Travel makes you do silly things like leaving a piece of your soul behind at unknown places. Strangely, these are places which are unfamiliar but still feel like home. These places have stories to share and you feel like you have lived those tales in forms that are only imaginary. Anandpur Sahib is one such place, and the moments I spent there are going to stay with me forever.
Anandpur Sahib was founded in 1665 by the 9th Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur. An impromptu weekend plan brought me to this little town, safely tucked between river Sutlej and layers of lower Himalayas. I had come with no specific agenda and Anandpur Sahib surprised me with everything it had to offer, starting with a friendly vibe that cannot be missed. Gurudwara Sri Anandpur Sahib is where my tour of this city began. The premises was bustling with energy even though it was a hot summer day and the sun was shining bright. Makeshift shops selling rumallas, kripans, kadas and a whole lot of other religious things added an old world charm to the surroundings.
As I prepared myself for a long walk in the scorching heat to reach the sanctum sanctorum, I saw a poster pointing towards Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Museum. Deciding to visit the museum first, I followed the arrows that brought me to witness history in the form of beautiful paintings which were almost life-like. At the museum, couple of ladies and a young man who were engrossed in talks were shocked to see two girls enter.
Without an entry fee, we were welcomed inside and informed that photography isn’t allowed. Two huge halls, one on top of the other were filled with soulful works of art. Paintings come alive in these halls, re-creating important events in Sikh History. These works are very powerful and the message that artists wanted to convey through them come across without an iota of error. A branch of history is cut here to depict acts of kindness, love, bravery, humility, brotherhood and supreme sacrifice by Sikhs as well as cruelty and inhuman acts of the Mughals. Some of the paintings gave me goosebumps as I started at them, trying to imagine what it would be to live in the era they depicted.
Two rounds of the two halls later, we started talking to the staff members who were earlier shocked to see us here. Turns out, not many people visit the museum as the crowd here comes only for religious purposes and not many have time for a museum. But, trust me, this one is much more than just a museum. They asked where we were going next, where we had come from and what brought us to this museum. When we shared with these people that we were off to Virasat-e-Khalsa next, they were kind enough to inform us of the timings and guide us about the route, without even asking. Friendly vibe – I told you.
I was so impressed with this small museum and somehow, I suddenly knew I’ll come back to Anandpur Sahib soon. That second trip is in plans as I write this post. Walking towards the gurdwara, a strange peace engulfed me, and it felt as if I were immune to the outside world. Huge white walls, fragments of gurbani barely audible, fragrance of langar, and a city spread on all sides with Gurudwara Sri Anandpur Sahib as the centre was my first impression of it all.
The courtyard was filled with devotees lining up to go inside for prayers. A much evident chaos suddenly evaporates as you set foot inside. It is hard to describe faith, but the surroundings sure felt pregnant with prayers. After a mandatory parikrama and a prayer, we decided to sit back and absorb everything that was going on. A few moments later, an imaginary aroma of Kadha Prasada brought me back to reality and we braved another queue for His blessings in the form of this ghee laden delicacy.
Unfortunately, we could not stay back for langar. Our next stop, Virasat-e-Khalsa was about to close doors to visitors, so we skipped lunch, making sure not to miss this marvel of Sikh History. Rushing back towards where our slippers were, we were interrupted by a gentleman and handed huge glasses of rooh-afza-milk! It was as if he knew we were skipping lunch and like a well wisher, gave us milk instead. It’s another fact that I hate milk. But then, here, I drank a glass-full. Life comes full circle with that ?
Our next stop for the day was Virasat-e-Khalsa which translates to heritage of the Khalsa and it was just that. This one seems to be elaborately done piece of art, depicting everything that Punjab stands for in the form of a laser show, lasting around hours. From lush green villages to mustard fields, from Punjab Roadways to the Green Revolution, from Hola Mohalla to the dark era of terrorism – everything finds a place here.
A travel tip that I want to share is that there are huge queues at Virasat-E-Khalsa. Unless you’re able to befriend a Punjab Police representative like we did, keep the queues in mind and arrive a little early to avoid disappointment.
