Amritsar in a day

By Nipin Gopi

Think it's a bit too rushed? Not one bit. It's absolutely possible.

I did Amritsar in a day and it passed like a dream. I flew down from Dubai wondering if it really was a good idea spending just a day at Amritsar. Then again, it didn't matter much because I had just one goal -- catching the sunrise at the Golden Temple; anything else was a bonus. It was a wish I'd harbored since childhood and I was finally realizing it. It was ironic that I never made this pilgrimage when I was in India for the first twenty- two years of my life. Life happens in mysterious ways indeed. It was a one way flight I'd booked from Dubai; a long journey awaited me.

It was 1:40am, and I was at the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, with my head buzzing with excitement. Heck, I was finally going to catch sunrise at the Golden Temple. The flight had just landed and I'd managed to beat the crowd to the passport control counter. The budget flight I'd caught, Air India Express, had only laborers; and none of them seemed to have the faintest of clues when it came to filling immigration forms. So, I helped them for over an hour and finally reached my room at 3 am.

Catching a taxi from the Amritsar airport isn't a hassle since prepaid taxis are available, but you invariably end up tipping the guy Rs 50 or 100 more for taking you to the right hotel. So, it would cost you about Rs 400 (give or take 50). The cabbie is bound to ask you for another 100, but you needn't give in, else give half of what he asks if you must. Don't fret; bargaining is your birthright.

The time was 4 AM. I'd taken a power nap, a shower, and hit the road.

First up was the Harmandir Sahib aka the Golden Temple. The temple was just a block away from my hotel and I reached the gates in no time. I left my flip-flops at the entrance to the temple and washed my feet by walking through a stream of water running across the path in a channel. I had donned the compulsory head gear and with my hair covered and feet cleaned, I thought I was ready to experience the 'Abode of the God', but what I saw soon after left me spellbound; I was greeted by a sight which was far more spectacular than what I'd anticipated. There is an aspect of the temple that is indescribable and overwhelming. It's perhaps the way the spectacular blends with the humble. It had an aura that demanded reverence. Nothing can quite prepare you for that first sight; its reflection, shimmering in the holy tank of immortality, assumes a life of its own. The setting is perfect. You feel the energy of an entire race; its faith and devotion will certainly move you.

I stood by the tank for what seemed like eternity and just stared at the sublime structure. It looked ethereal when the first rays of the sun struck the temple. Devout Sikhs were taking dips in the holy tank. Once the sun was completely out, I decided to explore the complex and give my tummy its first taste of authentic Punjabi food.

Since 1604, the temple has been welcoming people of all faiths and from all walks of life. Pilgrims come to stay at the temple in simple accommodations and bathe in its holy waters. Every day, the temple feeds thousands of pilgrims for free. Anyone can stay at the temple, or drop by for a meal — foreigners and Indians alike. I honestly think the Golden Temple is by far the most beautiful structure in India. Call it blasphemy, but I found it more spectacular than the Taj Mahal.

Guru ka Langar or the communal kitchen at the Golden Temple is something you will not see anywhere else in the world. The rich and the poor volunteer to feed more than 40,000 people on an average daily. The Sikhs believe in equality of all people and there is a sense of bonding you get when you see the devotees cook chapatis and dal, serve and wash dishes together. The institution of the communal kitchen was started by Guru Nanak and designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender or social status. This has served the community in many ways. It has ensured the participation of Sikhs in a task of service for mankind; even Sikh children help in serving food to the people. I did sit down for a cuppa but skipped breakfast from the gurudwara to sample some of the street food for which Amritsar is famous. I stepped out of the temple only to be greeted by the pleasant odors emanating from a paranthawalla's pushcart. I had to make my pit stop. It came with the tiniest of chilies, and in my honest opinion that chili alone could set the whole of Punjab on fire. There was food everywhere -- from yummy pakoras to mouth-watering mithais and even gravity-defying lassies. This thick thirst-quencher took me 20-minutes to finish. Having satiated myself, I trudged my way out of the market whilst the sun beat mercilessly down on me, and made my way towards a memorial of immense national importance -- the Jallianwalla Bagh memorial.

On April 13, 1919, thousands of people gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate the harvest festival of Baisakhi. An hour after the meeting began as scheduled at 4:30pm, Brigadier-General Dyer marched a group of 65 Gurkha and 25 Baluchi soldiers into the Bagh, 50 of whom were armed with rifles. The Jallianwala Bagh was bound on all sides by houses and buildings and had few narrow entrances, most of which were permanently locked. General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire without warning or any order to disperse, and to direct fire towards the densest sections of the crowd. He continued the firing, approximately 1,650 rounds in all, until ammunition was almost exhausted

The violence was horrifying. The flame that was lit at Jallianwala Bagh was symbolic of India being set on fire. This became a watershed event in India's struggle for Independence. The bullet marks from the massacre are still visible on the walls. One must certainly visit this place whilst at the city. I spent about an hour there and then hired a cycle-rickshaw to the Durgiana temple. People visiting the Golden Temple usually pay a visit to the Durgiana Temple as well. I paid my obeisance to goddess Durga and treated my famished body to some of the best Amritsari kulchas in town. 'Twas ambrosia, I tell you!

Soon after lunch I caught hold of an auto-rickshaw that took me to the Vaishnodevi Mandir first and then to the Wagah border. One can afford to miss the Vaishnodevi temple because it's just a replica of the actual one located in the hills of Jammu and Kashmir. But, the day seemed to progress at snail's pace and I could afford to stop there as well before taking the 25 km trip to the Wagah border.

If you're thinking of catching this much-touted border ceremony, you might consider that you wouldn't be seeing much because of the crowds. When men are allowed up in the stands it is a mad scramble; men pushing, shoving and trying to get up the stairway ahead of the others. The sun in July can be quite unforgiving out there. Here are two tips that will come in handy:

1. Carry a cap, a bandanna and plenty of water. It can get really hot and the stands aren't covered.
2. See to it that your SLR is well protected. The public can get into water fights and you wouldn't want a bucket of water landing on your unsuspecting SLR, would you?

There is a grand display of jingoism and the army men try to goad the public to chant 'Vande Mataram' with fervor. Soon, I could hear only blood-curdling cries. It's a wonder they don't start a war there every day. The crowd was a bit unruly and there was a minor scuffle with people throwing water bottles at each other. It started because one man refused to be seated during the ceremony. Anyway, I sat through most of it but left a bit before the close of ceremony to escape the crowd on the way back.

The trip back was uneventful and I had ample time to catch a sumptuous dinner at a nondescript dhaba before boarding the train to Delhi.

The Golden Mail was supposed to get me to Delhi at 7 am. But like all good train journeys in India, you never reach on time. In fact, the train which was supposed to reach Delhi at 7 am finally reached its destination at 8 pm; we were delayed by 13 whole hours. Reason given was that some parts of the track went missing at Ambala during heavy rains. Thank heavens they noticed it well in advance or I wouldn't be alive to post these pictures.

Budget
• Prepaid Airport taxi: Rs 400
• Street food: Rs 60
• Lunch: Rs 100
• Accommodation: Rs 500
• Auto rickshaw to Wagah border: Rs 300
• Cycle rickshaw in the city: Rs 50
• Dinner: Rs 80
• Golden Mail to Delhi: Rs 250
• Total (excluding flight): Rs 1,740

By Rail: Golden Mail
From: Amritsar Jn (ASR) to Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM)
Distance: 515 kms
Boarding: Amritsar Jn (ASR)
Scheduled Departure Time: 21:25
Scheduled Arrival Time: 07:00

Nipin Gopi lives in Dubai and writes for the blog The Traveling Tharoors, which is driven by the philosophy "Have feet will travel"

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