350 yrs of Anandpur Sahib: 5 Historical gurudwaras worth a visit

The holy city of Anandpur Sahib is all set to celebrate the 350 years of its foundation on 19th June.Various prepartions have been done at a large scale for this big event from setting 81 feet high ‘'khanda' in the city to organizing ‘langar' at 105 stalls.As numerous devotees throng the city for this divine event, special arrangements have been made for the ‘langar'. The devotees will be served with ‘langar' varying from pizza to cold drinks and from ‘maalpua' to ‘kheer'.As the holy city is all decked up to host this grand event, here are some historical ‘gurudwaras' in the city which are worth a visit on this holy occasion:Gurudwara Thara SahibGurudwara Thara Sahib was the place where 16 Kashmiri Pandits along with Bhai Kripa Ram Dutt came to meet Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (Ninth Guru of Sikhs) in 1675 in order to seek protection from Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.Aurangzeb was forcibly converting Kashmiri Pandits to Islam and that is why they came to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji so he could save them the forcible conversions.Thara Sahib was actually a part of ‘Gur ka Mahal' Complex and was known as “Diwan-E-Aam” where Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji used to address Sikhs.Gurudwara Sis Ganj SahibAfter Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was martyred in Delhi, while his body was cremated by Lakhi Shah Vanjara, his head was brought to Chakk Nanaki by Bhai Jaita.It was at this place that the head of Guru Tegh bahadur Ji was cremated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji (tenth Guru of Sikhs) which is now known as Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib.It is believed that the central pedestal of their shrine is the oldest structure of Chakk Nanaki-Anandpur Sahib.Gurudwara Keshgarh SahibKnown as the central place of Anandpur Sahib, Takht Shri Keshgarh Sahib is one of the five ‘takhts' of Sikhism. It is at this place that Khalsa Panth was established by Guru Gobind Singh Ji on the eve of Baishakhi in 1699.Here Guru Gobind Singh ji prepared the holy water called ‘Amrit' and baptized the ‘Panj Pyare' or the Five Beloved Ones. The Guru also gave the surname of ‘Singh' to every Sikh. He also marked that all Sikh women would represent royalty, and gave them the surname Kaur (Princess).Gurudwara Parivar Vichora SahibGurudwara Parivar Vichora Sahib is located on the bank of Sirsa River.The gurudwara symbolises the trageic incident after Guru Gobind Singh Ji evacuted Anandpur Sahib.The Mughal army had promised the Guru to let them go unharmed if they evacuated Anandpur. However, the Mughals broke their promise and attacked the Sikhs near Sirsa river. Guru Gobind Singh divided his columns into two. While the part of the force was to engage against the enemy, the others were ordered to get across the river.While the Sirsa River was flooded due to monsoon rains, still the sikhs rode their horses into the swollen stream with swords in their hands. Guruji along with his two sons and 50 followers reached the other bank.Many Sikhs died crossing the river. In the chaos two younger sons of the Guru along with their grandmother, got separated and Guruji's family was no longer together.Guruji's mother and his two younger sons were escorted by a servant Gangu to his village in Morinda.Gurudwara Kiratpur SahibLocated on the bank of Satluj river near Anandpur Sahib, Gurudwara Kiratpur Sahib was established in 1627 by Guru Hargobind ji (sixth guru of Sikhs).It is believed that Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru spent the last few years of his life here.Both Guru Har Rai and Guru Harkrishan, seventh and eighth guru of Sikhs respectively, were also born at this place and they received the Gurgadi (Guruship) at this place.Also known as Gurudwara Patal Puri, Kiratpur Sahib is the place where sikhs immerse the ashes of their loved ones in the flowing river.