AMRITSAR AND THE GOLDEN TEMPLE
Good train and rail links. Domestic and international flights.
Punjab’s largest city and the Sikh’s holy city. Every Sikh is required to visit at least once in their lifetime and so it is usually full of thousands of colourful pilgrims each day. It was founded by the 4th Guru, Ram Das, in 1577 as a trading town and it remains an important commercial hub surrounded by rich farmland. It is not overly developed and is quite compact. The city is only 19 miles west of the border with Pakistan and 40 miles from Lahore.
Places of Interest:
GOLDEN TEMPLE (Hari Mandir)
Allocate plenty of time to visit this beautiful Temple. It is free and everyone is welcome. Shoes must be left at the entrance, along with any tobacco or alcohol. Feet must be bare and washed before entry. Heads must also be covered and scarves for men and women can be purchased or borrowed. Join pilgrims as they walk around the tank in a clockwise direction on the white marble walkway, the Parikrama. Verses from the Holy Book are sung by ragis throughout the day and the music reverberates around the complex.
Once the sacred tank is circumnavigated, pilgrims collect their Prasad (offering) and proceed across the Guru’s Bridge to the Harmandir Sahib, the central temple whose gilded copper plating gives the complex its name. Priests read from the sacred book, the Guru Granth Sahib, continuously and chanting and music evoke a spiritual atmosphere. It is possible to sit inside for some time to savour the atmosphere but photography inside is strictly prohibited.
The book is taken from a building called the Akal Takht before dawn and returned at night in a moving ceremony called Palaki Sahib. An unmissable experience is to join around 3000 other visitors in the Guru-ka-langar (communal dining room.) Volunteers feed diners simple, free meals of dhal, chapattis, rice and water as they sit cross legged on the floor. People are incredibly friendly and enjoy watching you eat while you concentrate on not dropping food on your lap.
JALLIANWALLA BAGH
It is a very moving place commemorating a very violent part of Anglo/Indian history. On April 13th 1919, without warning, General Dyer and his 150 troops fired for 15 minutes on around 20,000 unarmed people gathering peacefully in a square surrounded by buildings. The official death toll was 400 with 1200 injuries. It marked one of the worst atrocities perpetrated by the British in India.
The walls still have the bullet holes clearly marked and it is easy to imagine the claustrophobic atmosphere and the panic engendered. The entrance to the Memorial is through one of the original narrow alleys.
WAGAH-ATTARI BORDER CEREMONY
It takes about 40 minutes by car to reach the famous checkpoint. The daily flag lowering ceremony, around 6pm, is the focal point staged with great pomp and ceremony and patriotic fervour. No hand bags are allowed so it is best to leave them in your hotel and just carry a camera and water. The last few hundred metres have to be walked but the road is flat and well maintained. Seating is provided but, arrive early for the best seats.
