What else you need when you get to attend one of the most revealing traditional ceremony, a royal wedding of Punjabi's. Punjab wanderlust was always on my mind. So, the Tour of Punjab was a wonderment to me, my trip went across, a grand wedding to the most beautiful people and spots of India. It was the month of January, winters the temperature toppled between 4 °C to 8 °C, a perfect time to travel North India.
Punjabi's are famous for nourishing you with delicious and incredible food with a large glass of lassi. So, my first-afternoon meal was at a friend's cousin's place, where a beautiful couple having an adorable six-month-old daughter served us with traditional dishes, sweets, and tons of love. Both by profession were doctors, Dr. Mehak and Dr. Sanman Mazi. Astonishingly, they treated me just as a family, it gave me a feeling, like I am not new. Such tenderness, affection, and stories of life, when you recall, it touches you, always a bonus for a person who travels.
Combining all these incredible gestures, north Indian food, Sikhism style architects, famous peaceful pilgrimages, historical monuments, Indo-Pak Border parades, and an epic tour across Pinds (hometowns of the village), is all that makes Punjab a significant place.
Moving onto my first destination was, “Batala” a town in Punjab where the wedding had to take place. The first impression was the wedding house, and I could see intense energy flying around. The varying moment gave me a feeling this is going to be one of my outstanding wedding adventures.
Punjabi's are more expressive, and their rituals are dazzling. They have their spice of life, from the sacred rituals to bhangra (a Punjabi dance form) to flamboyant attires; it makes them stand out from the rest.
“Punjabi wedding has all the ingredients of enjoyment – its colorful with exotic food, Patiala pegs that's obvious and limitless music, dhol with fork fusion, and dance till your feet ache. If you count by hours, it's a 48 hours day-&-night ceremonial journey”.
As per the grandeur of the event, the ‘Groom’ on the wedding-night wears stylish Sherwani or western suits and the head tied with turban put by the male member along with sehra (colorful strings partially covering the face), while the ‘Bride’ wears either, embroidered saree, designer-lehenga, or an embellished-churidar suit, with an umbrella-shaped chudha tied to her beautiful bangles by a female member of the family.
I mentioned ‘wedding-night’ because it begins after sunset and goes past sunrise. As India is the land of diverse cultures, here you will see big-fat weddings with high-spirits and sheer joy. Every religion has different customs and a charisma style to express happiness. If you ever get a chance to attend one, never miss it. So, after attending a glamorous and exhilarating wedding, late afternoon, I moved to my next destination – Amritsar!
So how long is Batala from Amritsar?
It is slightly more than a one-hour drive, but the scenic beauty on both sides of the street is eye-grabbing, you will never feel how the time passes.
When you think about spirituality, India is certainly one of the coveted places. Similarly, when you hear about Amritsar, the first thing that comes to your mind, is the “Golden Temple”, a Gurudwara, known for its peace and glory, a symbol of human equality.
It is one of the most visited and best holy places in India. Also, known as the Sri Harmandir Sahib meaning “abode of God”, the building work of temple completed in 1601 A.D., and in the year 1604, Guru Arjan Dev (the fifth Guru of Sikh’s) placed a copy of the Adi Granth – that moment, it attained the status of Ath Sath Tirath (Shrine of 68 pilgrimages). From this day, the Sikh received their pilgrimage center. It has got unique Sikh architecture; the dome is gilded with 750 kg of pure gold, one of the best specimens of the world. The temple has four entrances commonly termed as, holy shrines which signify – every person walking through life is equally welcome.
The uniqueness of its premises is, you will not find any debris or dust on the ground, it’s that clean and maintained. Perhaps, it is not easy to manage sanitation when you have widely driven devotees visiting every hour. The floors are washed with milk and water, giving a pure white surface, interestingly water surrounding the main temple is holy water (Sarovar), and it is so clean you can directly drink, I have tried it. To worship God, friendly people patiently stand in a queue, pray with a smile listening to various chants, prayers, and hymns played in the background known as Gurbani/Kirtan.
That afternoon I further witnessed hundreds of people peacefully lining up at feeding spots known as ‘langar’, where the free meals served to the pilgrims. I had heard a million times, and my first experience of having langar amazed me and made me truly happy. The chef and volunteers cook all seven days a week with various delicious traditional recipes. The disciples sit in lines, eat in silence, and the volunteers serve until you say no. Simply, one rule you have to follow – don’t waste food.
There are a few things you shall avoid inside the Golden temple:
1. Every person must keep shoes at the shoe-store or cloakroom and take a token. You can collect your shoes from the store by exchanging the token. There is a safe provision for keeping your luggage too.
2. Men and women have to wash their feet walking through a small pool before entering the temple. The best part is water in winter is warm and cold during summers.
3. At the entrance, you will see headscarves, with respect men and women, have to cover their heads with handkerchief or scarf.
4. Cigarettes and other intoxicants are strictly prohibited.
5. Chewing gum, recording a video for social media bits is strictly prohibited.
6. Photography is allowed only at the periphery, but not inside the golden dome.
The walk towards the Golden temple will give you a feel of a European street. One of the pleasantest things about the heritage streets was lamppost, fountains, statues, and alluring shops, which was unequivocally a delight to watch. Besides this, the food stalls with the mouth-watering authentic culinary-masterpiece will wow you. The Golden temple is round the clock open for the visitors. I visited twice, the day I reached and the next day early morning.
