The tranquil town of Anandpur Sahib is popular among local Sikh inhabitants as \"The City of Bliss.\" As is evident from this name it has garnered, the tiny city has a refreshing and calming influence over the souls of all the devout followers that walk into its territory. Tourists who visit the land of bliss can either share space with several native Sikhs. At the same time, they rekindle the camaraderie of the Hola Mohalla festival or revisit the invigorating past of Anandpur Sahib while they come across the intriguing remnants of age-old Sikh battles for freedom. Visitors can also set foot into nature parks and wetlands filled with magnificent creatures and abundant vegetation. The natural surroundings here prove apt for taking impressive photographs. Let us look at some of the exciting things to do when in the beautiful city of Anandpur Sahib.<\/p>","image":"","attribution":"","position":"1","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Witness the Hola Mohalla Festival","html":"

The locals of Punjab<\/a> celebrate the festival of Hola Mohalla for three days, starting from the day after Holi. This annual celebration is held every year to help the Sikh community demonstrate and hone their battlefield skillsets. Sikhs from various parts of Anandpur Sahib come forward to showcase their strength through dare-devil sports such as tent pegging, bareback horse-riding, and Gatka. Once done with the fierce sporting acts, participants engage in poetry competitions and song and dance to lighten up the mood. Several durbars around town deliver religious preaching to the faithful to create a sense of brotherhood among the Sikh fraternity. Tourists can either take a tour of the several gurudwaras in the neighborhood or feast at one of the langars organized by the Sikh community.<\/p>","image":"24850-1584663218.jpg","attribution":"https:\/\/www.stateexpressindia.com\/","position":"2","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Walkthrough Gurudwara Guru Ka Mehal","html":"

Gurudwara Guru Ka Mehal formed an abode for the valiant Guru Tegh Bahadur around the time when the foundations were being laid for Sikhism in the town of Chak Nanaki. Those who visited the Sikh fraternity were allowed to rest at the houses built here. This area is the birthplace of the three youngest children of Guru Gobind Singh. Gurudwara Guru Ka Mehal comprises three main sacred shrines that go by the names Gurudwara Sri Damdama Sahib Anandpur, Gurdwara Sri Thara Sahib Anandpur, and Gurudwara Sri Bhora Sahib Anandpur. Gurdwara Sri Bhora Sahib formed the prayer house for the family of Guru Tegh Bahadur. In contrast, Gurdwara Sri Thara Sahib Anandpur formed the classroom where the Guru preached to visitors as well as local Sikhs. Such rich history brings in loads of tourists regularly to this mehal.<\/p>","image":"24851-1584663279.jpg","attribution":"http:\/\/www.discoversikhism.com\/","position":"3","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Holgarh Sahib Fort","html":"

Also known as Qila Agamgarh, Holgarh Sahib Fort marks the place where the colorful festival of Hola Mohalla was celebrated for the first time during the 17th century. The different sporting events held by Guru Gobind Singh Ji across the fort area include sword-wielding, skills at arms in simulated battles, arrow-shooting, and wrestling. Situated within proximity of the Charan Gariga stream, Holgarh Sahib Fort came third amongst all of the forts in Anandpur Sahib when it came to strong resistance to any invasion. The Hola Mohalla celebrations end at this fortress, with competitions such as tent-pegging, fencing, and coil-throwing practiced in abundance. The current architecture of the fort was built in the 1970s by Sant Seva Singh.<\/p>","image":"24852-1584663367.jpg","attribution":"http:\/\/www.discoversikhism.com\/","position":"4","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Explore Ropar Wetlands","html":"

Perfectly nestled amidst the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas, Ropar Wetlands is a splendid ecological zone of Anandpur Sahib. Perched at a distance of 50 km from the center of the city, this human-made wetland spans a 1,365-hectares expanse. Some of the species found here include 35 fish species, nine mammal species, more than 150 bird variants, nine arthropod species, and ten protozoan species. Rare animals such as Python molurus snake and Chitra Indica turtle form the prime attractions at Ropar Wetlands. Tourists can also hire a local expert to take them on a tour of birdwatching with opportunities to witness magnificent migratory birds coming into the wetlands. Apart from the animal species, the tranquil lake and abundant vegetation add to the picturesque surroundings of Ropar Wetlands.<\/p>","image":"24853-1584663454.jpg","attribution":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/","position":"5","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Step into Gurdwara Sri Mata Jito","html":"

