Amritsar, being the golden city has a lot to offer. Here we are listing the best 6 things to do while you are staying at Amritsar.
Okay so before we start, let me share some of my research expertise with you. Amritsar, the largest city of Punjab is set around the Grand Golden Temple. It is the world’s most important, sacred, and a holy pilgrimage place for Sikhs. It is a hectic city, located in the northwestern state of Punjab. It has a population of about 25 lakhs. A small city indeed by the Indian standards!
Streets abound with lots of cheap eateries and the food taste is just fabulous and rich. The tangled streets have tales to tell. The jaunty nature of Sardaar Jis can cheer you up I was particularly fascinated by the richness of this place. Be it the Malai Lassi or the handworks and patchworks, this place sure is stand out and is best suited if you are looking for typical Indian city life to explore. For a Blondie from Britain, this place had a lot to offer. Especially, the rich culture that is so far beyond what we perceive from the books.
The Background Of Amritsar:
The city of Amritsar prides itself on a rich history. The land on which the city is built was once bought for 700 rupees. Around a man-made pool of water, the fourth Sikh guru constructed Amritsar and the temple of the pool came to be known as the Golden Temple. It was a wealthy city, by all means, be its music, art philosophy, and performances, and placed at an appropriate location for trade. With the advent of the British in India like many other cities, Amritsar too was drained of its rich assets. Eventually, the Amritsar history became reminiscent of the unfortunate Jallianwala Bagh massacre of Indians by the Britishers and lately Operation Blue Star.
1. Visit to Golden Temple
The Golden Temple is the world’s biggest community kitchen. It feeds an overwhelmingly 100000 people a day, called a Langar to the Sikh community. Eating here is unique and memorable. One has to sit cross-legged on the floor and dine the delicious dinner together with hundreds of local people.
Arriving here in Golden Temple is photogenic. But with the descent of the night does the actual spiritual atmosphere set in. Every night, at 9.30 pm, the Palki Sahib ceremony begins with the play of music with the temple guards carrying the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib inside the temple. An interesting ceremony to witness I must say. I was guided by our guide who left no inch to explore. The humble people and their kind gesture still warms my heart. Getting a paranda and a pagg was the best that I could do as a souvenir to myself from this place.
How To Reach:
Tourists can easily reach Golden Temple from Amritsar railway station as the distance between Golden Temple and Amritsar railway station is almost 2 km and can be covered in just 8 minutes by car/cab/taxi. The Golden Temple train route that connects Delhi to Golden Temple offers a comfortable journey.
Best Time To Visit:
November to March – The best time to visit Amritsar is between November and March when the weather is comparatively pleasant and ideal for sightseeing and visiting the Golden Temple. However, sometimes the temperature can touch a freezing – 4 Degree Celsius.
April to June – Before the cool showers of the monsoon hit Amritsar, the city braves the heat and dust associated with the summer season. The temperatures during these months can touch a high of about 49 Degrees Celsius.
July to October – After the scorching heat of the summers, the monsoon season brings a welcome relief to the city of Amritsar. The city experiences mild to heavy rains during these months. The weather is mostly pleasant and cloudy most of the time during this period.
2. Eat At Golden Temple Kitchen
Volunteering at the Golden Temple Kitchen is open to all willing to lend a helping hand. The food here is prepared in bulk. One can assist the chefs to prepare the food and can get firsthand knowledge about the local tastes and recipes. Helping and caring for others is paramount in the Sikh religion. Hence, community kitchens are an integral part of Sikh temples and gurudwaras around the world offering langars, which are free for all. One is presented with an empty tray or thali and the servers come around doling out scoops of dal, curd, veggies, and chapatis.
Whole-day food is available at the Golden Temple. Trying my taste buds here resulted in the churning of my tummy for the Indian spices are a real burn but the tangy and tickling taste still stays in my memory. And yes, to level up the hot spices, Malai Lassi in huge Steel glasses acted as an antacid for me. LOL!
3. Visit the Wagah Border
The border between India and Pakistan is around one hour drive from Amritsar. Every evening in the summer, this border hosts a colorful and competitive dance show. Hundreds of people throng here to cheer for India, while on the other side of the border Pakistani supporters are seen.
Visiting the Wagah border proved an exceptional adventure for me. The soul-chilling zest that I got while playing badminton with the convicts is unimaginable. The other best part was, watching the dance show in the Filipino jail. If you are in that part of India, then mark visiting Wagah Border in your GO-TO list.
How to Reach :
Take a shared cab from the Golden Temple gate to reach Wagah-Attari Border (35 km approx). The cab services run regularly and charge between INR 100 to 120 for a one-way ride. It takes a little more than an hour to reach the border. Visitors also go for Ola rental services depending upon their convenience.
