Last stop in India: Amritsar

As my India adventures comes to an end I'm making one last stop to Amritsar, the home of the Golden Temple. Deciding to try my luck one final time on the train I booked the Amritsar Shtbdi Express, supposedly the best train in the country. The train shockingly enough arrived and left the station extremely promptly. In their AC first class, the seats were roomy and soft while announcements were made in English. Throughout the whole six hour ride they served multiple refreshments along with a pretty respectable dinner. As we rolled into Amritsar only 20mins late I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.


The city itself has three main attractions worth seeing which made the day relatively easy to plan. The first stop was the Golden Temple, one of India's seven wonders and often visited by locals and foreigners alike. In fact it attracts more than 100,000 visitors daily, more than the Taj Mahal, wish is unbelievable. This sacred temple completed in 1601 is the holiest shrine in Sikhism. Its architecture draws on both Hindu and Muslim style with marble sculptures, golden gildings and precious stones. Before you are allowed to enter however you must wash your feet in the shallow pool and wrap your head. As you proceed onto the marble floor through the gate, your eyes immediately focuses on the beautiful temple sitting in the middle of a serene lake. Echoing throughout are hymns accompanied by various instruments. In the afternoon sun the reflection of the golden temple was almost blinding. As fishes swims around the temple, you can take a stroll on the marble floors which encircles the pool and temple.


An underground spring feeds this sacred lake and throughout the day many immerse themselves in the water as a symbolic cleansing of the soul. Down the road about a 5 min walk is the notorious Jallianwala Bagh, the site of the 1919 Amritsar massacre. On April 13, 1919 British army opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children, firing 1650 rounds and killing 1579 people. Today an memorial is built to remember that dreadful day, one that became an important mile stone in India's struggle for independence.


On the walls you can see the bullet holes where shots were fired, along with the well into which many jumped and drowned in an attempt to dodge the bullets. Another highly visited attraction is the Wagha Border, the international border between India and Pakistan, about 29 kilometers outside of the city. At sunset each day, the changing of the guard is an event that hundreds line up to see. In fact the crowd that gathers at the gate is quiet a sight in itself. As hundreds of people rush through the tiny main gate like a stampede, it was like Black Friday at Walmart where the only thing to do was hold your ground and push through.


Once inside you were again forced to wait in an endless line as the late afternoon sun beat down on you. Between the heat and the crowd I was beginning to think that this was a big mistake. The actually ceremony lasted about 30mins, where both sides held marches and sang their own songs. Based on the crowd and efforts placed on the Indian side, it was clear who made a bigger deal out of this. As the gates opened and flags were lowered simultaneous the ceremony ended with cheers on both sides.


Rating:
Atmosphere: As like many cities in India, the roads were narrow and crowded. The lack of any traffic light meant there were always chaos and road blocks. Horns were again the standard way of communication where in the high heat of the day sometimes made the city unbearable.
Beauty: With the exception of the Golden Temple the city was uneventful. The temple itself was stunning yet I'm not sure if it warranted a trip on its own. If there are extra time to spare a detour to Amritsar could be considered, otherwise your India
trip would be fine without it.
Cleanliness: Don't think there are any cities in this country that would ever be considered clean. Thinking back on Delhi I guess that's about as close as it gets.
Food: Paneer is really starting to grow on me. Both the texture and the rich sauces it is served with is mouthwatering when eating with roti or naan.


People: Relatively friendly where many were happy to help with directions and questions. Though I did get a few glances, many seemed like they were stemmed from curiosity more than anything else.
Comments: One thing I would recommend for visitors is to skip the Wagha Border. Not only is it expensive to see, but the long wait and crowd was not worth the actual ceremony. Perhaps I'm missing the point, but I didn't understand the over exaggeration of the event.

Rating: 1-10 = 6