Amritsar

Finding a place to see the actual Punjabi culture, Amritsar is your destination. It is a holy city in the state of Punjab, India. It is named on the pool around the Golden temple, Harmandir Sahib which means “the holy pool of nectar”. A cultural and spiritual centre of the sikh religion. Amritsar or historically known as ‘Ramdaspur’  is a situated in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India.

Not only spiritually, as a tourist destination Amritsar is very beautiful. And a must to visit place in Indian. Besides sikhs, people from various religions visit the Golden temple of Amritsar. It is very close to India’s western border with Pakistan.

Attractions of Amritsar

Golden Temple: The second thing which comes to mind, when you plan a visit to Amritsar is this place called ‘Golden temple’. It is the main attraction of city and really important for the people of Sikh religion around the world. It is a beautiful complex and a rush of pilgrims is always found here. Cover your head, remove your shoes and wander around one of the most amazing places in India. One can visit the temple twice (day and night) and it is worth a watch at both times. You can also take holy bath at the Harmandir Sahib (pool around the Golden temple). This place is always open and has a dining hall (langar) serving free basic meals to all… A definite must for visitors. Plates and spoons are handed out near the entrance, then follow the crowds inside and take the next vacant spot in one of the rows on the floor. Servers come by with large buckets of dal, chapattis and rice and serve you with love and respect, this thing is also known as ‘Seva’ in the religion.

Jallianwala Bagh: It is at a stone’s throw distance from the Golden temple. It is a quite popular place from the history as it is the site of the 1919 Amritsar massacre. On April 13 of that year, British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children. The firing lasted about 10 minutes and 1650 rounds were fired, killing 1579 people. It is related to very sad but true incident.

Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh: It is in the Ram Bagh Park. Now the palace houses a museum, exhibiting oil paintings, miniatures, coins and weapons from the Sikh period. In this park is the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama, so ask, if you are at the right museum.

How to reach there?

Amritsar is an easy access. Airlines, Buses, Taxis or Trains every option of transport is easily available. Distance from various places of India to Amritsar:

• Chandigarh  – 235 kms
•  New Delhi   – 450 kms
•  Shimla         – 322 kms
•  Jammu        – 219 kms

Airlines

Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport is a major airport in Amritsar, Punjab. It is 11 km or 15-20 mins drive from the city centre. It has more than 200 domestic and international flights during the week with daily connections to Delhi, Chandigarh and Jammu in India.

Roads  

Amritsar is located on the NH1, historically known as the Grand Trunk Road. In 2010, elevated road with four lanes connected to the National highway for better access to the Golden Temple has been started.

^Buses

Daily bus services run to and from Ambala, Delhi, Chandigarh and Jammu. You can also come to these places as to get your bus to Amritsar.

Cabs

It is a 6-7 hours journey from New Delhi and Long-distance taxis are available from most places. You can also travel by your own car but if you are comfortable with long drives then hired taxis are a good option.

Trains

The Amritsar railway station is well connected to all the major cities in India through daily trains. It is advisable to book your return train ticket as soon as you arrive in Amritsar, or before if you know the exact date, as trains are often heavily booked.