Anandpur Sahib, the city of joy, or rather bliss, is a sacred place of the Sikhs. Anandpur Sahib, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Naina Devi hills with the river Sutlej flowing in the background is replete with history and religious tradition. As one enters the city one feels the presence of the Gurus in every nook and corner. History, culture, tradition and religious memory mark the formation of the city of Anandpur Sahib — the abode of peace. According to Guru Kian Sakhian, Bhai Nand Lal, a great scholar of Persian, had arrived in Anandpur Sahib on Baisakhi day to receive the blessings of Guru Gobind Singh and upon seeing the Guru for the first time his soul was redeemed.
“O Prince of heaven, King of all that is beautiful, pray do not come more beautiful. I have no more strength in me; Allured, charmed and fascinated by thee, I sacrifice unto thee. Glory, glory, O Beloved. From the beautiful bow of your eyebrows, you shot the arrow of your glance, the arrow of love is through my heart, there is no cure, no remedy”, writes Bhai Nand Lal. No wonder Anandpur Sahib is the place to feel blessed with a blissful state of mind.
The Sikh Gurus were great travellers and also strengthened the community with the establishment of new places and towns. The foundation of Anandpur was laid by Guru Tegh Bahadur on June 19, 1665, near the ruins of Makhowal, an ancient place. The Guru named the place as Chakk Nanaki, later known as Anandpur Sahib. It was here that Guru Tegh Bahadur received the Kashmiri Brahmins and in order to save them from forced conversion, he sacrificed his life. A number of gurdwaras like Manji Sahib and Akal Bunga are associated with him.
Anandpur Sahib acquired the ultimate spiritual state during the time of Guru Gobind Singh who created the Khalsa in 1699 at Anandpur Sahib. The Khalsa was a form of warrior-saint (sant-sipahi) pledged to uphold truth and religion. Anandpur Sahib is dotted with a number of white-marbled gurdwaras like Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Qila Anandgarh Sahib, Qila Fatehgarh Sahib and many others depicting Sikh history and religion. Guru Gobind Singh also instituted a drum, known as Ranjit Nagara to mark the victory of “the Truth”. The festival of Holi was given a new meaning by Guru Gobind Singh and till date it is celebrated with the chanting of hymns and martial activities.
In modern times, Anandpur Sahib has added another feather in the form of the Khalsa Heritage Complex known as “Virasat-e-Khalsa”. This museum, designed by Moshe Safdie, is a tribute to the heritage of Punjab and the Sikhs. Sikhism propagates the formless nature of the Almighty which has been beautifully showcased by the museum with the concept of “Timelessness”. The Sikh community is celebrating the 350th foundation day of Anandpur Sahib between June 17-19.
Kulbir Kaur teaches sociology at Shyama Prasad Mukherji College, Delhi University
