History Of Anandpur Sahib

Over the centuries, the Sikh gurus founded a number of towns and turned several villages into major towns. The first town founded by Guru Nanak was Kartarpur in present-day Pakistan. It is generally believed that Anandpur Sahib was built upon the town of Chakk Nanaki founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur on June 19, 1665.

When Raja Deep Chand, the ruler of Bilaspur died in April 1665, Guru Tegh Bahadur went to Bilaspur to pray. While he was there, the dowager Rani Champa (the queen of Bilaspur) heard that the Guru had decided to shift his headquarters to Dhamtan about 200 km away. She approached the Guru's mother Mata Nanaki, and begged her to ask the Guru not to move away from Bilaspur. On his mother's request, Guru Tegh Bahadur agreed to stay back. He refused the Rani's offer of land and instead purchased some land around the ruins of the village of Makhowal. It was a peaceful area for meditation, art and intellectual activity, and safe from military attack. Bhai Guruditta laid the foundation stone of this new town in June 1665 at the present site of the gurdwara Guru De Mahal. Guru Tegh Bahadur named the new town Chakk Nanaki after his mother. Chakk Nanaki had the protection of the Charn Ganga stream on two sides and river Sutlej on the third.

After setting up Chakk Nanaki, Guru Tegh Bahadur was unable to visit it for the next six years. In March 1672 he moved back to Chakk Nanaki and finally established it as the Sikh religious headquarters. After Guru Tegh Bahadur achieved martyrdom on November 11, 1675 his son, Guru Gobind Singh came to Chakk Nanaki. On March 30, 1689 he laid the foundation of a new town and named it Anandpur Sahib. Today Chakk Nanaki, the old town of Anandpur Sahib and the adjoining villages of Sahota, Lodhipur, Agampur, Mataur and others, form the new town of Anandpur Sahib.