TO THE LAND OF TEN GURUS

Some trips require a lot of planning and discussions, while some just happen impromptu. The latter was the case for my last trip to Amritsar. I had been planning this short trip since September 2023 but the stars were never getting aligned. After a lot a cajoling, when I managed to receive atleast an unsure “Yes” from my mother, there was no turning back. Even with flight tickets making a hole in my pocket couldn’t dither mean from my resolve to go for this trip.

Though a very small town in Punjab, Amritsar manages to make its mark as a tourist destination because of the existence of the Golden Temple in its heart, along with some other important historical sites. As nothing works empty stomach, our very first stop was “Kulwant Singh Kulchewalaa” for a heavy breakfast of hot gobhi kulchas and chole. We then began our trip to the historical site “Jalianwala Bagh”, which was at a walkable distance from where we were located. Just at its entrance, a monument has been structured preserving with the names (including a 7-month old baby) of some of the martyrs of this famous historical incident. This widespread area has been preserved beautifully with cut-out paths, well-marked routes and lush green trees and bushes. There are 5 different galleries showcasing different events from India’s freedom struggles, with preserved newspaper cut-outs providing evidence to the stated facts. Shaheed Uddham Singh’s ashes are also preserved at this site. Upon witnessing the constantly burning flame of “Amar Jyoti”, our hearts seemed to stir with “patriotism”. The historic well, where many men and women had jumped to save themselves from the bullets of General Dyer is also preserved, though it is fully covered for security reasons, probably. It is written there that around 120 dead bodies were recovered from that well! Some remains of the actual walls of the Jalianwala Bagh with bullet holes are also marked out and preserved. 

From here, we walked some 500 meters to explore the “Partition Museum”. Similar to the Brahmaputra Heritage of Guwahati, the museum is set in a bungalow from the British era. It echoes the turmoil, loss, and suffering that the common people had to face during 2 partitions – India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh. Many families donated artifacts and relics from their ancestors who had witnessed the partition and suffered irreparable loss. Interviews from such people also played in small screen in the museum. From this, it was clear that Punjab and Bengal had suffered tremendously in the name of “Partition”!

We then made our way to a Durga and Hanuman Mandir which was structurally similar to the Golden temple – the main temple housed in between a “sarovar” or lake. Even the prasad offered was just like the “kada prasad” of gurudwaras. After this, we made our way to the Gobindgarh Qila or Fort. This fort was constructed by one of Punjab’s rulers, Ranjeet Singh and his father. Here we witnessed a 3D show “Sher-E-Punjab” highlighting some facts about the life of Ranjeet Singh. We also enjoyed a camel ride and bhangra performance within the fort.

After a scrumptious lunch of Makke ki Roti and Sarson ka Saag, we proceeded to the Atari-Wagah border. The entire auditorium was crowded with more than 2000 people and it wasn’t even weekend then! Witnessing the parade and flag-lowering ceremony here is a once-in-a-lifetime experience – it not only awakens patriotism in you but also highlights the fact that though you have to respectful to everyone, even towards our enemy nation. As the event ended, we proceeded to small roadside stall that served the tastiest tea that I had ever drunk! From here, we went to visit Mata Vaishno Devi temple. Here you can witness deities from all the Char Dhams and 12 Jyotirlings. An interesting fact that we got to witness here was that there was a statue of gold of a lady wearing spectacles which was being profusely worshipped at that temple. After enquiring, we came to know that it was Mata Laal Devi, a woman who worked miracles there and is believed to be a re-incarnation of God.

Our Day 2 at Amritsar began with breakfast of Lassi and Paneer paratha, after which we went to the Golden Temple or the Harmandir Sahib. The first thing that amazed was the maintenance of that huge area. With so many people visiting day-in-day-out, all the belongings, shoes, and socks that are handed over at that the counters are discretely maintained. And the atmosphere inside the temple premises is something that cannot be simply put into words – it can only be experienced! The Gurbani or recitation goes on 24X7 and it is not a recorded audio – actual people take shifts to recite/sing and play the instruments so that the premises are never quiet. Because of this, the Golden Temple is a sight to behold in the evenings and at night! After standing in the queue for nearly 2 hours, we entered within the main temple. But the fact that pleased me the most was that there was no separate VIP line or Rs 500 entry – everyone starting from Modiji and Amitabh Bachhan to a common man has to stand in that queue for Darshan. We also saw that a lot of people – rich and poor equally – were involved in Sewa or selfless service. People were cleaning the sacred pool, washing plates, serving prasad and langar, cleaning the deposited shoes and so on. Inside the premises, covering the head is a must for both men and women and the sentinels will remind you not to hold hands or do any kind of PDA! The langar service in the Golden Temple is for 24 hours – any hungry person can have a full meal of daal, rice, roti, sabzi and kheer here irrespective of caste, creed, color, religion, language by just sitting on the floor of the langar hall. A kind lady also told us that all gurudwaras have the symbol of Sikhism – a tall pole with a spear at the top wrapped in a saffron cloth. This symbol, visible from all parts of the city, indicates that this is the place where you will find a place to eat and sleep, without any questions asked! We ended our day with desserts from Gurdas Ram Jalebiwala, with hot jalebis, gulab jamuns that melt in your mouth and rabdi-falooda.

Of course, when in Amritsar it is impossible not to buy Patiala suits, phulkari dupattas/shawls, jootis, and parandis (if you have long hair, unlike me). Amritsar is definitely a place for foodies especially when you want to experience traditional Punjabi food. But for me personally, it was more of a soul-enriching trip – I soaked up how every person, irrespective of age, was picking up litter in the Golden Temple and Jalianwala Bagh premises, how every person was offering a helping hand to and guiding tourists, and most importantly, how everyone was warning you to be careful of pickpockets and hooligans on bike! I would advise everyone to make a trip to Amritsar at least once – this place is safe even for solo girl travellers.