Poanta Sahib In Kalsi

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The city of Paonta Sahib is situated to the south of Sirmour district in the state of Himachal Pradesh but is very near to Dehradun and Kalsi and is almost at the border of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. The town, positioned at the banks of River Yamuna, was inhabited by most admired guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh ji. He lived here for many years after his father Guru Tegh Bahadur was beheaded by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. While staying in Paonta Sahib, he sharpened his skills in the art of warfare.

The place is credited to be the only city whose foundation was laid by the holy hands of a guru. The town was christened 'Paonta' by the guru himself. The word 'Paonta' means a foot hold or a shoe. The popular belief is that Guru lost one of his ornaments he wore in his feet and after that incident, the place is known as Paonta Sahib.

The history of Paonta Sahib dates back to 1685 A.D., when Guru Gobind Singh arrived in the state of Nahan and laid the foundation of Paonta Sahib. Since Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth guru of Sikhs, he was very popular and due to his charisma, Sikh Sangat started visiting the place and few even settled there. The place was a religious site earlier; in no time it became an important center of business. Farmers employed themselves in cultivating the nearby lands. Within a span of few months, a secluded place turned into a well-known town. No other place in the world has been established in such a short time as Paonta Sahib.

Due to the magnetism of Guru Gobind Singh, the place fascinated Sikh Sangat from nearby areas and among them were several poets & versifiers, who contributed to make the place a focal point of literature. Guru Gobind Singh held Diwans of Asa-Di-Vir and Kirtan at Gurudwara. The place is also known as Kavi Darbar Ashthan since many poetical contests and Mushairas were held here. Also, Guru Gobind Singh wrote the sacred 'Dasam Granth' at Paonta Sahib only.

Paonta Sahib is popular for housing several Gurudwaras; each Gurudwara associated with some of the important events in the life of Guru Gobind Singh ji.

Gurudwara Bhangani Sahib, situated at the confluence of the three states namely Himachal, Uttaranchal and Haryana, memorializes Guru Gobind Singh's first battle with Raja Fateh Singh. The king instigated the war due to the pressure of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb but suffered crushing defeat in the hands of Guru.

Gurudwara Tirgarh Sahib, built on a small mound, is the place from where Guru Gobind Singh shot arrows at his enemies. Gurudwara Shergarh Sahib was built on the place where Guru Gobind Singh killed a dangerous man-eating tiger with his sword. Paonta Sahib also entails a museum which houses guru's armaments he used during the war and other items associated with the Guru. Apart from all these religious sites, the town also houses some famed textile, cement, chemical industry and spinning mills. The famous pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Private limited is also situated in the town.

Paonta Sahib has a lot to offer in terms of sightseeing and tourism owing to its magnificent location and beauty. River Yamuna passes between the two Duns- the western side of the river is known as Sirmor-di-dun while the area where guru established his dera was known as kiar-di-dun. Since the climatic conditions are really good and it has a sub tropical continental monsoon, one can easily wander around during the daytime. Summer temperatures are a bit high while the temperature dips down quite low during the winters. Paonta Sahib is an excellent lo ion for tourism.