Beautiful Tourist Places in Gurudaspur, Punjab, India
Gurdaspur is located in the north-west frontier of the Indian continent in the Punjab state. The coordinates to Gurudaspur are 31055’ N and 75015’ E. Gurdaspur district covers a total area of 2,610km2. Gurdaspur is 241m above sea level. Gurdaspur city forms the center of administration in the Gurdaspur district. Temperature in summer season range from 30 0C to 40 0C and in winter the temperatures range between 12 0C to 20 0C. Two rivers, namely Beas and Ravi flow through Gurdaspur.
The beginning of October month till the end of January is the preferred time for visiting Gurudaspur.
History of Gurudaspur
In the 17th century, Guriya Ji bought land from the Jats belonging to Sangi Gotra. The existing city was hence named after him as Gurdaspur. It is said that the ancestors of Guriya Ji were from Ayodhaya and they had migrated to Paniar and settled here, a long time in the past. During the 14th century, Gurdaspur came under the reign of the Delhi Emperor.
The end of the Mughal power saw the rise of the Sikh domination in the district. The place, Gurdaspur happens to be the birthplace of some well-known Sikh Gurus.
People & Culture Gurudaspur
The people of Gurudaspur are also known as Punjabi. Gurudaspur is dominated by Sikh religion followers. However, there are other religions such as Christians, Jains, Muslim and Hindus worshipped by few people. Punjabi, Hindi and English are the languages spoken by the people in and around Gurudaspur, with Punjabi being the local language.
Punjabi song and dance is famous worldwide. The dance known as Bangra is world famous.
Food and Shopping Gurudaspur
Wheat has been the staple food in this region. Most of the dishes are cooked using ghee and butter flavored with masala. The Tandoor dishes famous throughout the world originated from the land of Punjab. Makki di roti, sarson da saag, and paneer are some of the popular food in Bathinda, apart from the Tandoor dishes.
There are few shopping centers in Gurdaspur. The names of some well known centers are mentioned below
- Alpha One
- The Souk
Tourist Places in Gurudaspur
There are places with beautiful landscapes and historic importance in and around Gurudaspur. Some of these are mentioned below
- Shahpur Kandi Fort
The fort provides a magnificent view of the entire surroundings. This fort was created in the year 1505 A.D by a Rajput chief named Jaspal Singh Pathania.
- Fish Park
A monument of a fish lies in the park and hence the park got its name Fish Park. This is the most cherished place by the locals, often being visited in the evening hours.
- Achaleshwar Temple
This temple is dedicated to Lord Karthik son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and is believed to be created in the Satyuga period.
- Mukeshwar Temple
Situated on the river banks of Ravi, this temple was created during Mahabharata times. The temple has wonderful architectures of ancient times.
- Coronation site of Akbar
A place located 2 km east of town Kalanur happens to be the place where Akbar was crowned the Emperor of India.
There are also other tourist places located in Gurudaspur such as
- Dera Baba Nanak
- Ranjit Sagar Dam
- Gurdas Nangal
- Mahakaleshwar Temple
- Madhopur Headworks
- Thada Sahib
- Kabootri Darwaza
- Gurdwara Shri Chola Sahib
- Sarji Sahib
- Kirtan Asthan
- Gurdwara Shri Darbar Sahib
- Gurdwara Theh Garhi Baba Banda Singh Bahadur
Means of Commutation to Gurudaspur
Gurudaspur is well connected to many places in the state of Punjab and other states of India via road. The distance of Gurudaspur from some the places in the state of Punjab and neighboring states are mentioned below
- Chandigarh is located at a distance of 253 km
- Delhi is located at a distance of 508 km
- Haryana is located at a distance of 391 km
There are daily trains arriving from Delhi that halt at Gurudaspur railway station. Trains are available on a regular basis from other parts of the country to Gurudaspur. Jammu Mail and Chennai Mail frequently pass through Gurudaspur
Gurudaspur is also connected to the rest of the world via airways. The distance of the airports connecting Gurudaspur to other parts of India are mentioned below
- Chandigarh airport located at a distance of 46.31 km
- Raja Sani Airport at Amristar, is located at a distance of 70
Auto rickshaws, taxis and city bus commute travelers to places within the city.
Accommodation Options at Gurudaspur
Gurudaspur attracts tourists from all over the world throughout the year. Hence one must make their hotel reservations in advance. There are five star, four star hotels providing 24 hours check in/ check out and they come with world class services. Some of the hotels even provide car service to tourist for pick and drop at particular destinations. The price per room starts at Rs. 3000/- per day. Economy hotels are also available with a tariff of Rs. 500/- per day for a room. The names of such hotels are
- Hotel Venice
- Hotel Woodland
- Hotel Le Kingston
- Mehak Hotel
- Hotel Ishan Villa
- Marry Gold Hotel
- Hotel Aaditya Heights
- Hotel Namaskar Residency
- Hotel H.V. International
- Tourist Guest House