“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
Lao Tzu
Hello, Harshit again and this story is about the majestic city of Amritsar. While heading for Vaishno Devi we decided to explore Amritsar as well on our way. Who doesn’t love Amritsar, the city of ‘Golden Temple.’ It’s an integral city in the heart of Punjab. The city is the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion and is home to the Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple.
Immersed in culture and history, the tourist places to visit in Amritsar attract millions of people from all over the world. Guru Amar Das, the fourth Sikh guru, built Amritsar around an artificial pool that would become the Golden Temple. For many years it was a wealthy city known for its music, arts, performance and philosophy, perched in a prime location for commerce. Unfortunately, when the British came to power, Amritsar was stripped of its rich assets.
Some intriguing and famous shrines like the Golden Temple and Akal Takht are one of the reasons tourists from all walks of life come flocking here for peace. These important Sikh shrines will surely leave you in absolute awe and you would want to come back again to this Holy City.
Well, rather than several activities, there are just a few main things to do in Amritsar. None were remotely similar to things I’ve done elsewhere so it was a memorable trip for me, since then Amritsar has been a go to city for me.
Places to Visit:
1. Golden Temple
The Harmandir Sahib, famously known as the Golden Temple, is the holiest shrine of the Sikh community. We offered our prayers in the central hall and later took a dip in the Amrit Sarovar, a man-made tank which is believed to have healing powers. Then we had the delicious langar at the common kitchen with hundreds of people and also volunteered to help the staff members for a fulfilling experience.
If you get the chance to visit the Golden Temple at night, I’d highly recommend it. While the daytime is beautiful itself but evenings are more atmospheric and spell bounding.
2. Wagah Border
Wagah Border marks the Radcliffe Line, which is the line drawn between India and Pakistan during the partition of India in 1947. The flag-lowering ceremony takes place every evening (check the time according to both the seasons) where soldiers from both sides present their brevity to one another while the crowds cheer on. Paying our respect to the National Anthem is the best part of the ceremony and is enough to fill anyone with great pride. It’s an experience that everyone should have while in Amritsar.
3. Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Park
Not all the things in the city are beautiful to explore, Jallianwala Bagh is a memorial dedicated to hundreds of Indians who were brutally massacred by the British. While holding a peaceful protest in the park they were surrounded by British forces and killed in the most inhumane way. I was deeply disheartened to see the memorial, I have visited Amritsar before as well, earlier it was more about the brutal massacre that took place here and now it’s more about an outing park with statues and Amar Jyoti being replaced.
4. Hall Bazaar
Not very far from the Golden Temple Hall Bazaar is one of the oldest shopping areas in the country and also one of the busiest shopping bazaars. Apart from a wide range of shops, the Hall Bazaar is also known for some beautiful old architecture including the Mughal archway entrance, called Gandhi Gate, complete with a giant clock with the caption ‘Amritsar – Sifti Da Ghar’.
Places to eat:
1. Kesar da Dhaba
For anyone who’s a vegetarian Kesar Da Dhaba is a paradise. Food here is delicious loaded with ghee, try their Maa ki daal and laccha paratha and after you are done with the food go for a cup of phirni.
2. Bharawan da Dhaba
You cannot call yourself a foodie if you haven’t eaten in Bharawan da Dhaba, they serve some amazing laccha parathas and lip smacking dahi bhallas, it sure is going to add a couple of extra calories but it’s worth it.
3. Kulcha Land
Amritsar is known for its Amritsari Kulcha and don’t get confused Kulcha Land is all about Kulchas, you won’t need a menu card here because all they serve are different varieties of Kulchas. Serving much before the partition, their Chole Kulche and a glass of Lassi is everything you need.
4. Ahuja Milk Bhandar
You cannot argue with Amritsari natives when it comes to ghee and lassi. Ahuja Milk Bhandar is known for their thick lassi. Whenever you visit their place go for a large glass of sweet lassi. It’s so thick you’ll need a spoon to scoop it out.
How to Reach:
Travelling to Amritsar is quite hassle free, one can find flights, buses and trains all from Delhi and once in the city you can go for local transportation or hire a cab as per your need.
Budget:
Well we stayed for two days and our total budget for this short trip was around ₹6000-₹10000 including everything. You can easily find hotels and rooms in the city so there’s no need to make a prior booking.
There are plenty of places to visit in the city but we had to cut our trip short but while in Amritsar these places that we visited are a must for everyone.
