Amritsar and Golden Temple

A pilgrimage to the Golden Temple is a must for any Sikh or a believer of humanity & God. This is the most sacred shrine of the Sikhs and is in the town of Amritsar foundedAmritsar, Amritsar Golden Temple, Amritsar Tours, Amritsar Gurudwara Tours, Tour of Amritsar, Amritsar Sight seeing, by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru. The temple was built by Guru Arjun Dev and the great Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh embellished the shrine and covered the domes with gold. The temple is in the middle of the holy tank called the Pool of Immortality dug up by Guru Ram Das. The temple is a pleasing square building in marble with inlaid walls and a domed roof. The holy book of the Sikhs the Guru Granth Sahib is kept under a Sikh canopy and pilgrims file past it. A few yards away from the temple is the Akal Takht (The Immortal Throne) from where the Gurus held court. This is a building of immense historical significance for Sikhs and is the place where decisions concerning the religious and social life of the community are taken. At any given day, the Golden Temple is full of devotees yet there is a great air of tranquility and peacefulness.

Tourist Attractions in Amritsar.

Within the sacred precincts of the Golden Temple, a devotee can seek blessing at :

• The Akal Takht
• Har Ki Pauri
• Dukh Bhanjani Ber (Jujube Tree)
• Thara Sahib
• Ber Baba Budha Ji
• Gurudwara Ilachi Ber
• Ath Sath Tirath
• Bunga Baba Deep Singh

Jallianwala bagh, amritsar tourist attractions

Jalianwala Bagh

A historical monument that tells the sad story of mass killing during the independence movement in India, Jalianwallah Bagh is another must visit in Amritsar. Here lies the memorial of the martyrs of the 1919 massacre by British General Dyer. Presently the place also has a park. The Martyr's Gallery is open from 9 am to 5 pm in summers and from 10 am to 4 pm during winters.

Durgiana Mandir

Amritsar also houses a wonderful temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. Easily accessible from the Golden Temple, the Durgiana Mandir also offers puja to deities of Lakshmi and Narayana. Supposedly built during the 16th century AD, the temple lies in the middle of a medium sized lake giving it a wonderful overall view. The temple, a massive structure, was built on the style of the nearby Golden Temple. Worth a visit.

Baba Atal Rai Tower

Located at a distance of few kilometres from the main town, Baba Atal Rai Tower is also a site worth visiting. It is believed that Guru Har Gobind died at this spot. Named after the son of Guru Har Gobind, this nine storied building is an important landmark of the place. Climbing on to the top gives you a panoramic view of the entire area. The first floor of the tower houses some of the miniatures related to Guru Nanak's life and his preaching. Makes a must visit.

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 garden was named by the ruler himself as a tribute to Guru Ram Das, the founder of the city. Now the summer palace of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been converted into a museum which speaks volumes on his times. On display are weapons dating back to Mughal times, portraits of ruling houses of Punjab and a replica of diamond "Kohinoor". wagah border, wagah border tour, wagah border ceremony, amritsar excursions, amritsar tours, amritsar sight seeing, amritsar

Wagah Border

One of the many nearby places to visit from Amritsar is the Wagah Border. Located on the Indo-Pakistan border, Wagah is 28 kilometres from the Amritsar main town. A good number of visitors come to this place to see the change of guards ceremony and the flag hoisting and lowering activities which are done with great skill and precision by the border security forces of both the countries. A site you cannot afford to miss.

Amritsar Excursions

Tarn Tarn

24 Kms south of Amritsar. Founded by the 5th Prophet Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji the impressive Gurudwara with gold plated dome has a holy pool. The guru used to run a leper's home here.

Goindwal Sahib

Within easy reach of Tarn Taran was the centre of Sikh religion during the time of the third Prophet, Guru Amar Das ji. The deep well (bauli) in the Gurudwara has 84 steps. Whoever takes a bath here and recites Japji Sahib (divine composition of the first Prophet of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji ) at each step, and repeats the recitation followed by bath in the Holy Well 84 times, attains moksh, because he lives out 84,000 cycles of birth representing each specie created by God.

