Skywatch Friday, Golden Temple in Light!!!

It was 6:30, by the time we reached back Amritsar from Wagah Border. I had heard a lot about the famous Bharawan Da Dhaba, a Punjabi Restaurant in Amritsar and we asked our taxi driver to drop us there. They have their other counterpart too, Brothers Dhaba near Golden Temple, but the original one is near town hall. The food is very good and authentic but they are very bad at service, few customers left in front of us, for not been attended on time. Heard from few later, Brothers has gained popularity recently for their better service. We had the authentic Makki ki Roti and Sarson Ka Saag, which non of the  Restaurants around the country can match theirs.

After dinner, we planned a visit to Golden Temple again, to have a look in lights.

The temple's beauty is no less in day light or in lights at night. The temple is a mark of great architectural beauty, divinity and holiness. I so wanted to visit the langar kitchen, but couldn't get enough time as next morning we had to leave for Dalhousie.

Stay tuned for my post on Dalhousie, where I experienced snow fall(natural) for the first time.

Do check out the complete series on this trip of mine here. 

The Beating Retreat at Wagah Border

We were done with Golden Temple and Jallianwala bagh by 1 and planned to leave for Wagah Border after lunch. Amritsar is one of the best places for Foodies especially if you are a Vegetarian. No non veg is allowed till a km or two from the Golden Temple. The only place where you find Pure Vegetarian Pizza Hut, McDonald's and Domino's outlets too, isn't it surprising. As a pure vegetarian, it was a feast for me, the Amritsari Kulchas, burgers everything veg. After lunch, our taxi was ready to pick us for Wagah Border. The drive from Amritsar to Border is one awesome one, with Sarso ke kheth(Mustard fields) on either side. 

Wagah Border is around 32km from Amritsar. While Wagah is on the Pakistan side and the last Indian village at the border is Attari, its well known as Wagah Border in India as well than Attari Border. The Beating Retreat Ceremony, the lowering of the flags ceremony, is the daily military practice that security forces of India(Border Security Force(BSF)) and Pakistan(Pakistan Rangers) have been following since 1959, when the flags on either side of the border are lowered before sunset.

We were dropped at the parking lot, where our driver asked us to make note of the place, as there wouldn't be mobile network to get in touch with him later. That parking area seemed like a fare in itself with stalls selling snacks, flags, CDs about BSF, kids and adults getting flag painted on face. We walked for few steps and the board read the border was a km ahead and there were two separate queues for ladies and gents which looked never ending and couldn't even spot the border gate from there. We joined the queue, and the gents queue seemed too long and me and kiddo wanted to wait till we could find hubby, but security personal insisted us to move on as ladies security check in would rather take more time and hubby would join us by then. It took almost an 1hour to finish the check in and reach the Swarn Jayanti Dwar, the border gate on Indian side. Though it seemed we had reached quite on time, by the time we reached the parade area, it was full and we got seats somewhere in a corner.

The two sides of the border, each with their flags flying high and the huge photographs of father of their Nation on their entry gates. The crowd was no less enthusiastic than at any cricket stadium. The patriotic songs been played, made everyone zoom with the tricolour. The ceremony started sharp at 4:30 and it was a pleasure to watch the armed men and women marching for the ceremony. Its a moment of pride, when the security personal from both side march towards each other representing the pride and power of their nation. The Beating Retreat ceremony is a must be event for any Indian.

Pakistan Tourism Bus

As the flags get lowered

The Flag on the Swarn Jayanthi Dwar is lowered too

 

The ceremony lasted for almost 20mins, the crowd dispersed and we started walking back towards the parking lot. We could find people walking to the border even then. Heard, they stop the crowd at the starting gate itself when the parade area gets full and people wait there till the ceremony finishes and visit the border to just get the glimpse of the border area.

Travel Tips:

• There are many private vehicles which play from Amritsar to Wagah Border. You can easily find them near Golden Temple, but not sure at what time they reach the border.
• If you are planning to go by taxi on your own, better to leave early to reach border at least by 2:30. The gate opens by 3 and there is already a big queue even before the gate opens.
• Apart from the ceremony, the border is open for rest of the time for visit, when people can reach till Swarn Jayanthi Dwar.
• Hand bags, eatables not allowed. There are stalls just before the Swarn Jayanthi Dwar, where you get snacks and water bottles. Leave all your other bags and stuff in your vehicle in the parking lot or at your hotels. Its also better to be light without baggage to take the long queue.

