Amritsar
Brief
Amritsar (The Pool of the Nectar of Immortality) is named after the sacred pool in the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh sites. The religious and cultural capital of the land of five rivers (Punjab), it is a city always drenched in a festive mood. The fragrance from mother earth, carries drums and dances on its wings and is ever eager to extend to its visitors a warm welcome. Excluding an atmosphere of energetic industry, the people are mostly prosperous here. The temple itself, the singular attraction of the city is particularly powerful, is a haven of peace and one cannot help but be touched by the sanctity of the place.
History
The Mughal Emperor Akbar, visited the temple and the then Sikh guru, Amar Das, granted the original site for the city. In 1762 the Afghan, Ahmad Shah Durrani sacked the town and destroyed the temple. The temple was than rebuilt in 1764 and during the reign of Ranjit Singh was roofed over with glided copper plates, thereby giving rise to the name The Golden Temple. Amritsar is named after the sacred pool in the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikhs sites.
Culture
Amritsar is famous for Pashmina - a soft fleece of the Himalayan goat, which is woven into shawls, scarves and blankets. One can see here all races of traders - Baluchs, Turks, Kashmiris, Tibetans, Iranis and Nepalis, all selling their wares. Being the holy place of the Sikhs and a frontier town it is also a haven for the smuggler.
Climate & Geogaphical Location
The city is pretty cool throughout the year. The winters are cool and sunny and the summers are not too hot, as it ought to be in that season. Amritsar is located at a distance of about 24 kms from Pakistan border.
How to Reach
Amritsar is well connected with air, rail and road. By air, Amritsar airport is well connected with Delhi, Srinagar and Jammu. By train, Amritsar station is the main railhead and is well connected to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Varanasi, Lucknow and other major important destinations of the country. By road, Amritsar is well connected with good motorable roads to all major important destinations of the country. Buses operate from Amritsar to Delhi, Dehra Dun, Shimla, Kulu, Dalhousie and Dharmasala.
Tourist Places
The Golden Temple
It is here that Sage Valmiki wrote the epic, Ramayana. Rama and Sita are believed to have spent their fourteen year exile in Amritsar, the epicentre of Sikhism. The Golden Temple is a proper blend of Hindu and Muslim cultures as is shown by the architecture. The Granth Sahib is kept in the Temple during the day and is kept in the Akal Takht or Eternal Throne in the night. The rugged old Jubi Tree in the north west corner of the compound, is believed to possess special powers. It was planted 450 years ago, by the Golden Temples first high priest, Baba Buddhaya.
Durgiana Temple
Durgiana Temple outside the Lohagarh gate of the old city, is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is a centre of pilgrimage for devout Hindus.
The Wagah Border
It is an interesting experience, especially at sunset while Retreat takes place when Indian and Pakistan border troops put up a coordinated and spectacular display, comparing favourably with Londons changing of the Guard. Taxis must be hired from the city for the return trip also as nothing is available at the border.
Others
HARI KE PATTAN - On the out skirts of the city at the confluence of Beas and Sutlej rivers is a scenic spot and bird sanctuary and offers opportunities for angling. HARI MANDIR - Standing in the middle of the sacred pool, the Golden Temple is a two storey marble structure reached by a causeway known as the Gurus bridge. JALLIANWALA BAGH - It was at this site that hundreds of people were shot down by General Dyer. This brutal massacre of over 2000 innocent unarmed people, on the orders of a British General on April 13, 1919 highlights the atrocities performed by the British on Indians. MATA TEMPLE -It lies North west of the train station.This Hindu temple,was built to commemorate the 20th century female saint, Lal Devi. Women wishing to have children, pray here. Its notable for a Disneyesque series of grottoes and shrines featuring Hindu dietes. RAM BAGH GARDEN - Encircling the palace of the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh was the Ram Bagh Garden. The garden contains a museum housing weapons dating from the mughal times plus some portraits of rulers of Punjab. TAREN TARAN - This is an important Sikh tank about 25 kms south of Amritsar. Theres a temple, which predates Amritsar, and a tower on the eastern side of the tank, which was constructed by Ranjit Singh.
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Ashish Bhat - INDIA 25th June 2010Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.
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Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.