Samadhi of Guru Angad Dev Ji

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.

Khadur Sahib

52 Kms from Amritsar. Commemorates the seat of Sikh religion during the time of the second Prophet, Guru Angad Dev Ji.

Baba Bakala

45 Kms from Amritsar. The 9th Prophet Guru Teg Bahadur had revealed himself to Makhan Shah Lubana, a Sikh devotee here. A fair is held here on the occasion of Rakhsha Bandhan.

Dera Baba Nanak

(35 Kms west of Gurdaspur) Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent last 12 years of his life here. Clothes he wore at Mecca are preserved here. A fair called the Maghi fair is held here every January.

Gurudwara Ber Sahib, Sultanpur Lodi

This is the Gurudwara built at the place where the first prophet Guru Nanak got enlightenment and created Sukhmani Sahib while taking bath in the river Kali Bein.From Sultanpur lodi only the Guru Nanak started his famous journeys. Sultanpur Lodi in Kapurthala district is easily accessible from Jalandhar and Amritsar via Taran Taran and Goindwal Sahib. One can plan his visit from both Amritsar( around 60 km away) and Jalandhar(36 km away).

Best Time to visit Amritsar

Amritsar in Punjab experiences extreme type of climate. The summers are too hot and winters are too cold. Best Time to visit Amritsar is between the months of October and March.

At the time of festivals many people visit Amritsar. Majority of festivals celebrated in Amritsar are religious in nature. Here is a list of some of the festivals in Amritsar:

Ram Tirath Fair is celebrated at Ram Tirath, located at a distance of 11 kilometers to the west of Amritsar. The fair is celebrated about a fortnight after Diwali. Pilgrims visit the Temple to plunge in the sacred tank of the Temple in the early hours of the Puranmashi (full moon night). After the plunge the pilgrims take a circumambulation of the tank along with incantations. Women light lamps of pure ghee (deshi ghee) or mustard oil (sarson ka tel) made from kneaded flour and put them in tank by placing them on leaf plates. It is believed that this ceremony absolves one's sins and is known as tulla toarna (meaning floating of tullas). Throughout the ceremony devotional songs and hymns are recited.

Diwali is celebrated with great pomp and show at the Golden Temple. It is celebrated even after three days of Diwali. It is believed that during the reign of Jahangir, after his release from Gwalior fort Guru Ram Das reached Amritsar on Diwali. People greeted him by illuminating lamps.

Basant Panchami at Chheharta Sahib is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Magh or Maghi (end of January or beginning of February). The celebrations commence early in the morning and end the next day afternoon. Whole night kirtan darbar (chanting of hymns, poems belonging to Sikh literature) is held. On the eve of Basant Panchami kites are flown and kite-flying competitions are held.

Baisakhi / Vaisakhi was an occasion when all the Sikhs used to assemble at Amritsar and discuss their political and religious problems. Today this festival is celebrated with lot of excitement and zeal. Generally this is celebrated on 13th April every year.

Gurupurbs are celebrated throughout the world. These are celebrated on the occasion of the birthdays and martyrdoms of Gurus. In Amritsar, Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Ram Das Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Sahib are celebrated with great religious fervor and devotion.

How to Reach Amritsar

Amritsar is located in Punjab. Countless tourists visit this small district either on Pilgrimage or on a leisure tour. Amritsar is connected to all major cities of India by a fine network of railways, roadways and airways.

By Air: The airport at Amritsar named Raja Sani International Airport offers excellent services. The airport is well connected by other parts of the country by regular flights. Now Jet Airways, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Air India also offer flights to Amritsar from Delhi, Birmingham and London.

By Rail: Amritsar is directly connected to Amritsar via rail route. It takes about 8 to 10 hours to reach Amritsar by train.

By Road: Grand Trunk Karnal Road connects Delhi to Amritsar. Regular buses are available from I.S.B.T. Delhi to Amritsar. You can choose from local, semi deluxe, deluxe and super deluxe buses offered by bus station.