Rupnagar Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Rupnagar

Kiratpur Sahib is a town known for its glorious past and sacred gurdwaras. Gurdwara Patalpuri, where Sikhs immerse ashes of the deceased, is the most renowned landmark of this place. The sixth Sikh guru - Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji - established this place in 1627. It is also the birthplace of Guru Har Rai and Guru Harkrishan. The head of Guru Sri Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, was brought here after he was executed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi.

At this site, Gurudwara Babangarh Sahib was built. Gifted with a long life of almost 800 years (as per legends), Pir Buddan Shah - a Muslim saint - is also associated with this town. Apart from gurdwaras, this place also has some famous temples and dargahs. It is just 17 km north of Rupnagar on the Nangal-Rupnagar-Chandigarh Road (National Highway 21).

Anandpur Sahib, located in the lower half of the Himalayan range, is also known as the Holy City of Bliss. This city was founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur - the ninth Sikh guru. It is a popular belief that Dowager Rani Champa of Bilaspur gave a piece of land to the guru for attending the mourning of her husband, Raja Dip Chand.

Guru Tegh Bahadur raised the village of Chakk Nanaki near the remains of Makhowal, which later became popular as Anandpur Sahib. The annual festival of Holla Mohalla, which attracts a lot of tourists, is also celebrated here. This place, around 41 km away from Rupnagar, has some famous gurdwaras and forts that are sacred for Sikhs.

Archaeological Museum was set up by the Archaeological Survey of India in the year 1998 to exhibit all the artefacts excavated from the first Harappan site near Rupnagar, post independence. Various artefacts like vina vadini (lady playing veena), gold coins of Chandragupta and others are displayed in the museum. Apart from this, tourists can also catch a glimpse of some well-preserved monuments of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, along with World Heritage Monuments.

Virasat-e-Khalsa, previously known as the Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex, was built over a span of 13 years (completing in 2011). This museum provides tourists with a detailed insight into the various incidents that led to the foundation of Sikhism and subsequently, the Khalsa Panth.

It houses an auditorium, which has a seating capacity of up to 400 people, along with a library and exhibition galleries. The design of this place is a combination of modern and fortress architecture styles. The rugged finish of the local honey-coloured stone adds to the overall look of the building. 

Bhakra Dam is part of the Bhakra-Nangal Dam on the Sutlej river. Situated in Bilaspur district, it gets its name from Bhakra village and is renowned as the second largest dam in India. The dam, with its huge hydroelectric power generators, helps in the generation of hydroelectricity for the home state and other neighbouring states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. This dam also helps in controlling the monsoon floods in the area.

Facilitating better irrigation, it helps increase the agricultural produce of the region as well. This dam also boasts of the famous man-made reservoir - Gobind Sagar. The exceptional scenic beauty and lush green surroundings attract many tourists from all over the country.

Chamkaur Sahib is a town located on the banks of the Sirhind Canal. It is the place where the battle of Chamkaur was fought between Guru Gobind Singh Ji - the tenth Sikh Guru - and the Mughals. This place has several gurdwaras, which are frequently visited by devotees. It takes approximately 20 minutes to cover the 17 km distance between Rupnagar and Chamkaur Sahib. Travellers can easily get buses and taxis from Rupnagar to this place.

Nangal is a well-planned city that has residential areas well divided into blocks, which constitute a fixed number of apartments. This place was initially a part of three villages, namely Nangal Nikku, Hambewal and Dobetta Colony. Blessed with the Shivaliks and various rivers, the natural beauty of Nangal is highly captivating. This site has become immensely popular after the Bhakra-Nangal Dam was constructed on the Sutlej river in 1955.

The prime attraction here is the beautiful lake formed by the dam. Tourists can visit various other attractions like Julfa Mata Temple, Gurdwara Vibhour Sahib and the historic temple of Sri Baba Udho Ji Maharaj. Travellers need not worry about accommodation as there are several dharamshalas and lodges present here. It is just 63 km away from the main city of Rupnagar and can be reached easily by road.

Morinda or Baganwala is known as the City of Orchids as the area once was full of orchids, which were cleared for housing purposes. It is located on the National Highway 95. The star attraction of Morinda is Gurdwara Shri Kotwali Sahib, which is the place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s mother - Mata Gujri - and two sons were imprisoned before being taken to Fatehgarh. The city lies on the main intersection point of major highways. Travellers will love the serene ambience of the gurdwara, which is around 24 km away from Rupnagar.