Explore Paonta Sahib

Paonta Sahib is a small hill site in the charming state of Himachal Pradesh, Paonta Sahib is a famous pilgrimage center for Sikhs and a town filled with oodles of attractions that draw the attention of many a tourist from all across the globe. Erected in the respect of the tenth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, It is believed that the Guru Gobind Singh Ji lived here for four years. The guru has written that as long as I stayed here relishing the beautiful surroundings, hunting in the wild forests and composing poetry were a perfect experience. Pilgrims can also enjoy the salubrious climate, verdant beauty and tall evergreen trees around the holy shrine. There is a big darbar inside the complex of the temple where guru would sit with 52 poets. Another attraction is Sri Talab sahib where Guruji would hand out earnings to his soldiers.

History

It holds spiritual significance amongst Sikhs. The temple has a book called Dasam Granth, which is written by the tenth guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It is said that Guru got impressed by the warm welcome from the king along with his merchants and whole singh worshippers and as a result decided to stay here for at least 4 years with his horse. He wrote many books during his stay at Paonta Sahib and then left for Anandpur Sahib to create the Khalsa Panth. In addition to this, the Gurudwara has a museum where visitors can have a glimpse of weapons used by Guruji at those times.

Climate

The summers are hot with an average temperature of 35°C, while the winters are chilly with a maximum temperature of 15°C.

Best time to visit

The ideal time to pay a visit to Paonta Sahib with friends or families is from mid May to mid October.

Places to visit in Paonta Sahib

Gurudwara Paonta Sahib

The Gurudwara Paonta Sahib has linkages to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikh leader Banda Bahadur. Its original name was Paontika. "Paon" in Hindi means feet and "tika" in Hindi means became stable. It is believed that Guru Gobind Singh and his horse stopped at this place and he decided to stay here. He wrote many Sikh religious books here and then went to Anandpur Sahib to establish the Khalsa Panth. The Gurudwara also houses a museum which contains a lot of antiques and weapons used by Guru Gobind Singh during his stay.

Gurudwara Bhangani Sahib

Just 6km from Paonta Sahib, Gurudwara Bhangani Sahib is an attractive place amidst the natural surroundings. It is the destination where Guru Gobind Singh Ji defeated hill chieftains. Lacs of devotees pay a visit to this shrine every year.

Associated with the battle of Bhangani, the Gurudwara is seen as the symbol of victory in the war against Raja Bhim Chand. This was the place where Guru Gobind Singh ji fought his first battle at the age of 22 against Raja Bhim Chand. This Gurudwara was built in the memory of the war victims and signifies victory and power of the unity of Sikhs.

Assan Lake

Assan Lake, located at a distance of 4 km from Paonta Sahib, is a beautiful lake developed by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department as a tourist hotspot.

Assan Lake A refreshing place in proximity to Paonta Sahib, Assan Lake has a number of exciting and thrilling activities to entice the tourists thronging from wide and far. Besides this, travelers can plunge in a wide array of cuisines offered at the restaurant located within the premises of the lake.

Fossil Park

Positioned on the banks of Markanda River about 30 miles from Paonta Sahib, Fossil Park has beautifully put on view flora and fauna's life in its museum.

It is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument fossil park in the Sirmaur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It has a collection of prehistoric vertebrate fossils and skeletons recovered from the upper and middle Siwaliks geological formations of sandstones and clay at Suketi

Sirmour

A quaint site in the state of Himachal Pradesh, Sirmour is renowned for its assorted architectural ruins. It is believed to have been devastated in the 11th century owing to deluge.

The district of Sirmaur in the southeast corner of the State is divided by river Giri into two parts, the cis-Giri and the trans Giri. Cis - Giri in which falls, Nahan, the Headquarters of Sirmaur District

Simbalbara Wildlife Sanctuary

Another famous attraction is Simbalbara Wildlife Sanctuary which is nestled hardly any distance from the Paonta Sahib. It is visited by many ornithologists and bird lovers throughout the year.

The sanctuary is situated in the middle of thick Sal forest in the Paonta Valley, quite close to the Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a peaceful, isolated wildlife holiday perched in the lower reaches of the Shivalik hill ranges.