Amritsar, the Golden City of Punjab surely presents a vivid proof of why is it called so. The city is founded by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru in accordance with the instruction received from the third Sikh guru, Guru Amar Das. The third Guru of the Sikhs asked Guru Ram Das to build a town with a man-made pool as its central point. Seeped in ancient history and one of the main religious site of the Sikhs, the city will bring alive every kind of feeling within you once you visit this city situated near the Indo-Pakistan border.
Some of the feelings associated with the city are-
HARMONY AND BROTHERHOOD
Built around the pool that was constructed by Guru Ram Das, the Golden Temple in Amritsar truly reflects the sense of harmony and brotherhood. The temple structure was designed by Guru Arjan , the fifth Sikh guru. The incredible architecture of the Golden Temple is astounding. Guru Arjan had the temple erected at a lower level instead of constructing at a higher level. He also had four gates constructed around the temple complex. He built the temple in a new way to signify through the mode of construction that the temple is open to all sections of society and everyone has a right to worship there. Moreover, they say that service to man is service to God. The Golden temple is an epitome of this fact. You will find persons of every section of society engaging in some social kind of work at the temple. You may find some persons polishing shoes, some cleaning used plates, some cooking food etc. All these kind of activities are done by persons irrespective of their caste, creed or religion only with one fact in mind- to get blessings from the Almighty. All activities are done without harbouring any ill-feeling.
PATRIOTISM
To arouse a feeling of patriotism, you must add Wagah border as a must-see spot in Amritsar in your bucket list. Wagah Border is the border line running along the Grand Trunk Road between Amritsar in Punjab, India, and Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan. People thronged the venue to witness the Beating Retreat Ceremony that takes place every evening before sunset. The ceremony showcases some beautiful performances of military personnel of India and Pakistan followed by closing of international gates and lowering of flags of both the countries. Before the ceremony begins, people get to enjoy themselves when some of the popular Bollywood patriotic songs are played. It will surely increase your feeling of patriotism if you visit this venue once as this is the place where the sound of loud patriotic songs rings in the air and the breathtaking performance of our beloved army is shown so nicely.
GLIMPSE OF THE FEELING OF THE LEVEL OF TORTURE FACED BY COMMON PEOPLE DURING THE BRITISH RULE IN INDIA
You must always have imagined the level of torture Indian people must have undergone at the hands of the British while reading your history books. To get an actual glimpse of it, visit the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. It is is a public garden which houses a memorial to commemorate the massacre of peaceful celebrators by the British forces. Established by the government of India in 1951, the massacre memorial was inaugurated by Dr Rajendra Prasad on 13th April 1961. As you go around the garden and look at the various details of the horrible incident of Jallianwala Bagh massacre that took place on the day of Baisakhi on April 13,1919, you will get an idea of the bloodshed and the inhuman atrocities the British committed under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer.
LIVELY AND VIBRANT
Hall Bazaar, located near the railway station of Amritsar and one of the busiest markets of the city is an ideal environment that emanates a lively and vibrant feeling. You can fulfill your shopping needs at Hall Bazaar as you can find everything that you wish here. The market place is mainly known for its phulkari embroidery work, Pakistani juttis and Chinese lamps. The market place also has stores selling jewellery, dresses , electronic items, accessories etc. It also has some popular eating joints in the city. Apart from Hall Bazar, the street life of Amritsar along with the cheerful and positive attitude of the Punjabi people makes the city itself a lively and vibrant place.
FOODY FEELING
Amritsar is one of the places in India where you can get free food. Where? At the Langar in Golden Temple. Here you can have a dish of chapattis, rice, dal, sabzi and kheer for FREE!! The langar serves around 50000 people daily without charging a single penny. Apart from the Langar, the lassi of Amritsar is to die for. Again, the sufficient use of makhaan (butter) in most of the Amritsari dishes makes it quite yummy.
So , guys pack your bags and head to the Golden City of Punjab. Happy travelling.
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