Paonta Sahib

There were some very good people with me during my shitty trip to India this time - Satyabrat bhaiya, Sarabjit bhaiya, Kiran aunty – who weren’t exactly happy with my experience at Haridwar. They felt bad because I felt even more miserable after visiting Haridwar.

That was when Sarabjit bhaiya suggested that he would take me to Paonta Sahib. The experience was in fact peaceful and completely opposite to what I had experienced in Haridwar.

No beggars around the area. This place was clean. Soothing peaceful music. 24 hrs food – free of charge to ANYONE (regardless of caste, colour or social status) coming in. No compulsion to pay or ‘donate’ anything to anyone.

The only thing that’s mandatory – Head must be covered at all times and no footwear is allowed inside.

I was later told that all gurudwaras (sp) are similar and just to prove the point, I was taken to another gurudwara (can’t recall the name) and I experienced the same calm again. It had nothing to do with the religious aspect, but the ambience of the place was simply soothing.