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| || The Past || Don't Miss || Festivals || When to Go || Getting There || |
| Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhs, is an important centre of agriculture and trade. Amritsar literally means ‘the holy pool of nectar’ because of the pool around which the Golden Temple is built. The Golden Temple, which is the foremost attraction here, is an interesting blend of Hindu and Muslim style of architecture. It represents an inverted lotus and is singularly the most ornamented shrine. Amritsar is also the site of the legendary Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, which took place during the British rule. Nurtured by divine sanctity Amritsar is a place of miracles and triumphs, a land where people are warm and friendly. |
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It is believed that Amritsar is where Sage Valmiki
wrote the epic Ramayana and also where Lord Ram and Sita spent a
brief period of their 14-year exile. It is also believed to be the
spot where Lord Buddha proclaimed, "This spot is best for Bhikshu
(Buddhist Monks) to attain their Nirvana (Salvation) and is far
superior in that respect to other places so far visited."
However, this low-lying forest area with a lake gained importance as the home of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. After his death, the site was acclaimed as a shrine by his devout followers. Thereafter, Guru Ram Dass enlarged the lake and converted it into a tank and later, Guru Arjan Dev built the Hari Mandir in the center of this tank. The foundation of Hari Mandir was laid in 1589 by a Muslim saint Mian Mir and was completed in 1601. |
The Hari Mandir has a vibrant history. Having being destroyed and desecrated by Mughal and Afghani rulers for years, the Sikhs united under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to rebuild it. The Maharaja got the domes of the structure richly ornamented with marble sculptures, golden gilding and large quantities of precious stones. Thereafter, Hari Mandir was known as Swaran Mandir (Golden Temple).  |
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Located
in the heart of the city, the Golden Temple
is the most visited tourist attraction of Amritsar. The stunning
sanctum, shining in the water of the holy tank of Amrit Sarovar
(Pool of Nectar), is flanked by spotlessly clean marble walkways
and pavements making it breathtakingly beautiful. The temple
building is three storeys high and is crowned with a Golden
Dome (said to be gilded with 100 kg of pure gold) shaped like
an inverted lotus. The lower storey is in white marble, while
the two upper storeys have gold plating. The temple has four
entrances instead of the usual single
entry , symbolic of the
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openness of Sikhism and the fact that followers of all faiths are welcome here.The walls within are adorned with carved wooden panels and elaborate inlay work in silver and gold. The holy book of the Sikhs, Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan Dev, rests on a throne beneath a jewel-encrusted canopy. Priests continuously recite verses from the holy book in 3-hour shifts, the full reading of which takes 48 hours. The original copy of the Guru Granth Sahib is kept under pink shroud in the Golden Temple during the day and at night is ceremoniously returned to the Akal Takhat (Sikh Parliament) building. Built by the Sixth Master Guru Hargobind in 1609, the Akal Takhat was used for holding court and Sikh congregations in the days of its builder. The ground floor of the present building was constructed in 1874. Maharaja Ranjit Singh subsequently added three storeys. A number of weapons used by Guru Hargobind, Guru Gobind Singh and other Sikh heroes are conserved at Akal Takhat. A historical monument that tells the sad story of mass killing during the independence movement in India, Jallianwallah Bagh is another must visit in Amritsar. Here is the memorial of the martyrs of the 1919 massacre by British General Dyer. Presently the place also has a park. Amritsar also houses a wonderful temple dedicated
to the Hindu goddess Durga. Easily accessible from the Golden
Temple, the Durgiana Mandir also offers puja
to deities of Lakshmi and Narayana. Supposedly built during
the 16th century AD, the temple lies in the middle of a medium
sized lake giving it a wonderful overall view. The temple, a
massive structure, was built on the style of the nearby Golden
Temple. The temple’s first head priest planted the Jubi
Tree, at the northwestern corner of the complex some
450 years ago. The old, gnarled tree is believed to have special
powers and childless women tie strips of cloth on it to be blessed
with sons. |
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Guru Nanak Jayanti falls in
the month of October commemorating the birthday of Guru Nanak
Devji Maharaj. The Guru Granth Sahib is read and langars (community
feast) are organized in the Gurdwaras and at homes. |
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The
Raja Sansi Airport is just 10 km from the main city of Amritsar
and taxis are easily available to and from the airport. There
are connecting flights from Amritsar to Delhi - London and Delhi
- New York. |
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Amritsar
is well connected by rail to almost every city of the country.
There are direct trains to Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, Puri and
other places. The Samjhauta Express also connects Amritsar to
Lahore in Pakistan. |
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Amritsar
is well connected to all the major cities of northern India.
Important destinations include Delhi, Shimla, Chandigarh, Dehradun,
Rishikesh, Kullu, Manali and Jammu. It is at a distance of 234
km from Chandigarh. |
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