Kesgarh Qila or Takht Kesgarh Sahib, alternatively spelt as Keshgarh Qila, is one of the five takhts of the

Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...

located in

Anandpur Sahib Anandpur Sahib, also referred simply as Anandpur (), is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred religious places in Si ...

Rupnagar district Rupnagar district is one of twenty-three districts in the state of Punjab, India. The city of Rupnagar is said to have been founded by a Raja called Rokeshar, who ruled during the 11th century and named it after his son Rup Sen. It is also t ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is located just 40 km from Rupnagar city, the district headquarters and 78 km from state capital

Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...

. The fort is also called Takhat Keshgarh Sahib. This

Gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...

was one of the forts constructed by

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

at Anandpur Sahib for the defense of the

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

s. He spent his 25 years at Anandpur Sahib and, to protect the Sikhs from the Rajas of the Hill States and

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

, began the construction of five defensive

Qila Qila ({{langx, ar, قلعة), alternatively transliterated as Kilā, is an Arabic word meaning a fort or castle. The term is also used in various Indo-Iranian languages. Qila often occurs in place-names. India ;Forts * Aligarh Qila * Rohtas Qila ...

s (forts) all around the town.

History

The Takht is one of Five Takht in Sikhism, the Takht name is

Takht Kesgarh Sahib Kesgarh Qila or Takht Kesgarh Sahib, alternatively spelt as Keshgarh Qila, is one of the five Panj Takht, takhts of the Sikhs located in Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district of Punjab (India), Punjab, India. It is located just 40 km from Rupna ...

being the place where the last two Sikh Gurus, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, lived. It is also the place where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. In the 1930s, a new structure was constructed over the original site and structure of Anandgarh Qila. Originally, the Sarai Ganga tributary of the

Sutlej River The Sutlej River or the Satluj River is a major river in Asia, flowing through China, India and Pakistan, and is the longest of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It is also known as ''Satadru''; and is the easternmost tributary of th ...

flowed south-westwards from the site of Anandpur Sahib but it no longer does today as its course has changed.

Forts

The '' Qilas'' (meaning "fortress"), constructed by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib are: 1. Takht Kesgarh Sahib Qila at the center (now a Takhat) 2. Anandgarh Qila (fort of bliss) 3. Lohgarh Qila (fort of steel) 4. Holgarh Qila (fort of colour) 5. Fatehgarh Qila (fort of victory) 6. Taragarh Qila (fort of stars) All the Qilas were joined together with earthworks and tunnels. All Qila Situated at Anandpur Sahib. In this Qilas one Qila is now Takht of Sikhs Takht Kesgarh Sahib Qila. The fort of Anandgarh was located at a central location whilst the forts of Lohgarh, Holgarh, Fatehgarh, and Taragarh formed a circular pattern around it. The original structures of the forts were destroyed by '' Kar Seva'' renovators in the 20th century and marble

Gurdwaras A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurd ...

were constructed in their former location.

Jathedars of Takht Keshgarh Sahib

Gallery

File:Photograph of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India, ca.1952 02.jpg, Photograph of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India, ca.1952 File:Kesgarh Sahib.jpg, Kesgarh Qila File:Lohgarh Qila.jpg, Lohgarh Qila File:Holgarh Qila.jpg, Holgarh Qila File:Fatehgarh Qila Sahib.jpg, Fatehgarh Qila File:Taragarh Qila.jpg, Taragarh Qila

References

{{coords, 31, 14, 6, N, 76, 29, 56, E, display=title Sikh places Sikh architecture Rupnagar Forts in Punjab, India Sikh takhts Gurdwaras in Punjab, India