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Amritsar Tour |
Click Here for Amritsar Tour Packages
GENERAL
INFORMATION |
Amritsar,
literally Pool of Nectar, derives its name from Amrit
Sarovar, the holy tank that surrounds the fabulous Golden
Temple. First time visitors to Amritsar could be forgiven
for the imression that Amritsar is like any other small
town in northern India. In one sense, it is - with bustling
markets, haphazard traffic, unyielding cattle, crowds
and congestion typical of small town India. But Amritsar
stands head and shoulders above any other city, its
status elevated and sanctified by the presence of the
venerable Golden Temple.
There's more to Amritsar than that - amongst other sights
is Jallianwala Bagh, site of the gruesome massacre of
unarmed Indians by British troops. A major tourist attraction
these days is the Indo-Pakistan border crossing at Wagah,
just a short distance from Amritsar, with its elaborate
change-of-guards drill with a lot of strutting and intimidatory
showing off by both sides.
If you are 'doing' north India, Amritsar is a city you
should not miss. It's easy to travel there from Delhi
by road and by rail or you could simply opt for Amritsar
travel packages. It is easy to navigate through the city;
few guides bother you as tourism is not the
most important commercial activity here.Ask them in
Amritsar, and they will tell you that if for nothing
else you must travel here for the roadside chhola-bhaturas.
History
Mughal emperor, Akbar granted the site
for this Sikh city and Amritsar was founded by Guru
Ram Das, the 4th Guru of the Sikhs in 1579. In 1761,
Ahmad Shah Durani raided the town and destroyed the
temple. Rebuilt in 1764, it was roofed over with copper-gilded
plates by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1802 and became known
as 'the Golden Temple'. Since then, the city has been
symbolized with the golden dome of the temple and has
the most holiest place for Sikhs.
Much later, during the partition of India in 1948, Amritsar
witnessed the turmoil of the violence and its aftermath.
Times were turbulent for tourism in Amritsar and the Amritsar tour operators when a tragedy struck
in the early 1980s. The Golden Temple was occupied by Sikh extremists
who had to be evicted by the Indian army in 1984 after much bloodshed.
Since then, the Golden Temple and the city have been
calm and has grown to be the spiritual temporal center
of Sikh culture.
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| The
Golden Temple
Situated in the middle of a sacred pool, this
is the most revered holy place for the Sikh community
as it enshrines the original copy of the Granth
Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. The gurudwara
(abode of God) is a 2-storey marble structure
reached by a causeway. Inlaid flower and animal
motifs in the pietra dura style of the Taj Mahal
decorate the marble walls. A lovely blend of the
Hindu and Muslim architectural styles, the dome
is covered with 100 kgs of pure gold. Built by
the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Singh, it was
founded in 1577 by Ram Das, the fourth Guru of
the Sikhs.In
the old part of the city, visit the 16th century
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Durgiana Temple, a short distance away from the Golden
Temple. This too has a golden dome and silver portals
and is surrounded by a tank called Kamalsar. Another
temple stands in the center of a lake and is dedicated
to the Hindu deities, Lakshmi and Narayana. There are
also a number of mosques around here including the mosque
of Mohammed Jan with its 3 white domes and slender minarets.
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Sikh
Museum
The central Sikh Museum, part of the clock tower, comprises
a gallery of old paintings of the Sikh gurus |
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Jallianwalah
Bagh
A place of great tragedy, the maidan narrates a story
where thousands of innocent Indians were massacred by
a British army general in 1919. The bullet ridden walls
and a well where panicky people jumped in still stand
as reminders of the Indian struggle for independence.
Ram
Bagh
It is a beautiful garden with a museum in a small palace
built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In the museum, there
are weapons from the Mughal times and portraits of the
ex-monarchs of the Punjab. (Don't head for the Museum
on a Wednesday - it stays shut.)
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Quick
Gateways
Tarn
Taran - 22 kms south of
Amritsar, this is a guilt domed gurudwara built in 1768
in the memory of Guru Ramdas. They say the waters of the
tank here are miraculous and have proved to be especially
curative for leprosy.
Baba Bakala - 45 kms east of Amritsar, is the
Baba Bakala gurudwara dedicated to the Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Wagah Border - 29 kms away, makes for a rather
interesting visit to this point - the Indo-Pak border.
The 'retreat' ceremony at sunset takes place with the
security men from both sides saluting their respective
flags.
38 kms from Amritsar, Hari Ke Pattan,
is a scenic spot and hosts for some relaxing picnics
Not strictly a 'quick' getaway, Dalhousie
(188 kms) is a lovely hill station and certainly worth
a visit if you have the time. It is named after the 19th
century Governor General, Lord Dalhousie, and is at an
altitude of 2039 m. |
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