At a few footsteps from the Golden gate, nearby, you can visit Jallianwala Bagh, also called Massacre of Amritsar – a historic garden in which British troops fired on a large crowd on April 13, 1919.
The stories heard from the authorities, goes like this, people used to gather in early times for public meetings. So, on that very day, a similar gathering was held to protest against the arrest of two nationalist leaders Satya Pal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew. It was, the first time, British troops opened fire without a warning till their ammunition's got exhausted.
Even today, the country pays tribute to the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives fighting for justice and independence. The park still has preserved the memorials and portions of the wall with bullet marks.
The Attari-Wagah border is the only India-Pakistan border where tourists and foreigners could pass. The Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) conducts the retreat ceremony, that is, flag-lowering ceremony in coordination with border counterpart Pakistan-Rangers.
The Indian Soldiers wear the khaki and Pakistani rangers seen wearing a black uniform, the soldiers march and strut in their fast-paced with a posture of gentlemen, raising legs as high as possible. The environment is full of energy, strength, and reflects patriotism. All you can hear is the loud cheers, slogans, and patriotic songs. The border is also known as no man's land. It is the geographical boundary that divides India and Pakistan, famously known as Radcliffe Line.
“In this ceremony, The National Anthem of both nations played as a tribute. The parade begins with Woman Soldiers/Officers holding the respective countries' flag and march in the direction of borderline. Further, the Indian BSF Jawan's and Pakistan's Rangers, disciplinarily headgear with heavy foot-stomping and swinging their arms. The coordination with the counterpart and the march in various formations was phenomenal. The excitement rises sky-high, the moment the soldiers open the border-gates, it is the only moment when you don't feel divided. As the big-screens are displayed, you can enjoy both sides of the ceremony. As the parade approaches its final moments, sound similar to that of an instrument called trumpet is played, the flags of the nations are gradually lowered, and folded in a precise manner. The special ceremony ends with soldiers standing-off, shaking hands, and finally closing the gates”.
The Soldiers' Parade is something you should experience; that's where you get the real feel. The 45 mins Parade starts at 4:15 pm during winters and 5:15 pm during summers. There are no entry fees, but it is good to reach almost a half-hour before as you have to pass through security protocols.
Attari border is 37 km away from the main town. To commute, I would recommend board a bus near the Amritsar bus stand or book a two-way cab, which is quite affordable. Make sure you are not carrying any luggage or polythene bags with you, instead, a small backpack with water, camera, jacket, and some other necessary items.
The city of Amritsar has two distinct tales, where one carries the beautiful agricultural fields, Pinds (village), ancestral houses, and other hidden gems of the city. While the other holds a mid-century modern architecture showcasing the town the future smart-city.
When you desperately want to continue the journey but have no choice, and say goodbye, its massive emotions. The State of Punjab is a place where you could spend countless time exploring different regions like Chandigarh – the capital of Punjab & India's first smart city, Jalandhar, Patiala, Ludhiana, and the list goes on.
One thing is sure, I will be going again, and this time new places, new life stories, and beautiful memories that I can share and treasure for the lifetime.
Finally, where to stay in Amritsar, and how will you reach Punjab without much hassle?
For an affordable hotel or stay near the location, these are the excellent options:
– The Golden Temple provides the best hygienic and most comfortable accommodation near the temple premises. The dormitories are free to stay. The devotees can take the complete feel of the holy place. To book in advance, check for the availability of the rooms as it has a first-come-first-serve basis (https://www.goldentempleamritsar.org/best-travel-guides-india/amritsar/online-room-booking/accommodation-in-golden-temple-amritsar-online-booking.php).
– Another most preferred and best-discounted price hotels are the OYO Rooms (https://www.oyorooms.com). Currently, the third-largest hospitality chain in the world. In India, it covers more than 200 cities, having different standards, stylish, and deluxe rooms.
– For Luxurious hotels, the best chains for a 5-star hotel are of Taj Swarna and Hyaa Regency. You can check for discounts on their websites or other booking sites. The hotel has luxurious amenities, with several exotic cuisines prepared as per your choice.
Reaching Punjab is quite easy as it has non-stop connectivity in India.
1. Travel via Air Route,
There are five public airports, two main airports those are Amritsar and Chandigarh, both have Domestic and International ports, whereas Ludhiana, Patiala, and Bathinda, have only domestic flights. The easiest way to commute to-&-fro is by booking a cab.
2. Travel via Rail route
If you are planning to travel by rail route, plan to book tickets before 45-60 days from your journey date, you may cancel your tickets even before 48 hours at a minimum cancellation fee. The four major railway stations are Amritsar Junction, Bathinda railway station, Ludhiana railway station, and Chandigarh railway station, all connected to the city center. The superfast trains such as Rajdhani, Punjab Express, Punjab Mail, and Duronto express are a few to list, which provides good hygiene and best facilities. After reaching to any of these stations, kindly book an Uber/Ola, the most preferred mode of transport.
3. Road trip
If you are planning for a road trip, it would be a magnificent adventure as Punjab has one of the best inter-connectivity via several beautiful towns and cities in India. Traveling through West coast, it is connected majorly with NH 48 via Mumbai, North-South the NH 44 connect Jammu, New Delhi, and Bengaluru, from South NH 48 is another option via Lucknow, from North-East or East coast via Assam NH 27 and West Bengal NH 19, and South-east via Pondicherry connecting Chennai through NH 44.