Punjab Amritsar

Amritsar,  derives its name from the AmritSarovar that surrounds the famous Golden Temple in the city. True to its name, the heart of the city is the temple complex, which is the holiest of Sikh shrines. The Golden Temple complex itself is surrounded by a maze of narrow lanes, or katras, that house one of the busiest markets in India.

Men and women both need to keep their head covered while in the Gurdwara, so carry a scarf or handkerchief for the purpose. Also you have to enter a gurudwara barefoot- no socks allowed either!

While in the Golden Temple complex walk on the mats provided or your feet will burn as the marble beneath tends to get very hot!

Some important questions arise when we choose a destination.

Most important places to Visit in Amritsar.

Which all places I can visit along with Amritsar  ?

Tour Itineries along with Amritsar

Best time to visit Amritsar

How to reach Amritsar ?

Most important places to Visit in Amritsar.

Golden Temple(Harmander Sahib)

The Golden temple is located in the holy city of the Sikhs, Amritsar. The Golden temple is famous for its full golden dome, it is one of the most sacred pilgrim spots for Sikhs. The Mandir is built on a 67-ft square of marble and is a two storied structure. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had the upper half of the building built with approximately 400 kg of gold leaf. The Golden Temple is surrounded by a number of other famous temples like the Durgiana Temple.

Durgiana Temple (Lakshmi Narain Temple)

Built in the third decade of the 20th Century it echoes, not the traditional Hindu temple architecture, but that of the Golden Temple and, in a similar manner rises from the midst of a tank and has canopies and the central dome in the style of the Sikh temple. One of the greatest reformers and political leaders of resurgent India, PanditMadan Mohan Malviya, laid its foundation stone. It is a well-known repository of Hindu scriptures

Wagah Border

The international border between India and Pakistan.Wagah, an army outpost on Indo-Pak border - between Amritsar and Lahore, is an elaborate complex of buildings, roads and barriers on both sides. The daily highlight is the evening "Beating the Retreat" ceremony. Soldiers from both countries march in perfect drill, going through the steps of bringing down their respective national flags. As the sun goes down, nationalistic fervour rises and lights are switched on marking the end of the day amidst thunderous applause.

JallianWalaBagh

The memorial at this site commemorates the 2000 Indians who were killed or wounded, shot indiscriminately by the British under the command of Gen Michael O"Dyer on April13, 1919 while participating in a peaceful public meeting. This was one of the major incidents of India's freedom struggle.The story of this appaling massacre is told in the Martyr's Gallery at the site. A section of wall with bullet marks still visible is preserved along with the memorial well, in which some people jumped to escape. "The impossible men of India shall rise and liberate their mother land", declared Mahatma Gandhi, after the JallianWala massacre. "This disproportionate severity of punishment inflicted upon the unfortunate people and method of carrying it out is without parallel in the history of civilized govt." wrote RabindraNath Tagore the noble laureate while returning knighthood.

Ram Bagh

Ram Bagh a beautiful garden ,an accustomed listener to the Neighs of thousand horses, announcing the arrival of the statesman of the century Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) the Lion of Punjab, has in its heart the summer Palace of this great ruler. Maintenance free inbuilt cooling system designed in the Palace exhibits the architectural excellence and invokes a keen interest.The king of his time brought local chieftains under his control and virtually finished any eventuality of possible attacks on the kingdom raised by him. To commemorate the memory of his velour Ram Bagh on its one end has a lively statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh saddled on a horse in a winsome posture.

Ram Tirath

Located 11 Km West of Amritsar on Chogawan road, dates back to the period of Ramayana, Rishi Valmiki's hermitage. The place has an ancient tank and many temples. A hut marks the site where Mata Sita gave birth to Luv & Kush and also, still extant are Rishi Valmiki's hut and the well with stairs where Mata Sita used to take her bath.

PulKanjari:

It is another heritage sight built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh around which are sewn many tales and legends. Situated near the villages of Daoka and DhanoaKalan right on the Wagha border, PulKanjari is about 35 kms. Both from Amritsar & Lahore.

Samadhi of Guru AngadDevJi:

About 30 km south east from Amritsar, and within easy reach from Goindwal Sahib is a Samadhi of the second Guru. It was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1815 A.D.

Jama Masjid Khairuddin:

Built by Mohd.Khairuddin in 1876, this masjid is a place of architectural beauty situated in the Hall Bazar. This is the holy place from where a call against the British rule was given by Tootie-e-Hind, Shah AttaullahBukhari.

Samadh of Shravan:

About 6 Kilometres from Ajnala near Jastarwal (earlier known as Dashrathwal) is located one of the oldest heritage spots in Amritsar. It belongs to the Ramayana period a legend has it that Shravan lies buried here after the fell from the arrow of King Dashrath, the Lord of Ayodhya. The Samadh is situated on the banks of an old rivulet (PuraniDhab ).Shravan had taken his blind parents on a wide-ranging pilgrimage by cradling them on his shoulder in a wooden device.

KhooKalyanwala :

The city has played a stellar role in the liberation of India from the British clutches. Freedom fighters like MadanLalDhingra, RasBihari Bose, S.Kartar Singh Sarabha, Dr. Satya Pal and Dr. Saif-ud-din Kitchlu are house-hold names in Amritsar.

When MangalPande blew the bugle of rebellion against the British in 1857, its echoes and shock-waves were felt in Amritsar also. A platoon of 400 soldier stationed at Lahore rebelled against the British Government by fleeing their barracks. The deserted soldiers bravely swam across the flooded Ravi and reached Ajnala.The information was received by Mr.Fredric Cooper, the then Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar.On his order, all of them were put in a coop-like room where almost 200 soldiers died of asphyxia. The rest of them were brutally shot dead the next morning and their dead bodies thrown in the well which is known as the KalianwalaKhoo in Tehsil Ajnala.

The Historical Banyan Tree(Shaheedi Bohr):

This historical tree with massive girth and lushgreen canopy stands majestically in the NamdhariShaheediSamark against the majestic back drop of the northern boundary of Ram Bagh.FourKookas were hanged from this tree by the British Government in 1871.The Kookas were hanged from this tree by the British Government in 1871 The Kookas were hanged because they had reacted violently against the hawking of beef around the Golden Temple.

Tour Itineries along with Amritsar

Delhi – Amritsar - Dharamshala - Manali -Shimla - Chandigarh

Delhi - Chandigarh - Mansa - Kangra - Dhramsala - Katra - Amritsar – Delhi

Best time to visit Amritsar

The best time to visit Amritsar is between October and March, when the climate is pleasant and ideal for sightseeing.

During the winter season, stretching from November to March the level of mercury can fall up to 4°C. The maximum temperature observed during this season is 18°C.

The summer months, from April to June are extremely hot with temperature rising up to 49 °C. It is better not to visit Amritsar during this time.

How to reach Amritsar ?

How to Reach Amritsar by Air

The Rajasansi airport, about 11 kms from town, is connected by domestic flights to Delhi and Chandigarh. You can get to town by a pre-booked rented car, taxis or auto-rickshaws.

How to Reach Amritsar by Rail

Amritsar is connected by direct trains to major Indian cities like Delhi, Jammu, Mumbai, Nagpur, Calcutta and Puri. The most convenient train from Delhi is the SwarnShatabdi which takes about 6 hours.

How to Reach Amritsar by Road

You can drive into Amritsar from neighbouring states. Bus services also connect Amritsar with most north Indian towns, including Chandigarh (235 Kms), Delhi (450 Kms), Shimla, Kulu, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh, Dehradun and Rishikesh in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu.