We booked a weekend trip to Amritsar somewhat on a whim. The options for weekend destinations in India were endless, but Amritsar offered reasonable flight prices and times (plus we’d heard it was cool), so we just went with it! After Jaipur, it was my second favorite weekend. Even six months later, I’m all pumped up to write about it!
We arrived in Amritsar at a completely normal time on Friday for once. With just a one-hour flight, we got to relax upon arrival and plan for Saturday. We worked with the hotel to book a driver and private tour guide, and then we were off for a nice dinner. The restaurant seated us in this funny enclosed table!
In the morning, our tour guide arrived 30 minutes late. I was pretty annoyed, but the day turned around surprisingly quickly. During the initial drive, we learned that Amritsar is one of the largest cities in the Punjab state. Just like we learned that Rajasthan means “land of kings” in the Jaipur blog, we were told that Punjab means “the land of five rivers.”
The Golden Temple sits at the center of Amritsar, and it is the city’s largest attraction; so of course, we began our day there. Our driver dropped us at a nearby plaza, and we walked to the temple. O-M-G, it was so crowded!
Outside the temple, we sat down for a brief moment to remove and store our shoes and adorn our head covering.
Then, we joined the mass of people entering the temple.
As we stepped out into the center of the Golden Temple, Meadows and I were amazed by the clear blue water with its shining gold centerpiece. The flood of people around us approached the water to touch it, with some people even getting in for a swim.
Our guide led us clockwise around the structure. The locals come to the temple to eat first and then pray. We proceeded to the kitchen, which is the largest free kitchen in the world. The organization and the scale of this operation still amaze me. On any given day, the kitchen feeds anywhere from 100,000 people to 300,000 people.
The same as the temple, the kitchen serves anyone – regardless of religion, ethnicity, etc… When you arrive, you queue to collect your plate and silverware and then your food.
Afterwards, you eat sitting on the floor in perfectly straight lines, which allow for volunteers to walk up and down the rows offering seconds to everyone.
Finally, you wash off your own plate and utensils. It’s also extremely important to note that the kitchen is run by volunteers. We saw teams working on the roti (Indian bread) both using a machine and by hand.
And other groups prepared ingredients – here you can see the men chopping onions.
As we left the kitchen, the photo madness began. A man stood up from volunteering with the food and asked for a photo with us. We were happy to oblige, but this seemed to open a door for everyone around us.
We left the kitchen and returned to the temple, but the paparazzi followed us. It was as if they thought: they MUST be someone famous if he wanted a photo with them. Or maybe they were just excited to meet someone from another culture? The next photo opp was with the cutest little girl who tapped my leg and asked for a photo in perfect English.
Then, a line developed around Meadows and me; so many people wanted to take their photo with us. It was hysterical and confusing, but it made us thankful that we’re not actually famous. We couldn’t proceed with our tour for the longest time!
Finally, our guide was sick of playing photographer, so he requested that the line dissipate so we could return to touring the temple. We quickly walked away, and he began to explain some tenets of the Sikh religion. First off, he explained that “God is one,” which explains that Sikhs believe in one creator and the unity of mankind.
There are five symbols, which a Sikh should always wear:
- Uncut hair – because you should not change yourself; be as you are
- Wooden comb – to promote cleanliness
- Steel or iron bracelet – a reminder of the eternal and unbreakable commitment to God
- Dagger/sword – for courage when standing up to social injustice
- Special underwear (boxers) – a reminder to control yourself and not give into lust
It was so fascinating to learn about this religion and to visit a place so accepting of others. As the golden temple glistened, our guide explained that Maharaja Ranjit Singh added the 750kg of gold to the temple in the early 19th century. He donated 100kg of gold himself!
We departed the Golden Temple and walked next door to Jallianwala Bagh, which is a park that now serves as a memorial. On April 13, 1919, the British blocked exits from the park and began shooting while thousands of Sikhs were inside celebrating a traditional festival. The British killed over 1,100 people that day. The shrubs show the British invaders, and the monument represents a single bullet.
You can still see bullet holes on the walls from that awful day.
As we walked back to the car to conclude our tour, our guide pointed out the nearby McDonald’s. Usually it’s no big deal to see a McD’s in a tourist area, but this one is special. The McDonald’s near the Golden Temple is the only entirely vegetarian location.
We had a bit of down time back at the hotel before one of the local Coke guys picked us up for our late afternoon activity. In addition to the Golden Temple, Amritsar is known for its close proximity to the Pakistani border. The area is called the Wagah Border, and it offers one of the most energizing and fascinating experiences of my life. It’s difficult to paint the picture, but let me start with a few words to set the stage: dancing, high kicks, stomping, shouting, fist pumps.
As we were walking, we could see a border checkpoint from the India side.
We went through security and walked a while before reaching the main border gate. It’s more like a giant outdoor arena with the border splitting the arena in two. The India side was much bigger, and it was jam packed with thousands of people. (You can even see that they’re building additional seating to accommodate even more guests in the future.)
The road in front of us runs from the India side to the Pakistan side with two back-to-back gates dividing it. Though the ceremony only lasts about an hour, we had to arrive very early to claim our seats. Shortly after we arrived, officials shut the gates and no one else was allowed to enter the arena.
Before the festivities started, our guide led us to see the border up close. The flags flew perfectly in the sunlight.
When we walked to the right of the gate, we could see the Pakistanis so clearly.
There is a marker, showing where India ends and Pakistan begins. Even though we remained in India, we got a photo with both sides of the marker 🙂
We got back to our seats for the start of the party. Countless Indian women (no men) gathered on the street for a dance party. The music blared, and they passed around a massive India flag that they ran around! It was a giant celebration… a stark contrast from the more subdued Pakistani side.
Then, everyone took a seat for the flag lowering ceremony. Everything started with two Rambo-like characters that walked out with machine guns and black aviators. They walked to the gate and took their places at the gate. (If I recall correctly, they ultimately stood in between the two gates to make sure nothing bad happened.)
On both sides, officials came out in the most incredible hats and began their kicking, stomping and fist pumping towards the border gate. On our side, a man kept coming over the loud speaker screaming, “Hindustaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!”
One by one, each officer approached the gate; each man was more passionate than the last. The crowd truly roared. And by the time the final guys approached it, the gate was open.
The men removed the flag ropes from the poles and crisscrossed them. Slowly and respectfully, the Pakistanis and Indians withdrew their flags.
Before we knew it, the gates were closed, the guards retreated and the pomp concluded. Never in my life have I experienced a more exhilarating display of national pride. As we walked away, I told Meadows “I want to move to India!”
After a long day of touring, we grabbed a bite to eat and crashed. The weekend had been a smashing success!