My fellow travellers and I arrived in Amritsar late afternoon and, having booked into our hotel, our first port of call was the Golden Temple, one of the most spiritual shrines of Sikhism. We all had to cover our heads with a scarf, then remove our shoes and socks before entering. We stepped through a pool of water to cleanse our feet, then walked on a red carpet or on the pristine marble flooring.
Seeing the Golden Temple in the evening is a must as the building certainly lives up to its name. In the centre of the sacred lake it shines brightly under the lights, sparkling against the darkness of the night sky. The queue to enter the temple required a wait of at least an hour and a half, therefore we walked around the perimeter where people were bathing in order to cleanse themselves.
I admired the stunning architecture, the marble tiles engraved with Hindu writings and commemorations to those who had served.
Men carrying spears guard the temple. Tall, wearing blue robes and orange turbans, some were gracious enough to take photographs and be photographed. Thank you to those who understood our interest and curiosity.
Readings from holy scripture are broadcast via an intercom, and a large screen shows what is being read in several languages.
Almost 100,000 people are fed here every day and we did a tour of the kitchens where vegetable dishes are made, served up on a metal plate and given to anyone who wants a meal. Nobody is refused, no matter what colour or creed. Vegetables, spices and other ingredients are donated by the locals and a donation box is situated near the kitchens into which I contributed.
The washing up area was extremely noisy with the clatter of metal on metal but all the workers were happy to smile for our cameras and seemed oblivious to the clamour.
The following morning we returned to the temple to visit the upper floors where bread is made. I am not a baker, nor a good cook, so I took photos of my fellow travellers making chapatis, then went to see the machines that make most of the bread.
Those working in the “bakery” that day were happy to pose for pictures as were the women who brush oil onto the flat bread before it is taken to the eating area. All in all it's a very humbling experience to see such charity as all the workers do their tasks voluntarily.
The city of Amritsar is very busy with plenty of shops and people selling their wares.
However, on April 13th 1919 a crowd gathered in an open meeting place to protest against the arrest of pro-Indian independence activists. Following an order by Brigadier General Dyer, who believed insurrection imminent, 300 to 1500 people were gunned down, over a thousand others injured, some seriously. It is believed by some historians that this tragedy only exacerbated a call for independence.
The site today is a garden where a memorial stands tall and a salvation ground is dotted with large stones engraved with words from freedom fighters giving fuel for thought.
Amritsar is an animated city not far from the Pakistani border and on one of my last days in India I went to the Border ceremony where the Indian army and the Pakistani army “face off” at the border gates, in a free, well attended spectacle featuring male and female soldiers and a few army dogs whose feats brought gasps from the crowd.
The sight of the soldiers facing each other twirling their moustaches, kicking their legs as high as the plumes on their helmets and emulating each other’s movements in a show of macho rivalry is well choreographed, and it didn’t surprise me to see the soldiers chatting through the border gates prior to and during the show.
On the one hand it was a display of patriotism, jollied along by uniformed soldiers who rallied the crowds on both sides, but I couldn’t help but think there was a mutual respect extended between the soldiers and I hope this leads to a lasting peace between the two countries.
Amritsar was a special stop on my tour of North India, but I am going back to explore other towns and cities in this fascinating country. A big thank you to Mercury Holidays who organised this tour, to my guide, Mr Jaswant Singh, who was a real treasure, and to my fellow travellers who were a joy. Thank you one and all. Namaste!
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My visit to Agra was equally interesting. Discover more by clicking on the link:
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