Sahib Fort is located in the city called Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district also popularly known as “the holy City of Bliss”. It is considered a holy location for the Sikhs having history of religious tradition. It is located on the spurs of Himalaya. The town has five strong forts. Anandpur Sahib Fort is still present while other four are ravaged by time. The fort was 40km away from Rupnagar town and 22km from Nepal. On one side it has the foothills of Shivalik range and on the other is the bank of river Sutlej forming a blue border. The fort was surrounded with thick walls in order to protect from foreign stuffs. Inside the fort, it has a unique well which extremely deep accessed by a steep staircase in it. According to myths, it said that Guru Govind Singh spent near about 16 years in this fort. It has been considered as the real charm of the Punjab state.

It is heard that this fort previously was converted into the military head quarter under Guru Govind Singh’s leadership. It was used for storing various ammunitions and arms during the time of war. In the year 1907, the Ajmer Chand nearly demolished this popular fort. During the time of Aurangzeb ruling, the Sahib Fort was surrendered by the tenth guru, but with the effort of Guru Govind Singh with army, he fought for it with the Mughals. Finally, it was saved. Guru Govind Singh became the hero in the history of Sikh. His intelligence and valor has made him such an important part of Sikh history.

However, the Sikh built a gurudwara in due course of time. Now it has become the pretty sight of gurudwara on hill mound. In the year 1999, a light show was performed here, which depicted the rich history of the Anand Sahib city and the Sikhs.

Fairs and Festivals

The whole city comes into life at the time of Hola Mohalla occasion. The tradition is coming back from the times of tenth guru and Guru Govind Singh. He wanted this holy festival to be the display of his peoples’ martial spirit. Thus, a Sikh name was given to the festival called ‘Hola Mohalla’. Every year in this time, a congregation of about 1-lakh devotees is marked here for celebrating the festival of colour.

Devotees from various part of the country join in this festival of Anandpur Sahib. The fair goes on for three days. Special decorations are made to gurudwara. Every year in the month of March, a huge festive mode appears with various activities. Many religious function and conferences take place. A huge procession by the Nihangas, from all over the country takes place. They are also, seen in their traditional dress.

On Baisakhi 1999, 300 years of the birth of Khalsa was marked. Guru Govind Singh, in the same year baptized Panj Pyaras.

Time to Visit

The best time to visit is at the time of Hola Mohalla and Baisakhi festivals, which comes in the months of March and April. The fort is popular for its rich history and timeless beauty. Hence, this place in Punjab attracts the tourist whole year to feel the great courage of Sikh army. The fort is opened seven days from sunrise to sunset.

Weather

Climate is extreme hot in summers and extreme cold in winters. The summer temperature rises up to 45 degree Celsius in May June time and in winter, during December January up to 4 degree Celsius. At an annual range, the average rainfall is about 775.6 and 70% humidity in monsoon time. In the Anandpur Sahib City, there is 78% of rainfall from June to September month.

Nearby Places to Visit

Other than the Anandpur Sahib Fort, there are many other places to visit which also attracts the tourist like Qila Lohagarh Sahib, Qila Holagarh Sahib, Qila Fatehgarh Sahib, and Qilla Taragarh Sahib.

How to Reach

This place is accessible by air, railways and bus. Towards the north of Anandpur Sahib City, The Chandigarh International airport is located with a distance of 92 km. Major cities like Jaipur, Mumbai, Jammu and Delhi have flights for this place. Various local buses or cabs are available from airport to main city. The railway is located from 1 km away from the main town, which is a broad gauge line. Few cities like Nangal, Ambala, Karta Sahib Rupnagar, Minapur and few more are connected to the railway. The city of Anandpur Sahib is located on State Highway 22. The road is connected with Punjab cities and north India. Bus services are available by corporation of Punjab. To visit the interstate regions, private and mini buses are present.

Hence, people visiting Punjab must at least come to see this fort, feel its valor and even you can hear the painful cries of battle through the walls of the fort.