Amritsar

Amritsar (Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ Hindi: अमृतसर) is a city in the state of Punjab, India. It is the holiest city in the Sikh religion. Amritsar is one of the largest cities in the Indian state of Punjab and is the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion. Sikhs are rightfully very proud of the city and their very beautiful and unique Gurdwara (place of worship), the Golden Temple. Amritsar is today a major pilgrimage centre for Sikhs and a tourism centre for anyone.

Understand
The name Amritsar name derives from the pool around the Golden Temple (aka Harmandir Sahib) and means "holy pool of nectar" (Amrit elixir; Sar, short for sarovar which means "lake").

No visit to Amritsar is complete without a visit of the Golden Temple, including a community meal, a bath in the pool, potentially a night in the temple and if you are keen a volunteering session in the community kitchen, as well as the participation in the Flag lowering ceremony at the Wagah (Attari) border.



History
Amritsar is known mainly for its Golden Temple which was initiated by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru and the founder of the city, and completed in 1601 by his successor Guru Arjan Dev Ji.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre or Amritsar massacre occurred in 1919. The area where this occurred was a large, open square but walled in on all sides. British troops opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators, and a large number were killed &mdash; the British said 370 dead and 1,200 wounded but Indian sources say the total was well over 1,000 dead. Some of the victims were, in fact, demonstrating, protesting against the arrest of two political activists, while others were gathered to celebrate the traditional festival of Baisakhi. Not all died directly due to British fire; many were trampled in the stampede to escape and others died diving down a well to avoid the bullets. Today the well is a rather grisly tourist attraction and bullet holes are still visible on walls around the area.

The massacre news spread quickly all over the country caused widespread outrage and additional demonstrations as it stunned the entire sub-continent. Eventually, the public lost faith in the British colonial government and subsequently, this massacre initiated the "Non-cooperation movement" led by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. It is considered a significant phase of the Indian independence movement from British rule.

It also had a tremendous effect in the UK, with many of the more liberal British appalled by it while others thought it necessary. A commission investigated and concluded that "General Dyer thought he had crushed the rebellion and Sir Michael O'Dwyer was of the same view, ... (but) there was no rebellion which required to be crushed." Dyer was in command on the spot and O'Dwyer the provincial governor.

During the partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947, the Punjab region was divided between India and Pakistan near Amritsar. Pakistan wanted to annex Amritsar due to its close proximity with Lahore and 50% Muslim population; however, the city remained inside Indian territory. Similarly, India wanted to annex Lahore. Both of the cities experienced some of the worst communal riots during the partition. Mass evacuations were made both in Amritsar and in Lahore. Hence, the demographics of both the cities were changed following the partition, significantly altering the culture and affecting the political, economic and social environment of the cities.In June 1984, an Indian military operation ordered by then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was launched in the city to remove a few hundred Sikh militants who had taken control of the Golden Temple compound. After a few hundred people were killed during the 5-day siege, thousands of civilians were killed throughout the country in the aftermath.

Get in
The best time to visit Amritsar is during winter, October–March.

By plane


Most flights are to Delhi (1 hr away) but there are an increasing number of international connections:
 * Air India flies from/to Birmingham
 * Qatar Airways now flies from/to Doha
 * FlyScoot flies from/to Singapore with possible budget connections all around Southeast Asia and beyond
 * Air-India Express, SpiceJet and IndiGo fly from/to Dubai and Sharjah with cheap connections into Europe from there
 * There are also a surprising number of flights to Central Asia (Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).

Getting there and away:
 * By bus – The cheapest way to and from the airport is by local bus. Take the bus to Ajnala (stand 19 in the city bus stand) and tell the conductor that you go to the airport. The bus costs ₹15 (December 2018). The bus will drop you in the main road, about 1 km away from the airport. You could walk this in about 15 minutes or take a rickshaw or auto from there. The way back should be the same, just walk to the main road and hail down any bus going into the city.
 * By free shuttle – The Golden Temple is running a free shuttle bus generally twice a day. It is leaving from the airport around 09:00 and 15:00 (as of F July 2023), generally shortly after a couple of flights arrived. So check ahead for the flights—he might go a little earlier or a little later. From the roundabout northeast of the Golden Temple in the center, the roundabout where also rickshaws go to the border, the bus should leave towards the airport about 1 hr before these times, but best to inquire with the Golden Temple staff beforehand.
 * By rickshaw – If you just head to the highway, or even just outside of the airport, there should be rickshaws waiting for potential customers—say ₹100-200. On the way back they will go as far as they are allowed. If you don't have much large luggage, that can also be a convenient option.
 * By taxi – Taxi drivers wait outside the arrivals gate for visitors. For a trip into town, even the prepaid taxi can be bargained down with the drivers to ₹300 from initially ridiculous prices of ₹550 a person (as of March 2014; became ₹850 as of May 2023) before you pay, but there is a significant dearth of official taxis or even auto-rickshaws, so prepare for a hard time. Uber and OLA are available. Both Uber and OLA charges around ₹550 (May 2023) with OLA slapping an additional ₹100 charge for parking which is not apparent while booking. This charge is applied both during airport pickup and drop off.

By train


Here are some useful trains to get to Amritsar: Also see Rail travel in India

By bus


At the bus terminal you can also catch a bus to the Wagah border for ₹50.

By car
Long-distance taxis are available from most places. It takes around 6–7 hours from New Delhi via NH-1.

From Pakistan
If coming from Wagah at the Pakistani border, take a rickshaw (₹20, 3 km) to the Attari station, where you can catch a local bus to Amritsar (₹40, 25 km).

