Visit to Amritsar, the City of Golden Temple in India

Punjab State in India is a State of five rivers, namely Ravi, Satlaj, Chinab, Jelam, and Bias. Punjab has many important, historical cities. Amritsar is one of them. It is the main center of Sikh religion in India. It is the most vital pilgrimage place for the Sikh community. Even people of all other religions visit this city of Amritsar to view its famous golden temple.

Amritsar was established in the year 1579 by great guru Ramdas. Guru Ramdas was the fourth guru of Sikh religion. Mogul King Akbar donated the large land to Guru Ramdas, who constructed the city here. He made the big lake in this city and as very sweet water emerged from this lake, the city was named Amritsar. Amritsar is well connected by air, road, and railway from all the major cities of India. Amritsar is the airport, which is connected by daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai. It is also connected by rail from all the metro cities of India. Punjab State transport buses are also available from all the major cities of North India. It is situated around 140 miles away from Chandigarh. There are many luxurious hotels available here for the tourists in all categories. Hotel Airlines, Hotel Amrutsar International, Hotel Astoria, Hotel Grand, Hotel Mohan International, Hotel Ritz Plaza, and Hotel SRS Regency are some of the main hotels here. All these hotels offer 3 star facilities and are in the tariff range of around Rs.3000 ($75) per day for a nice double room. The tourist information center is located at Hotel Palace, located near railway station from where all the information on your tour can be obtained.

There are many site seeing places at Amritsar. The first and foremost is The Golden Temple. This temple is also called Harimandir, and Durbar Sahib. One of the Muslim friends of Guru Arjunsingh, named Miyan Mir put the foundation of this temple. The king Ranjitsingh constructed the temple thereafter. The top portion of this temple is made of solid gold and hence, this temple is called golden temple. There are four gates to this temple, which are covered fully with pure silver sheets. The gates are engraved with beautiful designs. There is a lake opposite to the temple and the view of the reflection of the temple in the water of lake is simply superb. The most holy book of Sikhs Guru Granth sahib is available here and is read here everyday. Akal Takhta is the royal seat of Sikh religion and is located very close to the golden temple. Sikh Guru Hargovind established this royal seat. All the major decisions pertaining to Sikh religion are taken from this place. Most of the weapons used by the Sikh gurus are stored here and are available for view of the public.

Jalianwala Bag is the next place to be seen. The British General Dier ordered firing on the innocent people on 13^th April, 1919 when they were gathered for silent protest against the British rule. Around 2000 people, mostly women and children were killed in that firing. The impressions of the bullets can be seen on all the walls even today. There is a deep well here and many people had jumped in this well in order to save themselves from cruel firing of British army. This place is now converted in the national monument in the memory of all the people who lost their lives here. There is a famous temple of Durga Mata, whose construction is very similar to the famous golden temple. The tower of Baba Atalrai is the next place to be seen. This tower is having eight sides, having nine floors in all. This tower is made in the memory of Atalrai, the son of Sixth Guru Hargovind. There are most beautiful wall paintings on all the walls here. The Ram bag garden is located in the outskirts of Amritsar. The famous palace of king Ranjitsingh is located here, which was the summer residence of the king. The central Sikh museum, located near the golden temple, is also worth seeing as it presents all the ancient specimens pertaining to Sikh religion.

There are many excursions also available that can be visited from Amritsar. Ramtirtha is one such place, which is around 6 miles away from Amritsar. It is said that the sons of Lord Ram, Luv and Kush were born here at the ashram of Rishi Valmiki. Hari Ki Patti, located around 24 miles away from Amritsar is a beautiful place, where the Rivers Bias and Satlaj meet. The other outings like Amanat Khan, Taran Taran, Govindlal sahib, Baba Bakala, and the famous Dera Baba Nanak are also worth visiting during your stay at Amritsar. You may be required to stay for around 3 days here at Amritsar to thoroughly enjoy all the places. The best time to visit Amritsar is during the early winter from October to December. Both summer and the winter are equally severe here.

Many visitors from abroad, mainly USA, visit this historical city every year during their visit to India. What do you think about visiting it during your next trip to India?