While planning the trip to the hill stations of Dalhousie and Dharamshala, I realised that Amritsar was the nearest airport. It also had a direct flight from Bengaluru. Very convenient, right? Amritsar was anyway on my bucket list, and now I had the opportunity to visit this city.
About Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in Punjab bordering Pakistan. It was founded in the 16th century by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru. The man-made pool was the centre point of this town. This area grew into a temple complex, which eventually became the spiritual site of Sikhism.
Amritsar saw many tragedies during its time. In 1762 AD, Ahmad Shah Durrani destroyed the city and massacred its people. In the previous year, he had caused havoc in India by defeating Maratha Empire in the 3rd battle of Panipat and carrying out mindless killings and destruction.
We all know about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 by the British. Operation Blue Star in 1984 resulted in the desecration of the Golden Temple and the deaths of hundreds of people. The riots and militancy for the next decade left a scar on India.
Our travel
We had half a day before we started our journey to the hills. I knew that we could not visit all tourist locations in that short period, and hence we prioritised a few places.
Flag lowering ceremony at Attari-Wagah border
You can read about our experience here. It almost took half day, but it was worth the time we spent.
Golden Temple
Every tourist to Amritsar will visit the Golden temple. Called Harmandir Sahib, it is the highest spiritual centre for Sikhism. It is open 24 hours, and everyone is allowed inside the complex. At the centre is the gold leaf-covered sanctum surrounded by a pool. The marble path around the pool is used to circumambulate the shrine. This entire complex is encircled by various religious buildings.
We visited the temple during the night and in the morning. It gave a different perspective of this place. While the Amritsar city was chaotic and filthy, the Golden temple area was clean and organised. There are places to keep footwear and bags. The langar in the Gurudwara provides free food. While there is no restriction on the dress people wear, shorts and the sleeveless top is not allowed. Everyone should cover their head. Scarfs are available for sale around the temple. Smoking, meat and alcohol consumption is a strict no. The guards and fellow pilgrims would warn people in case of any violation (Ex: If you forgot to cover your head)
The place is crowded but is filled with energy.
Jallianwala Bagh
Next to the golden temple is the site of Jallianwala Bagh, where the British massacred hundreds of peaceful crowd protesting against the arrest of pro-Indian Independence leaders. Today, the massacre site is converted into a memorial.
The memorial is open from 10 AM to 6:30 PM, and entry is free. The four galleries inside the complex explain the freedom struggle and the massacre. Some of the artefacts like the bullet-ridden walls and the martyrs well (where people jumped into it to escape from bullets) are preserved, providing a glimpse of the tragic past.
What else to visit?
We only visited these three places with the amount of time we had. If you can spare another day or two, you can see the following places.
- Partition museum – Museum hosting the artefacts during the partition
- Gobindgarh fort – A fort in Amritsar
- Sadda Pind – A theme park depicting the culture of Punjab
Amritsar cuisine
Amritsar cuisine is well known, and so is its street food. You can see many old restaurants in Amritsar serving traditional food. A word of caution. While there is no question about the taste, the same cannot be said about hygiene. The mustard oil used ubiquitously in this area may not be tolerated by people who do not consume it regularly. But I still suggest experimenting the traditional food!!
Information and tips
- Amritsar, located in the plains, is super-hot during summer and very cold in winter!!
- Amritsar is connected by flight, train and road transport.
- The city roads are narrow and congested. Some of them are not even wide enough for the car to enter. Having your four-wheeler is a bane in this city. Hire a taxi for peace of mind. Electric rickshaws are very efficient to travel in narrow lanes.
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