Nowadays, the bus from Amritsar is actually calling at the border. However, this might only be in the afternoon when a lot a people head to the border for the parade.

Taxis and rickshaws also use this route and charge ₹200-500 for the entire journey.

By bus
A public bus system has been introduced.

By auto-rickshaw

 * An auto-rickshaw from the train station to the temple should cost around ₹20, while a cycle-rickshaw will cost about ₹30.
 * Electric rickshaw between the Golden Temple area and the bus stand are ₹10.

By car
If you have your own car to get around Amritsar then simply confirm the directions with a local guide. In case you don't have your own car then there are several travel agencies that can offer you the car of your choice.

Renting a car is less time-consuming and affordable. Experienced car drivers know all the shortcuts within the city and will take you to the best hotel or restaurant. Never pay the entire fare to the car agent in advance and don't leave expensive luggage in your car whenever you are visiting a site.

See






Golden Temple




Do

 * – The ceremony at the Wagah (Attari) border involving a lot of nationalistic cheering, Monty-Pythonesque silly walks by soldiers, the lowering of the flags of both the countries (India and Pakistan), and the closing of international gates
 * – The ceremony at the Wagah (Attari) border involving a lot of nationalistic cheering, Monty-Pythonesque silly walks by soldiers, the lowering of the flags of both the countries (India and Pakistan), and the closing of international gates
 * – The ceremony at the Wagah (Attari) border involving a lot of nationalistic cheering, Monty-Pythonesque silly walks by soldiers, the lowering of the flags of both the countries (India and Pakistan), and the closing of international gates

Learn

 * The Golden Temple has a massive library where tourists/visitors can get books on Sikhism for free or at very little cost.
 * Almost every Sikh at the temple will be willing to talk to you about the temple and their religion and culture. Go there with an open mind and you'll leave with a smiling heart.

Buy
There are bustling bazaars with a huge variety from embroidered phulkari dupattas to famous papad wariyan. The markets offer a wide range of products like carpets, bangles, shawls and woolen textiles and Punjabi juttis (traditional footwear).


 * Sikh symbols and religious paraphernalia like khandas, Karas (Sikh religious bangle), swords, daggers etc. from the shops close to the Golden Temple.
 * CDs of temple recordings, chants, and Punjabi music in the shops along the front of the temple.
 * Punjabi Juttis (shoes) from the tiny shops near the Hall Bazaar flyover.
 * Warian (spicy pulses ground with spices) from Hall Bazaar
 * Phulkaari is a form of embroidery from the state of Punjab in India and certain parts of Pakistan which literally means “flower making”. Brightly coloured shawls to sarees to head scarves to salwar-kameez of Phulkaari can be found in Hall Bazar and Kapra market. Hand-embroidered ones would be more expensive and are still very much in demand for festivals and other joyous occasions. Bargain your heart out, especially in Kapra market as it’s a whole-sale market for clothes.

Eat
Amritsar is famous for Amritsari Kulcha, a flatbread cooked in tandoor which is usually eaten with pindi chhole (chickpeas) for breakfast.




 * Country Inn & Suites, around the corner of Bhandari Bridge serves up great Indian, Italian, Continental and Chinese food.
 * Country Inn & Suites, around the corner of Bhandari Bridge serves up great Indian, Italian, Continental and Chinese food.
 * Country Inn & Suites, around the corner of Bhandari Bridge serves up great Indian, Italian, Continental and Chinese food.
 * Country Inn & Suites, around the corner of Bhandari Bridge serves up great Indian, Italian, Continental and Chinese food.

There are very few decent non-veg restaurants and cafes near the temple complex.

Drink
Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink which originates in the Punjab region. It is made by blending yogurt with water and Indian spices. Traditional lassi (also known as salted lassi, or, simply lassi) is a savoury drink sometimes flavoured with ground roasted cumin while sweet lassi, on the other hand, is blended with sugar or fruits instead of spices.

Mid-range




Stay safe



 * The sectarian strife of the 1980s is just a bad memory and Amritsar is a safe and welcoming city, if a little polluted.
 * Don't leave cash or any valuables in the hotel room. Cross check all hotel, restaurant and lounges bills for errors.
 * Never pay anyone for anything upfront, including taxi drivers.
 * Do not exchange money in the black market. Ask for a receipt when exchanging money at any authorised currency exchange centre.

Respect

 * You should remain aware and respectful of the Sikh religion anywhere near the Golden Temple complex.
 * Inside the complex both men and women are required to cover their heads (scarves are widely available throughout the town for ₹10, or a box of them are free to use at the entrances to the temple).
 * Every visitor is required to remove shoes and socks and wash his/her feet before entering the temple. You can store your shoes at the subterranean building to the left of the entrance.
 * Smoking and alcohol are forbidden within the complex and anywhere within sight of the temple. Lighting up a cigarette on the busy street out front will definitely attract negative attention, as will spitting near the temple.
 * Photography is allowed on the outside ring of the holy lake, but not inside the temple.

Internet
There are quite a few good internet surfing facilities in Amritsar. Reliance WebWorld and Sify Internet kiosks are located at strategic locations.


 * Cyber Pub, Opposite District Courts on Airport Road. Scanner and printer available.
 * Cyber Swing, (above New Punjabi Rasoi restaurant), has several machines and a decent connection. ₹40/hour.

Go next

 * Dharamsala – A hill station in Himachal Pradesh, famed for its large Tibetan community centred on the activities of the Dalai Lama.
 * Jammu – The winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir
 * Lahore – Armed with a visa, take the plunge into this bustling gateway city, one of the cultural hubs of Pakistan.