Amritsar - a journey into our past!!

August 2012

G and I seem to be making a habit of taking holidays in places that have worse weather than the place where we live! Remember our trip to Kumbalgarh (The Great Wall of India!).... Yaa, this time we decided to visit Amritsar during the monsoon month of August which is basically hotter and sultrier than Chandigarh. Our motivation – not to waste a long weekend brooding at home and of course our (then) new Bolero which we wanted to drive forever!

Amritsar calls to me. It is probably the charm and intrigue of an old city which I miss in Chandigarh - a city built in the 1950s! Exploring the tombs, palaces, markets of Hyderabad is what we really enjoyed during our stay there, which Amritsar offers! And, well, some people who have been with me to Amritsar will say it is the Amritsari Kulchas and makhan that does the calling! :)



Sri Harmandir Sahib - love the night view

 Little about Amritsar and the region -

Amritsar and Punjab region is steeped in history.... Sikhism and its militarisation to stand up against atrocities of Mughal rulers against Sikh and Hindu community; their role in Indian Freedom movement; later on receiving the brunt of Indo-Pak partition; the unfortunate Operation Blue Star, and the testing period that followed! As our guide at Amritsar Heritage Walk nicely puts it, Punjab history can be segmented into three periods, and we saw something from each of these periods during our trip.... 

(a) Guru Period (1469 to 1708) when Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak Dev in the 15^th century and the 10 Gurus who followed him.

(b) Sikh Misl & Empire (1707 - 1849 ) when Punjab region organised itself into 12 sovereign states or Misl which was later on consolidated by Raja Ranjit Singh under one banner as the Sikh Empire. The Empire was dissolved with their defeat at Anglo-Sikh Wars in the hands of the British.

(c) Followed by British Period (1849-1947) lasting up to Indian Independence!

The Drive -

Amritsar is a 250 km drive from Chandigarh. That is an easy 4.5 - 5 hour drive with a lunch break. The road condition is good and the drive beautiful – flourishing green fields and gushing water in the canals make the drive very pleasant.

One needs at least two days for the visit (including travel). What we did was a relaxed three days.

En route –



- Food on the highway: ......brace yourselves. 'Haveli'..good food debauch begins here, if not at the innumerable roadside dhabas! An ideal break would be at Jalandhar. We stopped at the Haveli, which is just before the city. Ask to be seated at the Rangla Punjab section of the restaurant which recreates a Punjabi village. For a quick meal or snack, you can eat at the main section of the restaurant. We are told that the ‘Lucky Vaishnov Dhaba’ nearby is also a good option.

- Kartarpur: a town about 15 kms from Jalandhar is known for its wooden furniture. Many inviting showrooms are located right at the highway, sadly unexplored by me! But we have driven past the town with my tongue hanging out and Guru flooring the accelerator of the Bolero least we stop for an impulsive purchase!

 - Pushpa Gujral Science City, Kapurtala: take a detour at Kartarpur. This detour will add about 35 km to your trip. Kids, in particular, will love visiting the Science City.



Pushpa Gujral Science City, Kapurtala

Stay –
We stayed at Mrs. Bhandari’s Guest House a quaint B&B started in the 1950s by Mrs. B to support her family after she lost her husband. This truly is a home away from home!  Tip - don’t forget to pack your swim wear! They have a compact swimming pool where you can cool off. If you are travelling with kids, this is an ideal spot with big lawns to run about, garden to play hide and seek and a small play area with swing, etc. The staff are very courteous and helpful. This Google+ description nicely describes the place (link)!  

If you are looking to stay at a hotel, we recommend Country Inn and Suites by Carlson

Mrs. B's at 10, Amritsar Cantonment

Places to Visit -

Golden Temple -

Sri Harmandir Sahib, Swarn Mandir Sahib, ‘have seen all places; there in not another like thee’ - Sri Guru Granth Sahib



As we entered the parikrama of Sri Harmandir Sahib, a sense of calmness descended upon us. What hits you the moment you set eyes on the Gurudwara is its resplendent beauty, and at night, its beauty is enhanced multi-fold by the temple’s golden reflection that bounces off the tank water! If you believe that beauty is a form of God, you see proof here!

