Hardly 25 kms from Chamkaur Sahib as the crow flies, the historical town of Machhiwara is north of Samrala on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh highway. The Guru Gobind Singh Marg connects it to the town of Rupnagar.
After the ill-fated battle of Chamkaur, Guru Gobind Singh left through a dense forest and arrived at a garden outside the village of Machhiwara. Here he was reunited with his companions, Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh and Bhai Man Singh. Later he moved into the house of a former masand Bhai Gulab Singh.
When the Guru had reached Machhiwara, he was battle-weary. His limbs were bleeding and he was thirsty. Early in the morning his devotees, who had been looking for him, found him reclining under a tree. They were overwhelmed at the reunion. They tended to him and pulled the thorns out from his feet and helped him to a well nearby, where the Guru bathed. The magnificent throne, which stands at this site, is called Gurdwara Charan Kanwal (literally Feet like Lotus).
Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib has a three storeyed-domed sanctum, a large hall for special congregations and a sarouar outside. An annual congregational fair is held in December (corresponding to 9th and the 10th of Poh) commemorating the Guru’s stay at Machhiwara. The other historical gurdwaras here include Gurdwara Chubara Sahib and Gurdwara Uchch da Pir.