AMRITSAR

Amritsar the city of pilgrimage was founded in 1577 by Ram Das, the fourth guru of the Sikhs; Amritsar is both the center of Sikh & the major city of the Punjab state- where the majority of Sikhs live. Amritsar or pool by which the Sikh Golden Temple is built.

The original site of the city was granted by the Mogul emperor Akbar, but in the year 1761 Ahmad Shah Durani sacked the town & destroyed the temple. It was rebuilt in 1764, & in 1802 was roofed over with copper gilded plates by Ranjit Singh & became known as "the Golden Temple". In 1948, Amritsar was a flashpoint for the terrible events that shook the Punjab.

Golden Temple : The holiest shrine of the Sikh religion, also known as the Hari Mandir, is in the centre of the old part of the town. The temple itself is surrounded by the pool which gave the town its name, & is reached by a causeway. Open to all, it's a beautiful place, especially early in the morning. However, at the weekends it can get quite crowded.

Jallianwala Bagh : This park is just five minutes walk from the Golden Temple & commemorates 2000 Indians who were killed or wounded at the site, shot indiscriminately by the British in 1919. This was one of the major events in India' struggles for independence & was movingly re-created in the film Gandhi, Bullet marks & the well into which some people jumped to escape can still be seen. Officially, over 300 were killed.

Old City : A 15 minute walk from the Golden temple though the narrow alleys of the old city brings you to the Hindu Durgiana Temple. This small temple, dedicated to the goddess Durga, dates back to the 16th century. A larger temple, built like the Golden Temple in the centre of a lake, is dedicated to the Hindu deities, Lakshmi & Narayan.

Bagha Border : It is place which is around 47km away from the Amritsar city. It is the last destination of the Indian border in Amritsar. From where one can view the lively brotherhood between the Indians & the Pakistanis. On every evening at 18.00HR the parade takes place between the soldiers of India & Pakistan. It is a stunning moment to see the soldiers in such a great enthusiasm & respect to each other countries. Around 3000 to 4000 viewers came daily to see that magnificent parade show from all the part of the country & their high voice slogans for their country show their patriotism towards their country.

Helping Facts

Airways : Amritsar has its own international as well as domestic airport. And it is Connected with many Indian cities. Air connection for the England, Slovakia & America (internationally).

Railways : Amritsar is having its own railway station which is connected with almost all the cities of the country. It is also having the train services for the Pakistan.

Road : Amritsar also serves it services for the nearest cities or the states like Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Harayana & Himachal Pradesh. It also provides its daily service to the Lahore bus stand which is in Pakistan.

Climate : The climate of Amritsar is much hot in the summer season the temperature reaches up to 38'C- 42'C & in the winter season the climate is much cool & the temperature decreases till 3'C- 6'C.

Further Connection : Chandigarh, New Delhi and Shimla.