Amritsar Diaries
A Day @ Amritsar
The day started with the beautiful and sacred Golden Temple followed by the Jallianwala Bagh and the local market in Amritsar. We also visited the Attari - Wagah border which is 28.7 km from the Golden Temple. In cuisine, we had the famous Amritsari Chole Kulcha with Yummy "LASSI".
Morning Itinerary
1. Golden Temple 2. Jallianwala Bagh 3. Local markets 4. Punjabi Cuisine
Evening Itinerary
1. Attari-Wagah Border 2. Parathe at dhaba while coming back from Attari- Wagah Border 3. Golden Temple on full moon night 4. Market near Golden Temple 5. Dinner at Haveli
The Golden Temple
The Golden Temple which is the biggest Sikh pilgrimage in the world comprises of a holy lake that is right in the middle of it and the temple is gold plated.The majestic side of the golden temple can be seen through the Palki Sahib (Palanquin) ceremony, it happens twice a day, one in the morning time and other in the evening time on daily basis. The morning ceremony starts at 03:00 a.m. in which devotees decorate the holy golden carriage with flowers and sing the holy hymns along with the sound of drums and trumpets all around which makes the environment more pure and sacred. Sitting beside the holy lake sinks the peace and serenity that creates positive energy inside. The "Langar"(free kitchen) served in the Golden Temple is seen as coming from God’s kitchen and therefore blessed and good to eat. The food is for everyone where all guest sits on the floor side by side. If you want to avoid the long queues , visit the temple at early morning 4:am or late night.
Jallianwala Bagh
It is at a walking distance from the Golden Temple. It is the site where massacre took place in 1919. One can visit it from 9:30 am onward to 6:00 pm where you can see the bullet marks and the well.
Attari-Wagah Border
Attari border is 28.7 Km from the Golden Temple. You can take a cab/share ride/car where you can also ask for VIP pass that will provide you VIP parking which will reduce the walking distance. The lowering of the flags ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border is a daily military practice that the security forces of India (Border Security Force, BSF) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have jointly followed since 1959. The beating of the retreat ceremony lasts for 45 minutes and 16:15 is the time when it begins during winter and 16:45 during summer. The border gate is open from 10:00 to 16:00 pm. However, the ceremony starts only after 16:00. So if you want to watch the ceremony, you have to reach the place not later than 15:00.Seats are packed on weekends and public holidays. No tickets are needed for the event
The local Bazaar and Punjabi Cuisine
The city has also made a name for its amazing shopping destination. One can visit to the local markets like lahori gate market , katra , hall bazaar , shastri market etc. You can buy famous phulkari suits, pashmina shawls and juttis. You can also find variety of street food to excite your taste buds like kulcha, wadiyan, Amritsari papad, pickles and homemade jams. We bought varities of papad and it was really tasty. You can visit restaurants like the kulcha land, bharawan da dhaba, kesar da dhaba and many more.