa under their great Guru. Around three lakh pilgrims from all over India and abroad
came to participate in the festival of hola mohalla. For visitors, accommodation is no problem
at Anandpur Sahib. Five well furnished tourist huts with a double bedroom have been set up
by Tourist Department of Punjab Government.The Punjab Tourist Department has a 70 bed
tourist bungalow where accommodation is available at a nominal rate, nearby nangal.
Bhakra Nangal Management Board also offer accommodation .Pilgrims mostly come by rail
and by air from all over India and abroad. For them nearest airport is Chandigarh from
where they can travel by buses.

Don't Miss:  For pilgrims and tourists, a visit to Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Museum is a must.
It was set up in the memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur who made the supreme sacrifice for sake
of liberation of the oppressed and for the freedom of conscience and belief. The great Sikh
history of this period is full of struggle and sacrifices which are depicted here through the
medium of paintings prepared by illustrious artists.

Nihangs- Sikh guerrilla army

City of bliss is also home to one of the largest encampments of the Nihangs, the Sikh guerrilla army created by the Gurus. Dressed distinctively in electric blue  and sporting tall and elaborately adorned turbans, the Nihangs were known for their ferociousness in battle, earning them the moniker of ‘sava lakhi’  or that each was as good as 1.25 lakh of the enemy. The Nihangs, whose role as protectors of the faith has now lost much of its relevance, continue to follow their traditional way of life, living as bachelors around Gurudwaras and other encampments in Punjab. Even today, if you travel to Anandpur Sahib around Holi you will be treated to the sight of hundreds of Nihangs who descend on the town for the ‘Holla Mohalla’, where they show off their horse riding  and skills with weapons with great dexterity and deftness.