Located on the banks of Yamuna river Paonta Sahib is associated with Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru who lived here for about three years. In the closing years of the seventeenth century, the Sikh Guru came to the princely state of Sirmaur on the invitation of its ruler Maidni Prakash. After surveying the area he decided to camp by the river Yamuna and his stay here became the foundation for the town of Paonta Sahib.
'Paonta' means 'a space (or place) for a foothold’ the foundations of the Gurudwara were set by Guru Gobind Singh. The Gurudwara overlooks the Yamuna which flows by rather quietly. Paonta commands fine views of the Doon valley and the nearby hills. There are also two temples of Rama and Krishna. The ground is shaded by trees. It is the venue for the Hola and Baisakhi fairs held in March / April.
The Gurudwara has a palanquin of gold donated by a devotee. Shri Talab Asthan and Shri Dastar Asthan are two notable places inside the gurudwara. Kavi Darbar is near the Gurudwara. It is the venue for holding poetry competitions. The weapons and pens used by Guru Gobind Singh are displayed in the museum. The Gurudwara is visited by Sikh pilgrims from all over India and abroad. Paonta Sahib is 45 km from Nahan.
Gurudwara Bhangani Sahib, Paonta Sahib has a rich and colorful history. It is located in the Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. Surrounded by lush green farms, the gurudwara is a place which is blessed by divinity and tranquillity.
Associated with the battle of Bhangani, the Gurudwara is seen as the symbol of victory in the war against Raja Bhim Chand. This was the place where Guru Gobind Singh ji fought his first battle at the age of 22 against Raja Bhim Chand.
This Gurudwara was built in the memory of the war victims and signifies victory and power of the unity of Sikhs. Currently, sewa of the Gurudwara is performed by Sant Baba Pritam Singh Ji from Ludhiana in the Punjab. The white marbled shrine amidst the paddy field is simply mesmerizing, and is worth a visit on a short trip to Poanta Sahib.
The Assan Lake is located at a distance of 4 km from Paonta Sahib and is maintained and developed by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department. It is one of the most popular destinations in Paonta Sahib and offers recreational facilities like speed boating, rowing, paddling, and sail boating. The visitors can also take up adventure sports like water skiing and hovercraft rides to satiate the adventure junkie in them.
This beautiful lake is surrounded by lovely trees and look pretty in the evening when the last few rays of the sun fall on the surface of scintillating lake just before the sunset. This is a definite place for photographers, who loves to capture the exquisite beauty of nature and make the visit a memorable one.
A popular destination among tourists, it offers recreational facilities for watersports like speed boating, rowing, paddling and sail boating. Visitors can also take up adventure sports like water skiing and hovercraft rides here
Positioned on the banks of Markanda River about 30 miles from Paonta Sahib, Fossil Park has beautifully put on view flora and fauna's life in its museum.
It is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument fossil park in the Sirmaur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It has a collection of prehistoric vertebrate fossils and skeletons recovered from the upper and middle Siwaliks geological formations of sandstones and clay at Suketi
Within the confines of the park, there is a museum as well, which gives researchers and scientist an opportunity to scrutinize about animals and their surroundings. The park and the museum in the fossil park are well maintained by the horticulture department of Himachal Pradesh. The museum exhibits fossils, models, charts and paintings related to the various aspects of plants and animals.
A quaint site in the state of Himachal Pradesh, Sirmour is renowned for its assorted architectural ruins. It is believed to have been devastated in the 11th century owing to deluge.
The district of Sirmaur in the southeast corner of the State is divided by river Giri into two parts, the cis-Giri and the trans Giri. Cis - Giri in which falls, Nahan, the Headquarters of Sirmaur District
Amongst the ruins of this place is the store pierced with a deep hole lying on the top of a small hillock on the southern bank of the Giri. In this hole, the pole is said to had been fixed for the rope on which the juggler girl, on whose curse the Sirmour town was destroyed, crossed the Giri. A similar stone is on the other side the river.
Another famous attraction is Simbalbara Wildlife Sanctuary which is nestled hardly any distance from the Paonta Sahib. It is visited by many ornithologists and bird lovers throughout the year.
The sanctuary is situated in the middle of thick Sal forest in the Paonta Valley, quite close to the Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a peaceful, isolated wildlife holiday perched in the lower reaches of the Shivalik hill ranges.
Ambling through the verdant sanctuary area, one can spot some wild animals roaming freely in their natural habitat. With the variety of flora and fauna that Simbalbara Wildlife Sanctuary incorporates, it is probably holds a place of pride among the wildlife sanctuaries in India.
Trekking is probably the best way to explore the ins and outs of the sanctuary as it offers scenic landscapes and views.
The Gurudwara Paonta Sahib has linkages to the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikh leader Banda Bahadur. Its original name was Paontika. "Paon" in Hindi means feet and "tika" in Hindi means became stable.
It is believed that Guru Gobind Singh and his horse stopped at this place and he decided to stay here. He wrote many Sikh religious books here and then went to Anandpur Sahib to establish the Khalsa Panth. The Gurudwara also houses a museum which contains a lot of antiques and weapons used by Guru Gobind Singh during his stay.
On the river bank behind the shrine stands the historical temple of Yamuna ji and besides it the Ma Yamuna Bal Park. Nearby the Gurudwara Paonta Sahib, there is Gurudwara Shri Kavi Darbar Sahib where every year a poetry recitation competition is organized. Sikh pilgrims flock here at all hours, and devotional songs waft over the compound, adding to the contemplative mood. Pilgrims come here to seek spiritual solace.
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Another famous attraction is Kalesar National Park. It is 15 km from Paonta Sahib.
Kalesar is a popular destination for leopards, panthers, elephants, red jungle fowl and bird-watching. This forested area in the Shivalik foothills is covered primarily with sal with smattering of Semul, Amaltas and Bahera trees as well.
The ancient Kalesar Mahadev temple takes its name from the a corrupted form of Kaleshwar, a moniker of Hindu deity lord Shiva. It is located near NH 907 on the east side and just 400 meter north of Kalesar Dak baglow (rest house) and 8.5 km north of Hathni Kund Barrage. There is also another later era Shiva temple north of Kalesar Mahadev temple.
Jeep safaris are available on the following 3 motorable tracks only during the designated park opening months and hours: 20 feet wide route-1 of 7 km, 60 feet wide route-2 of 6.5 km and 60 feet wide route-3 of 6 km. Private vehicles are not allowed on these routes, except only those pre-registered with the wildlife department for the purpose of operating safaris.