Gurdwara Sri Mata Jito memorializes the wife of Guru Gobind Singh, Sri Mata Jito. Their marriage commenced on the auspicious date of 4th April 1684. It is believed that Mata Jito would assist Guru Gobind Singh Ji with his efforts to prepare nectar, also known as Amrit. While he formed nectar for commencing the Khalsa, Sri Mata Jito followed ancient traditions and made sure she added sweetness to the mixture in her way. This sweetness included trickling a few crystals of sugar into the mix at the Guru\'s offering. The fact that she was the first Khalsa mistress only made it more apt for the local inhabitants to worship the brave woman at Gurdwara Sri Mata Jito with all their fidelity.<\/p>","image":"24854-1584663539.jpg","attribution":"http:\/\/www.discoversikhism.com\/","position":"6","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Step into Jhajjar Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary","html":"

Jhajjar Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary is situated approximately 15 km away from the heart of Anandpur Sahib. This wildlife park is an apt natural haven with a diverse collection of animals and plants that thrive across its expanse. Some of the flora that flourishes within the grasslands of Jhajjar Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary include Shisham, Subabul, Neem, Khair, and Eucalyptus. Apart from the fascinating plant life, the sanctuary also boasts of beautiful animal life like pangolins, deer, leopards, jungle fowl, monitor lizards, jungle cats, wild boars, blue bulls. Different species of the snake family such as rat snake, python, and cobra also dwell inside Jhajjar Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary\'s incredible terrain.<\/p>","image":"24855-1584663801.jpg","attribution":"https:\/\/www.hillstationboss.com\/","position":"7","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Magnificent Lohgarh Sahib Fort","html":"

Lohgarh Sahib Fort came second only to the superb Kesgarh Fort when it came to exhibiting robust architectural brilliance. Located within the southern hemisphere of Anandpur Sahib, this fortress also hosted a handy arms manufacturing center within its walls. The primary entrance gate of the fort was sturdy enough to withstand any attacks from foreign invaders. Local inhabitants will always tell tourists about the bravery of a confident Bhai Bachchittar Singh who resided here. It is believed that this brave man managed to keep a mighty elephant deployed by the invading army chiefs at bay during the beleaguerment of Anandpur Sahib in the 17th century.<\/p>","image":"24856-1584663921.jpg","attribution":"http:\/\/www.discoversikhism.com\/","position":"8","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Visit Bhakra Nangal Dam","html":"

Bhakra Nangal Dam, also known as \"Gobind Sagar,\" is located approximately 36 km away from the city of Anandpur Sahib. This gigantic project comprises two dams, the Nangal dam and the Bhakra Dam. The larger of the two, Bhakra Dam, has the distinction of being one of the highest barriers in the whole of Asia<\/a>. This dam rises to a dizzying height of more than 200 m. Constructed in 1963, the water reservoir at Bhakra Nangal Dam boasts of the capacity to accommodate approximately 9.34 billion cubic meters of water. The sturdy structure of this project stores water appropriately and avoids excessive precipitation of rainfall, damaging the crops and vegetation flourishing around its expanse. With beautiful surroundings all over its territory, Bhakra Nangal Dam is a perfect haven for nature enthusiasts.<\/p>","image":"24857-1584664002.jpg","attribution":"https:\/\/www.pbrdp.gov.in\/","position":"9","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Age-old Kesgarh Fort","html":"

The tenth Sikh Guru was the prime constructor behind the making of the magnificent Kesgarh Fort of Anandpur Sahib. The prime aim behind building this fort was to protect the city from foreign intruders. Now comprising the Kesgarh Sahib Takhat, this structure was one of the fivesomes of architectural marvels built by Guru Gobind Singh around Anandpur Sahib\'s expanse. Uniquely, every one of these forts raised to shield the inhabiting Sikh fraternity is interlinked through underground tunnels and earthworks. One interesting fact about the hillock that Kesgarh Fort was perched upon is that the revered saint would host fellowship activities atop it. At one point in time, the fortress stood at a staggering height and formed an excellent barrier against the invading armies.<\/p>","image":"24858-1584664095.jpg","attribution":"http:\/\/gurudwarainfo.blogspot.com\/","position":"10","cdn":"","slide_links":[]},{"header":"Sacred Gurudwara Bhai Jaita","html":"