In Himachal, most of the historic Gurdwaras are located in Sirmour and Mandi Districts. The most important
Gurdwara in Sirmour district is Paonda Sahib, were Guru Gobind Singh stayed as a guest of Raja Medini
Prakash, the ruler of Sirmour. He liked this spot which is located on the banks of the Yamuna River. The
Guru is believed to have stayed here for a number of years. He spent his time in martial and literary activities,
composing many works of religious, as well as heroic poetry including
Jap Sahib, Sawayyas Patshahi Dasvin de, Chandi-di-Var. He filled
his Darbar (court) with as many as 52 of India’s most talented poets
and writers, many of them came from the ancient city of Benares. He
put most of them to work translating the ancient classics of India’s
literature from the Sanskrit of the Priests and Khatris scholars into the
then common languages of Braj or Punjabi, the vernacular languages
of the people. During his stay at this place, he had to fight two battles
at Bhagani and Naduan.
In Mandi district, we have a Gurdwara at Mandi and another
Gurdwara at Rawalsar Sahib. Gurdwara Rawalsar Sahib is located
high on the hillside above the lake in the Mandi district of Himachal.
Some Prominent Gurdwaras and 36 Sikh Organizations of The World
The lake Rawalsar a natural lake with floating islands at an altitude of 1360 m above sea level. The other
Gurdwaras in Himachal Pradesh include Gurdwara Bhangani Sahib, Gurdwara Tirgarh Sahib, Gurdwara
Naduan and Gurdwara Shergarh Sahib. All these Gurdwaras are the places where Guru Gobind Singh fought
battles during his stay in Sirmour District. Bhangani Battle was fought and won against Raj Bheem Chand.
Gurdwara Dasvin Patshahi is situated in Naduan, which is a village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
This holy place was built in the memory of the second battle fought by Guru Gobind Singh. Legend has it that
Guru Gobind Singh helped Raja Bhim Chand to defeat the Mughal Commander-in-Chief Alif Khan. After
emerging victorious in the battle, Guru Ji stayed in Nadaun for nine days (eventually, this is how the place got
its name). The present structure of the Gurdwara Dasvin Patshahi was constructed in 1929 by Rai Bahadur
Wasakha Singh. Gurudwara Shergarh Sahib is situated only 12 kms. away from Paonta Sahib. According to
legends, Guru Gobind Singh was in Sirmour to meet Raja Medini Parkash, the Raja of Nahan, Raja Fateh
Shah and the Raja of Garhwal, when a villager requested the Guru to save their lives from the man-eater.
Guru Gobind Singh cut the head off the tiger with a single strike
and thus was greatly appreciated. The Gurdwara was then built to
remember this brave act of Guru Ji.