Sri Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple literally means ‘The Temple of God’ and is built amidst a man made tank known as ‘Amritsar’ which means ‘Pool of Nectar’. The Gurudwara was built in the 16^th century and the gold covering that gives the Gurudwara its distinctive appearance and its English name (Golden Temple) was installed in the early nineteenth century by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

A little more history to complete my story...
Guru Granth Sahib housed at Sri Harmandir Sahib is the compilation of the preaching of the 10 Gurus. Sikhism has evolved during the Guru Period. One of the important changes being the militarisation of the religion by the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh to fight against the oppression of Mughals, including conversion of Sikhs and Hindus to Islam. Guru Gobind Singh before his death commanded that Guru Granth Sahib be the ultimate spiritual authority and to be considered as the perpetual living Guru for the Sikhs, and temporal authority to be vested in the Khalsa Panth – the Sikh Nation. (Khalsa translates to ‘Sovereign / Free’ and is responsible for the executive, military and civil authority of the Sikh nation. Khalsa also mean ‘Pure’).

The temple stands out for its cleanliness. We would recommend that you definitely visit the temple at night as well, so as to see in its resplendent glory. Do go to the langar and get prasad.

Jallianwala Bagh Martyr’s Memorial –

Where: 300m from Golden Temple complex

 

Peaceful celebrators gathered on the occasion of the Punjabi New Year on April 13, 1919 and were massacred by the Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer of the British Raj simply because they dared to gather when orders were given forbidding large crowds from gathering! When the crowd could not escape the firing in the enclosed garden, they threw themselves into a well in desperation. 120 bodies were retrieved after the incident. Official British sources placed the fatalities at 379, and with 1100 wounded. Civil Surgeon Dr. Smith indicated that there were 1,526 casualties. An unforgettable page in our history and freedom struggle movement....

Wagah Border Closing Ceremony –

Where: 30 km from Amritsar on Grand Trunk (GT) Road

 

Vande Mataram!

Patriotic songs resonates as you enter the seating arena. On an average about 5,000 people converge to watch the ceremony. Since we visited during the Independence Day weekend, the estimate of the attendance was around 12,000! 'Carefully choreographed contempt’ is how British television presenter Michael Palin describes the ceremony. It is a dance of aggression by the Indian and Pakistani soldiers - they march in anger - open the border gates –a staring competition ensues– National flags are lowered – a quick handshake by the jawans and the gates are banged shut – all in practised union. What an oxymoron! The ceremony starts a little short of sunset every day. Be present well in advance to (try and) grab good seats.  



Last Indian post box on GT Road

En route to Wagah, try and stop at Khalsa College, a beautiful Indo-Gothic building. Spread over 300 acres, it looks more like a palace than a college! You can also stop at Sarhad, restaurant about 1.5 km from Wagah border on GT Road. They describe themselves as “The Museum of Peace, a celebration of the common architectural, cultural and culinary heritage of pre-partition Punjab in general and Amritsar-Lahore in particular.” Interesting....

Amritsar Heritage Walk –
Where: Starts at Town Hall very close to Golden Temple at 8 am in the morning and 830 am during winters and ends at the Golden Temple. Rajwinder Kaur is the guide on the walk. She can be reached at +91 9501764400.

Eat –

Hmmmm.... the most important part of the post. Listen carefully. 

• Guru ke Langer at the Golden Temple complex.
• Kanha Sweets on Lawrence Road between 8 am to 3 pm for Dal bhari poori and bhaji.
• Jalebi at Gurdass Ram Jalebi wale at Ahluwali Katra very close to the main gate of Golden Temple. Walk able from the temple. Just ask anyone for directions.
• Kesar da Dhaba – very famous. You can consider this for lunch. Expect a little waiting. Since roads are small take a pull rickshaw. Tel: + 91(183)2552103, 3195000, + 919815576117
• Darshan Lal Kulchewala near Chowrasti Atari. Reachable by foot. Try and club this with the Heritage Walk so that the guide can show you the place.
• Khulche cholle Dhaba, Shop No 1, Maqbool road, +91(183)2504360. Didn’t have the time to cover this during our visit.
• Lassi at Hall Bazaar,Lassi wala chownk, Opposite Regent cinema.
• If you want a proper restaurant, Crystal on Queens road is supposed to be good.
• Sarhad en route to Wagha. +91 183 2382000, +91 9815555931



Darshan Lal Kulchewala - the bestest!

Gurdass Ram Jalebi

Please note: All pictures are of food being prepared, well, someone was too busy eating to take pictures of finished products.

Shop –

Well, we were too busy eating to go shopping. You can pick up juthe near Hall Gate. We shopped at Raunak Punjabi Jutti, +91(183)2540999.

- o -

 

Have a great trip and come back with more recommendations for places to eat, shop and see!

Note: Jallianwala Bagh picture from Wikipedia.