Surrounded by a sal forest and on the banks of river Yamuna, the historic town of Paonta Sahib (350 m) was founded by the tenth sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. When only 16 years old, the guru left Anandur Sahib and on the invitation of Raja Maidini Prakash of Sirmour, lived at this beautiful spot for over four years. The historic gurudwara commemorates his stay and interestingly the water of the Yamuna fall silent below this - which happened at the Guru's behest. The word `Paonta' means `Space for a foot hold'. The ancient Yamuna Temple is immediately below the gurudwara and is dedicated to the goddess Yamuna.

This site was Guru Gobind Singh's home for over four years and it was here that he wrote the Dasam Granth. Within its precincts are the Sri Tlab Asthan where he disbursed salaries and the Sri Dastar- - Asthan were he judged the turban - tying competitions. At the Kavi Darbar Asthan, poetic symposia were held. There is also a memorial to Kalpi rishi and a museum that displays pens of the Guru and weapons of the time.

Lake Renuka, fed by underground springs in the Shivalik hills of Sirmaur, is the largest natural lake of Himachal Pradesh. With the lake shaped in a profile of a reclining woman, it is considered a personification of goddess Renukaji, who was mother to Lord Parshuram - one of the ten reincarnations of Lord Vishnu.  At one end of the lake is another large pool, held sacred to Lord Parshuram. Both have temples around them that are revered by many. The lake rests in a long valley and the surrounding woods are covered with a variety of dense vegetation and animal life.