Do check out the complete series on this trip of mine here. 

Saluting the Patriotic Souls at Jallianwala Bagh!!!

Punjab is the land of patriots, them being in the list of freedom fighters or the jawans serving the nation. Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar is the garden which witnessed bloodshed of about 1000+ patriots including women and kids, who had gathered for a protest against the British rule, on 13 April 1919. A group of soldiers led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer opened fire against the crowd. Few of them tried to escape by jumping into the well in the garden, while some lost life in stampede of the panicked crowd. The section of the wall pock marked by bullets and the well are still preserved in the garden. After 32years from the massacre, Government of India post independence constructed a memorial of national importance in 1951. Built in the shape of eternal flame, the Martys memorial stands tall in the garden reminding the lives lost during the independence movement.

The Martys Memorial

The entry to the Garden, through narrow lane

Wall pock marked by bullets

Amar Jyoti, flame of immortal souls

The Jallianwala Bagh is very close to Golden Temple. You get to enter the garden through narrow street, which has been still preserved in its original form and houses few photographs from the massacre and other Independence movements.

Travel Info:
Entry free
Timings: 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM
Check out my post on Golden temple, to plan a visit to Amritsar.

Do check out the complete series on this trip of mine here. 

Golden Temple, Amritsar!!!

Almost after 5 months from our trip, I start my series on our Punjab and Himachal Pradesh tour. We started planning our trip sometime in January for our visit in March. March is our ideal time for long travels, as kiddo gets a month's break from school and her summer vacations during May are always planned for our trips to native and around. And accordingly we made the bookings. Just few days before our trip, there was an unexpected weather change and there were floods at most of the places around the country, but we were in no mood to reschedule our plans.

We reached Amritsar in the morning, and booked our taxi for the day for the tour of Amritsar city and Wagah Border. The weather had got worse, it was freezing cold. Our taxi driver dropped us at around 200mtrs from Golden temple and said, the taxi wouldn't go further and we had to go by walk till the temple. The walk is through the market place, where there are shops selling almost everything Amritsari, from Kulchas to scarfs(to cover your head while entering the temple), footwear to souvenirs. It was still 9 in the morning and we were told most of the food stalls would open only after 11 and we headed straight to Golden Temple. It started drizzling and the weather got still colder. All that chillness disappeared as soon as we got the glimpse of the temple, the Golden structure, with its reflection in the pure waters of Amrit Sarovar. The white structure surrounding the golden temple, the little kids taking dip in the holy sarovar, everything made the premises so serene and beautiful.

The entry to the temple, through the bridge

The top floor of the Harmandir Sahib main complex

 About Golden Temple

As per Wikipedia, the city of Amritsar was found in 1574 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das, while the Harmandir Sahib, or Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple, was designed by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan, who had the cornerstone laid by the Muslim Sufi saint Sai Hazrat Mian Mir on 28 December 1588. Guru Arjan completed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, in 1604 and installed it in the gurdwara. Harmandir Sahib is considered to be the holiest Sikh Gurudwara.
The temple is built on a platform at the center of the Amrit Sarovar, connecting with the main complex of Harmandir Sahib by a bridge. The temple is three storied structure, with the front facing the bridge decorated with repeated arches. Check more about the structure here.

Travel Info:
Amritsar is a district in Punjab, India around 217km from the state capital Chandigarh. It is near Pakistan with Wagah Border around 28km and Lahore city of Pakistan around 50km.
By Road: Amritsar is on NH-1 well connected to Delhi, Jammu and other cities of Punjab.
By Train: Well connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and other parts of Punjab.
By Air: Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, has many domestic and international flights, connecting with rest of the country and internationally.
Golden Temple is well with-in the city of Amritsar, and has accommodation and free food(langar) as well.
Timings: 3AM to 10PM, you can check out daily routine here.
Entry Free, everybody is allowed to entry the Gurudwara, better visit early morning, when the crowd is less.
Need to leave your foot wear outside and cover your head, while entering the temple premises.

Do check out the complete series on this trip of mine here.