Best Time To Visit:
If you want to have the perfect views of the retreat ceremony, it is important to get the best seat at the venue. And, for that, you need to be an early bird. Therefore, the ideal time to reach Wagah-Attari Border is a little before 3 PM, so that you have enough time in hand to go through the security checks and deposit baggage before choosing an ideal seat at the amphitheater. The retreat ceremony starts at 5:15 PM in summer and 4:15 PM in the winter season. The total time duration of the ceremony is 45 minutes. The entrance to the venue is open from 10 AM to 4 PM.
4. The Jallianwala Bagh Memorial
In the heart of the city of Amritsar is the famous Jallianwala Bagh. Hundreds of unarmed Indians were fired upon brutally at the hands of the British rulers while they were holding a peaceful protest. Indians come here to pay their respects to the Jallianwala Bagh martyrs as it is an important thing to do in Amritsar. Close by is the Partition Museum, an interesting place to visit, albeit and entrance fees of Rs 250 for foreigners.
The place can send shivers up your spine with all the living memories of the bloodshed in the area. You can picture the scene in front of your eyes because the place was kept as is with minimal alterations. Though the injustice was at its peak, the giant-hearted Indians don’t discriminate and turned a false eye to foreign travelers.
How to Reach:
Jallianwala Bagh is located on the Golden Temple Road and is easily accessible. Golden Temple to Jallianwala Bagh distance is just 1.3 kilometers. Therefore, after visiting the Golden Temple one can walk to this historical park or take a rickshaw. People traveling from other parts of the city can opt for any mode of local transport such as tuk-tuk, bus, or taxi.
The nearest airport to Jallianwala Bagh is Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport which is approximately 14 kilometers away. Various local transportation options are available near the airport premises which can be used to reach Jallianwala Bagh without any hassle.
Best Time To Visit:
Although you can visit the park all year round, the temperature around the Jallianwala Bagh location is at its extreme during the summer and winter months. So, the best time to tour Jallianwala Bagh is between October-November and February-March.
5. Strolling and shopping at the Central Square
Contrary to the inner streets and alleys which seem to be ever crowded and jampacked, the Central Square near the Golden Temple feels quite modern and organized. It is a good place to roam about and experience some impressive architecture. One can fulfill his shopping lust here, especially the Amritsari footwear, and enjoy Kulfis and Lassis. With the hush and bush with bargaining and the noisy surrounding, you can have the real feel of India. From handwork to Punjabi juttis, you can find any and everything here. All you have to do is skill yourself in bargaining and getting the will to dual with the crowd (only you being at one side and the whole crowd in your opposition while walking down the lanes…LOL)
6. Experience the village life
The travel beast in me forced me to explore a little further. So, I can’t help but recommend the key of amazement that I had while visiting Amritsar. Begin your day with the famous and fabulous Kulcha breakfast. The thick bread dish is savored with butter, and chickpeas and comes in various flavors with the rich famous Amritsari Chai.
Then head towards the village where by this time the tractors have already started roaring in the fields, and the village women assisting their male counterparts on the farms. Weeding, irrigating, sowing, and other allied works are being done on different farms, all presenting the rural life of India. In Amritsar, you will never feel hungry. Even by the roadsides, you will find exquisite Jalebis, Kesar Milk, and Lassi. A nice place to visit for a foodaholic. Penning the must-to-do list here can have you bedazzled, so why not leave it on to you but must keep in mind.. this is endless, a maze that is full of life, willing to have itself explored with happy smiles all around.
Best Time To Visit:
November to March – The best time to visit Amritsar is between November and March when the weather is comparatively pleasant and ideal for sightseeing and visiting the Golden Temple. However, sometimes the temperature can touch a freezing – 4 Degree Celsius.
July to October – After the scorching heat of the summers, the monsoon season brings a welcome relief to the city of Amritsar. The city experiences mild to heavy rains during these months. The weather is mostly pleasant and cloudy most of the time during this period.
In short
Amritsar is one of the best places to visit if you are looking for city life experiences and that too in particular Indian desi style. The weather is favorable on Monsoons and Winters. The summers are in particular avoidable due to scanty and high temperatures.
The delicacies and eateries are to die for and the place is over toned with rich cultural and religious sanctity. People in Punjab are exceptionally humorous and kind-natured. It sure is the best place to set cameras and have wedding, music, or documentary shoots. I along with themusafir.in tried our best to mention the prominent places and my recommendations are to gulp in all that you can have at this place for yeah, I am proud to boast myself as a foodie for Life.
