Amritsar is a very popular religious city in Punjab for Sikhs. Amritsar means 'The Pool of the Nectar of Immortality'. Harimandir Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple) is the spiritual centre of the Sikh religion. Amritsar was founded by Guru Ram Das Sahib in 1574. This small village over years developed into a very important religious, tourist and business center.
Punjabi is the main spoken language in Amritsar and the surrounding villages. As per 2001 India census, Amritsar had a population of more than 10 lakh people. Amritsar has one of the highest literacy levels at 71%
Summer is hot in Amritsar with temperatures rising to 46 °C during April to June. Best time to visit Amritsar is during winter season- November to March when the temperatures fluctuates between -3 °C to 18 °C.
Amritsar is a modern place and many establishments accept Credit cards. But it is advisable to carry Indian Rupees. There are around 25 money exchangers in Amritsar where foreign currency can be exchanged. Some money changers are M/s Gambhir Forex, Gurbax & Sons Forex, Jogindera Finance & Leasing, K.S.Travels, Majha Finance, Mehra Forex, Sharp Financial Services etc.
Amritsar is close to Pakistan border and there is a lot of restrictions dealing with illegal money transfers. Hence it is advisable to be careful in exchanging the currency and only at the RBI authorized money exchangers.
Travel rules are same across India. Once a foreign visitor has a valid passport and Visa, they can visit any part of India. Keep the documents with you always.
Amritsar was founded in 1577 when the fourth Sikh Guru Ram Das heard of a pool in the area that had healing powers. He instructed his son and successor Guru Arjan Dev to construct a temple at the site, which would be the focus of the Sikh religion. Guru Arjan Dev laid the foundations of the city of Ramdaspur in 1588 and the temple complex was completed in 1601. The Mughal emperor Akbar is said to have donated the land around the temple after paying off the local Jat farmers. Arjan Dev, who had compiled the Adi Granth or holy text of the Sikhs, placed it in the temple precincts, which came to be known as the Harmandir (Temple of God).
The guru then invited traders to settle around the temple complex. The Khatris and Aroras established their businesses and the town grew around its central nucleus. In the late 18th century, the town was plundered by Ahmad Shah Durrani, to be rebuilt by the first Sikh ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Maharaja also donated a 100 kilos of gold for the temple, which was added on to the surface as plating, and gave the temple its name.
Over the centuries Amritsar has witnessed a bloody struggle for survival. The city was constantly faced with threats from both Muslim and Hindu rulers, and had to be fortified by Guru Hargobind.
During India’s freedom struggle, Amritsar became the scene of one of the worst atrocities perpetrated by the British. Protests and demonstrations were being organised by people against the Rowlatt Act that allowed the British to imprison anybody without explanation. To suppress these protests, the Governor of the Punjab Province O’Dwyer imposed a ban on public assemblies. In defiance of this order, a group of men, women and children gathered on a rectangular piece of land, called Jallianwala Bagh, to mark the anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa panth (order of the Khalsa). General Dyer, who was charged to enforce law and order in the region, marched up to the ground with his troops and blocked the narrow entrance. He then opened fire on the gathering without any warning, killing and wounding thousands.
Even today, the walls of the Jallianwala Bagh bear the bullet holes where people were mercilessly butchered. Some people even tried to escape the firing by jumping into a well in the complex, but drowned and died. The British tried to suppress this incident, but it created a furore in the entire nation. As a result, Mahatma Gandhi gave a call for Civil disobedience, which escalated to a mass movement and forced the British out of India.
There are many places to visit in Amritsar. A visit to the Golden Temple, Har Mandir Saheb is a must visit. It is a holy shrine. The architecture of this temple is beautiful. The dome is covered with copper plates coated with Gold. Other places to visit are:
Amritsar is popular for Punjabi food. Punjabis eat well and that can be seen in their strong body structure. All kinds of food can be had in Amritsar. Makhans on Lawrence Road serves good fried fish. Kesar da Dhaba at Chowk Passian offers excellent Maah di daal, Lachedar Parantha, Kheer & Phirni Cream Chicken at Chawla Chicken, Puri Chana at Kanhaiya Lawrence Road,Tandoori Chicken and Lamb Dishes at Surjit Chicken. Fast-food can be had in Amritsar at Chaupati on Lawrence Road or Kwalitys South Land at Novelty Chowk.
Where To Stay:
Amritsar, being a religious as well as a business center, there are many hotels catering to all types of people, depending on their budgets. There are no 5 Star hotels in Amritsar but there are two four star hotels - Mohan International Hotel and MK Hotel. Some two star hotels are Hotel Ritz Plaza, Ranjits Svassa, Hotel Royal Castle, Hotel Blue Moon, Hotel Astoria, KR Resorts, The Grand and Hotel Lawrence.
Tarn Taran is about 25 Kms from Amritsar.
Gobindwal Sahib is located 30 Kms away from Amritsar.
Amanat Khan Serai which is 38 Kms away
Baba Bakala which is about 45 Kms away from Amritsar.
By Road: The most popular way of reaching Amritsar is by road as the roads are well to the other cities in Punjab and Himachal.
By Air: The Raja Sansi Airport is about 11 kms. from Amritsar town. Many Domestic and International flights operate from this airport.
By Rail: Amritsar is well connected by trains to all major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Kolkatta, Puri etc. There is bi-weekly train Samjhauta Express to Pakistan which was started as a good will train between India and Pakistan.
Highly recommended to experience the religious culture of Sikhs. Plan for atleast 3-4 days to visit all places with in Amritsar and around.
Amritsar airport is actually Amritsar International Airport and is 11 km from Amritsar city. This is also known as Raja Sansi International Airport. This airport handles both domestic as well as International flights.
Many Punjabis live abroad, particularly in UK and Canada. Many International flights use the services of this International Airport. Air India operates flights to Birmingham, Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto. Air Slovakia flies from/to Bratislava. Indian Airlines operates Delhi- Sharjah sector. Jet air takes you to Delhi and to Heathrow. Singapore Airlines carries passengers to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sydney and Melbourne. Other flights are Transaero to Moscow-Domodedovo. Uzbekistan Airways operate in London, Birmingham, Paris, Athens, Tel Aviv sector.
