Amritsar
Amritsar,
literally meaning "holy pool of nectar", is the home to the Harmandir Sahib,
also known as the
Golden Temple, and is the spiritual and cultural centre
of the Sikh Religion. Founded by the fourth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Ramdas,
it was completed by his successor Guru Arjan Dev. Work began in 1573 on digging the holy pool.
In 1601
Harmandir Sahib
was completed and 3 years later, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Book was
placed there. In Maharaja Ranjit Singh's time
Amritsar City had superceded
Lahore as the pre-eminent city of Punjab.
The
Golden Temple
in Amritsar
Amritsar is one of the most ancient and fascinating cities of India with historical and
religious sites including the revered shrine of the Durgiana Temple which is
dedicated to goddess Durga. The museum at Ram Bagh houses weapons dating back to
Moghul times and some portraits of the ruling houses of the Punjab.
Jallianwala
Bagh reminds the visitor of one of the most heart-rending events in the history
of India. Bullet marks and the well into which some people jumped to escape the
onslaught can still be seen. Other attractions include the Fort Gobind Garh
which was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Tarn Taran tank which is 25
kilometres south of the city.
The most interesting place to stay is at the Sri Harmandir Sahib itself
- see sarai bookings in the menu above. Accommodation
at the Gurdwaras of Sri Guru Ram Das Niwas and Sri Guru Nanak Niwas is also
recommended. Click here for
Amritsar Hotels. Katra Jaimal Singh, near the telephone exchange in the old city, is a
good shopping area.
With the only international airport in
Punjab,
Amritsar airport is fast becoming the gateway to Punjab and Northern India. There is a daily Indian Airlines flight to Delhi and Srinagar
as well as international flights to the UK. There are direct
rail links to Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Calcutta as well frequent buses to Dehra Dun, Shimla, Kulu, Dalhousie and Dharamsala.
Click here for
Amritsar Weather. To find flight availability and prices from
Birmingham to Amritsar Flights.
