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TRAVEL

Amritsar: The Heart of Punjab

Amritsar, also popularly called as Ambarsar, is the spiritual center of Sikhism founded by the fourth Sikh Guru Ram Das Ji in the year 1577. This city got its name from the sacred Amrit Sarovar or ‘the Holy pool of nectar’ that stands amidst the Golden Temple. There is no doubt that the Golden Temple, is the main attraction in Amritsar, but one cannot miss on the other prominent places in Amritsar.

Golden Temple

Harmandir Sahib or the enchanting ‘Golden Temple’ in Amritsar is a magnificent shrine approximately 200 km from the capital city of Chandigarh. The upper half of the divine Gurudwara was built with 400 kg of gold leaf given by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This Sikh temple has a golden dome with the ceilings ornate with gold and precious stones.  The Gurudwara has four entrances which welcome all the pilgrims irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. Thousands of devotees take a ritual dip in the ‘Sarovar’ or holy tank. The holy text, ‘Guru Granth Sahib Ji’ is present inside the temple during the day and read aloud at fixed hours, while at night kept in the Akal Takht or Eternal Throne build by sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji. The Akal Takht also houses the ancient weapons used by the Sikh Gurus and warriors.  450 years, an old tree called the Dukh Bhanjani Ber was planted by Golden Temple’s first high priest, Baba Buddha Ji in the Gurudwara compound is believed to possess special powers. The mouth-watering Kadha Prasad and Langar from the free community kitchen offer food to around 20,000 people every day while this number ranges up to 1,00,000 on special occasions like Gurupurav.

Jalianwala Bagh

Located within a distance of less than half a kilometer from the Golden Temple, the Jalianwala Bagh is noted for its most notorious massacre under British rule. It is 400 meters north of the Golden Temple. The British General Dyer was the Lieutenant Governor of the province in 1919. He banned all meetings and demonstrations led by Indians against the economic set back by World War I. On 13 April 1919, pilgrims poured into Amritsar to celebrate the Baisakhi festival, a holiday in the Sikh calendar. In the afternoon thousands of people gathered at Jallian Wala Bagh to celebrate the Baisakhi. This ground surrounded by high walls on all sides has only a narrow alley for access. General Dyer personally led the troops to the sight and ordered his men to open fire without any warning. It resulted in the death of 379 and injured more than 1200. Today this ground has been changed to a park. At the entrance, there is a memorial plaque which recounts the history. There is a well on the north side in which many people who tried to escape from the bullets were drowned, and remnants of walls have been preserved to show the bullet holes. At the east end of the garden, there is a large memorial built in memory of those who died here.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum

Dedicated to ‘the Lion of Punjab’, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had a major role in freeing Punjab from the Mughal rule; this museum is a cultural pride of the Punjab located at Lawrence Road, Company Bagh of Amritsar. The museum displays the rare and priceless collections, particularly paintings, weapons, armours, manuscripts and coins related to 18th and 19th centuries. A light and sound show at the museum takes you back to the past which is a must watch whenever you visit Amritsar.

 
Wagah Border

Wagah Border is another must visit place around 30 km from Golden Temple in Amritsar. On the Indo-Pak border between Amritsar and Lahore, every evening “Beating the Retreat” ceremony and Change of Guard is of great Interest. It a is a very exciting view to look both sides of the border while soldiers from both countries march in perfect drill, bringing down the respective national flags when the sun goes down.

 

 

Apart from being at these places, you must also, visit the local market of Amritsar for shopping. Phulkari Suits for women are unique and kurta pajamas for men and Punjabi Jutti are a must buy. Do eat thali at Kesar da Dhaba, which is a century old restaurant at Chowk Passian.  Mal-puae and lassi are must have deserts. Crystal Restaurant at Lawrence road is famous for its non-veg delicacies, Gurudas Ram Jalebiwala offers amazing jalebis.

It is very convenient to travel to Amritsar either by bus, train or air.