Two days from Bilaspur — Gobind Sagar, Naina Devi, Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib
Two days from Bilaspur. The first afternoon is the town and the shore of Gobind Sagar, where the old town's temples show when the water is low. The second day climbs to Shri Naina Devi Ji at first light, then goes down into Punjab for Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib on the way home.
The lake is named for Guru Gobind Singh, who lived at Anandpur, and the land at Kiratpur was bought from Raja Tara Chand of Kahlur, the old name of Bilaspur. The hill and the two towns belong together. For a single day, see the one-day plan.
Photos: Harmalhotra (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Invictus27 (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
Who this is for
Families and pilgrims driving up from Chandigarh, by car or hired taxi, who want the Devi and the Gurus' towns in one short trip.
Day by day
Day 1Bilaspur and its lake
2 stops · 3 min on the road
Bilaspur and its lake
Arrive in Bilaspur, 114 min from Chandigarh, and spend the afternoon in the new town and on the shore above the old one.
- 14:00Shri Lakshmi Narayan MandirThe temple of Lakshmi Narayan in the new town. Start here, a minute from the centre.
- ↓ 3 min by road · 1 km15:30Ranganatha Temples, Bilaspur Himachal PradeshThe temples of the drowned old town, 3 min away. In the dry months their spires stand out of the lake; from August to January the water sports complex at Luhnu Ground runs on it instead.
Day 2The Mother's hill, then the Gurus' towns
3 stops · 52 min on the road
The Mother's hill, then the Gurus' towns
Up to Naina Devi at first light, then down the hill into Punjab for Anandpur Sahib, 40 min away, and Kiratpur Sahib, 14 min beyond it, before the run to Chandigarh.
- 07:30Naina Devi Temple, Naina DeviHere fell the right eye of Mata Sati, and here the Mother defeated Mahishasur. Steps or the cable car take you up for darshan.
- ↓ 40 min by road · 21 km11:30Gurdwara Takht Sri Kesgarh SahibThe Takht at Anandpur Sahib, where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. Cover your head and take off your shoes; the langar feeds everyone.
- ↓ 12 min by road · 10 km14:30Gurdwara Patalpuri SahibAt Kiratpur Sahib, the town of three Gurus by the Sutlej, where Sikh families bring the ashes of their dead. From here Chandigarh is about 68 min.
Getting there
Bilaspur is about 110 km and 114 min from Chandigarh. See how to reach Bilaspur.
Where to stay
One night in Bilaspur. Day two ends about 68 min from Chandigarh, at Kiratpur Sahib.
Know before you go
- Leave Bilaspur by six on day two; Naina Devi is 81 min up and the queue grows through the morning.
- Hola Mohalla in spring is the largest Sikh gathering of the year at Anandpur Sahib; expect full roads that week.
Places on this route
Going together
No one has started a group going on this plan yet. Start one and other travellers can ask to come along.
Other ways to do it
All Bilaspur itineraries →
More places nearby
All of Bilaspur →
Nearby destinations
All destinations →
Questions people ask
How far is Anandpur Sahib from Naina Devi?
About 21 km and 40 min by road on our measured routing, down the hill into Punjab. Kiratpur Sahib is another 14 min on, and Chandigarh about 68 min from there. That is why the plan puts Naina Devi first on day two, with the two towns on the way home.
Why put Naina Devi and Anandpur Sahib in one trip?
They sit on either side of the same hills. Gobind Sagar below Bilaspur is named for Guru Gobind Singh, who founded the Khalsa Panth at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, and Kiratpur's land was bought from the Raja of Kahlur, the old name of Bilaspur. One road links all three.
Do you need two days?
Not strictly; the one-day plan does Naina Devi and the lake. The second day is for Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib, which you would otherwise drive past. Keep it if you are going back to Chandigarh, because the two towns sit on that road.