Visiting Amritsar and seeing Golden Temple was on my wish list for long. So when I got an opportunity to attend a wedding in Delhi last November, I thought it’s the best time to visit the Amritsar as well. We extended our wedding holidays by 2 days to accommodate a quick trip to Amritsar.
We took an early morning flight on Jet airways and landed at Amritsar in 50 min. Alternatively there is a Shatabdi also from Delhi in morning which reaches Amritsar by noon. Outside hotel we got the shuttle bus service for Golden Temple. You can also book pre paid taxi from Amritsar Airport to anywhere in the town. Distance between Amritsar airport to the centre of the town is some 10Km.The shuttle bus dropped us just outside Ramada Hotel where we had booked to stay for one night. Ramada enjoys the central location as it is situated in middle of the main bazaar. Temple is less than a km from this hotel and you can easily walk up to the temple.
It was 10 am in the morning and our check in hotel won’t begin before 1 pm. So we dropped the luggage in hotel’s lobby and headed towards the Temple. We were thrilled at the first look of the temple. The white marble tiles in the temple were so cold that they cooled us instantly. The glimpse of the glittering Golden Temple was a sight to behold. For me it was a dream come true. The ambience of the entire temple complex was very peaceful and had some divine calm attached to itself. We went to the main shrine and offered our prayers. We sat by the hold Kund (pond of water) for some time and saw the endless stream of devotees paying their visit and respect to the one of the most sought after temples in the world. We also ate the Prasad in the Langar at the temple. It was delicious!!
We checked in the hotel and rested for a while. Around 3pm we took a cab and headed to Wagah Border which is around 30 km from the hotel Visiting Wagah Border was a noteworthy experience, something different which we haven’t experienced yet. The Wagah Border is located at a distance of 22 km from Lahore and 28 km from Amritsar. Every evening, just before the sunset, the soldiers from the Indian and Pakistan military meet at this border post to engage in a 30-minute display of military showmanship. Officially, the purpose of the ceremony is to formally close the border for the night and lower the national flag. However, it is an entertainment ceremony and a patriotic display for the thousands of people who come here every day. During the build-up to the ceremony, the crowd witnesses national anthem chanting, rounds of applause and Bollywood-style dancing. My patriotic spirit was at its all time high. What a show it was! I will definitely say it’s a once in a life time kind of experience.
After returning from the Border we visited Kesar ka Dabha for dinner. This is said to be the oldest, most famous and authentic dabha for the finger licking mouth watering food for which Amritsar is famous for.
No visit to Amritsar is complete without seeing the Golden Temple at night. Words will fall short if I have to describe the beauty of the temple at night. We were awestruck. We could not just stop clicking the pictures from every possible angle. Since it was almost end of November, it was slight cold and we thoroughly enjoyed the hot milk served as Prasad at night. We witness the holy ceremony of “ palaki” at temple.
Next morning we were still left with few more ticks for this destination. After a hearty breakfast at Sharma Sweet house ( again a very famous outlet) we headed to Jallianwala Bagh. The site, Jallianwala Bagh became a national place of pilgrimage. The monument, befittingly named the Flame of Liberty, was inaugurated by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, on 13 April 1961. The central 30-ft high pylon, a four-sided tapering stature of red stone standing in the midst of a shallow tank, is built with 300 slabs with Ashoka Chakra, the national emblem, carsed on them. A stone lantern stands at each corner of the tank. On all four sides of the pylon the words, "In memory of martyrs, 13 April 1919", has been inscribed in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. A semi-circular verandah skirting a children's swimming pool near the main entrance to the Bagh marks the spot where General Dyer's soldiers took position to fire at the gathering.
Just outside Jallianwala Bagh is the main market where you can shop for world famous Amritsari Jutis and the Fulkari duppata / dress material . I also did not miss this opportunity and shopped to my heart’s content.
We left for airport at 1 pm for our flight to Mumbai at 3.30 pm
It was one of the most memorable short trips I undertook with my family last year!!!
P.S All the pictures used in this blog are clicked by me and is my property.