Amritsar — 2 days
The seeds of this blog were sowed some 6 months back as a WhatsApp group was created titled "Holiday May 2024" and the family group started ideating on iterinaries. The location was more or less finalised as Kashmir and we were contemplating 6-7 day trip. Almost as an afterthought, we added a detour to the northwestern corner of Punjab by adding 2 day stay at Amritsar too. Golden Temple and Wagah border was on most of our bucket list.
Over the next few months, the plan was finalized, hotels & vehicles booked, official leaves approved etc etc...
On 11th May, the group of 8 aging from 6-73 started our 10 day trip.
Day 1 - Wagah-Attari Border
After completing the hotel checkin formalities, we started for our first destination. Enroute we stopped for lunch at Haweli dhaba.
The food here was awesome and yummy which brings me to the point that Amritsar is truly a heaven for food lovers irrespective of whether the restaurant is on 'must-try' list or not !!
So with the stomach full & souls happy, we started our march to the Border .... And quickly the realisation hits you with this signage !!!
You are so close to the border (and the only one which international tourists can cross between the two countries!). The Wagah-Attari border gates attract millions of tourists to witness the Flag Lowering ceremony (also known as Beating retreat) that happens everyday where Border Security Forces (BSF) of India and Rangers of Pakistan engage in elaborate dance-like manuevers before the gates close for the evening. Nationalism aside, this is a must-see experience for all visiting Amritsar, almost as important as Golden temple visit.
For some, the experience evokes patriotism, though I felt it to be too cheesy!! We got seated by 4pm and the event started at 5:15 pm, so for over an hour, there was a barrage of Hindi film songs (even with little bit of nationalism) being played and BSF official asking everyone to cheer loudly to out-perform the same acts being done in Pakistan ... The actual 15-20 min choreographed sequences between both BSF & Rangers were amazing though, with perfect coordination, flexible moves and the flawless orchestra all culminating in flag down & gates closure...
People from either side of the border would anyday prefer rivalry to be demonstrated in such art form or cricket instead of political tussle/warfare !! For that sole reason, I thought this tradition (started in 1959) should continue.
It was late evening by when we reached back to hotel, both parents and grandchildren decided to retire for the night. Roshni and I decided to venture out through the narrow bylanes of old Amritsar city and try out some amazing sweet and savouries. We went in the small electric rickshaws which are best suited for the narrow maze-like old streets bustling with small eateries serving rich lassi, phirni, jalebi, parathas/ kulchas.
Day 2 - Golden Temple and Jalianwala Baug (& shopping)
The next morning we woke up to light drizzles which helped in cooling off the temperature. We went to 2 iconic places in the city - first one, a stark reminder of the brutal British atrocities on a tragic day 105 years ago and then secondly to a beacon of gratitude & utmost devotion.
Jalianwala Baug garden is one of those few parks/memorials in India which are very well maintained in an organized manner with enough places to rest/ relax. The Memorial relives days leading upto April 13, 1919, and aftermath of the massacre carries out by the orders of British officer Dyer. The bullet marks on the walls leave a indelible mark on the visitors.
The Golden Temple and the holy pool inside the premises (to which the city owes its name - the pool of immortality i.e Amrit-sar) will be the highlight of city tour. Being a Sunday it was very crowded and it took a lot of time for us to get into the inner sanctum, where the holy book of Sikhism is kept. One of the core principles of the religion remains service or Seva , and you can see ample examples of this in the Golden Temple, right from the time you step into the temple.. there are people taking care of your footwear, people offering glasses of water, people wiping the marble floors with pool water to keep it cool for walking devotees, people serving kada-prasad etc etc and lastly & most importantly the famous langar - delicious simple vegetarian food is served in large langar halls serving 1000s of people at one time. Absolutely loved the experience.
With both these iconic visits done, it was time to hand over space to the ladies who were on an important mission..
The famous phulkari dupattas and the likes were shown to and seen by the happy ladies! The men used that time to explore the bustling streets.
Day 3 - Bye Bye !
That’s a wrap to 2 days in the wonderful city. Could it have been for few more days? Probably one more day to see some missed places or try new food spots could have been added!
Next stop - Srinagar!! Hope you enjoyed the blog, would love to see your comments/ feedback below. 😊
Cheers
SP