Of Harmandir Sahib, Jalianwala Bagh, Lassi, Kesar da dhaba and Juttis!

Growing up down south, Amritsar has always stood for one thing. From the images in the school textbooks, to the imposing structure in the background of every Guru Nanak calendar I must have seen at people's houses, the Golden Temple has always been intriguing, beautiful and inviting, all at once. Fortunate to have been able to pay a visit this winter, it's a sight I will never forget.

The weather in Amritsar has a certain nip in the air, from the moment you get out of the train and head towards your shelter. We made it in early in the day at about 6 am and had a couple of hours to catch, to freshen up and stuff ourselves with some out-of-the-world Parathas.

We then headed out, to visit the Golden Temple at what we thought was an hour where there would be a lesser rush. Boy, were we mistaken. Anyways, from the parking lot to the temple is probably a 500m-700m walk through streets laced rich with Amritsari Papad, punjabi juttis, tikki stalls and what not. The burst of color is overwhelming and representative of the culture and the nature of the people around. A smile everywhere, cycle-rickshaws cajoling you to hire them for a few feet you may decide not to walk, for 'panji rupiya' (five rupees). You smile and weave your way through the crowd, trying hard not to get hit by one of them.

As you approach the temple complex, be prepared to cover your head with a scarf or dupatta. You are greeted by a large white gate, with a  clock on top. Seems to be British influence, but I couldn't help but notice how several buildings in Amritsar had antique clocks on the top of the structure, be it the Railway station or the temple entrance. A little walk inside and a climb up some steps and you see the first sight of the Golden Temple. And, it left me awe-struck. More than the rich architecture surrounding or the clear water around and the faith with which people were strewn around the place, reading the 'Gurubani', what struck me most, was the peace which the place brings to you in an instant. There is no sense of urgency, commotion, chaos around the place. Everyone knows where to go, what to do and go about silently in prayer doing that, while the loudspeaker behind broadcasts around the world, the holy readings from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Photography is forbidden in the temple, but allowed in the periphery and adjoining complex. The artifical small tank of water surrounding the temple has fishes swimming with frenzy in the direction you throw some food into. Walking around the place, you see a lot of people taking a dip in the water. According to myth, a person inflicted with skin diseases took a dip in the water, saving one finger and every part of his body immersed in the water was healed. The water you'd assume may be dirty from these frequent dips, but is very well maintained and kept clean at all times.

There is a section on the side, where you can get free water in a bowl, given to you by the sevaks. It's interesting to see them clean the bowls afterward. We were told that they don't use any kind of soap or detergent, but use ash to clean the bowls instead.

Then moving on, we see on a side, the Akal Takht - the highest political and governing body of the Sikhs. It is said that the body is so powerful, that the even royalty - Maharaja Ranjit Singh accepted the punishment decreed by them for his sins, which involved seven whiplashes at the main gate of the temple. The Akal Takht building was the primary one destroyed in the Operation Bluestar seige. The destruction for some inexplicable reason, lives on even after the 28 years of the attack.

To enter the main temple, there is a bridge like construction, with people standing patiently in a queue to enter. We made it in, thanks to some contacts and were in the ground floor of the temple, in the blink of an eye. The insides are truly breathtaking. The sheer gold work on the inside, richly complement the intricate pietra dura inlay work on the outsides. There are three storeys with each housing a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib. Beautifully designed interiors with plush, red carpets end to end. It is said the Guru Granth Sahib on the top floor is the handwritten copy and is so housed on the highest platform, so that noone can set foot above it and it remains supreme. As you make your way out, after climbing down the long, winding white marble stairway, there is a point at which you can take a sip of some holy water and exit or choose to sit on the sides, while people around and busy in their reading of the holy book.

Just before you leave, there is a museum (photography forbidden again), where room after room leads you a little bit more into the lives of the community that is the Sikhs. There are paintings of atrocities committed by Shahjahan during his threats of forced conversions. Ample images of how he ordered that their children be chopped off and they be made to wear garlands of these pieces, if they refuse to convert to Islam. An artefact here and there, antique poles used to hold up the walls, some portraits of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (who ordered the temple be adorned with gold) and then you are again led to a room full of extremely graphic images of Sikh fighters who were killed brutally and how they were when they died. So you see a neck slit, a head injury, a bloody eye and I couldn't stop to see any further. The museum to me, could have actually done without this gory imagery, lest the very purpose of the visit is to acquaint you more with the tortures the community has endured and less to do with appreciating and learning more about their ways of life.

We made our way out, to the langar area. The scale of this 'langar' or community dining, is truly unique. A symbol of the openness of the Sikh community, every visitor treated alike, seated in the common area, is fed unlimited helpings of a wholesome vegetarian meal. The fare comprises of rotis, a black dal, some salad, kheer and generally some sabzi, depending on your luck. The day we visited, it was kadhi pakoda. Though, I do hear, paneer makes it to the plates too. The food is apparently cooked by a select group of people, allowed to enter the kitched with a valid ID card and tastes absolutely delectable. Sevaks organize themselves in an assembly line arrangement outside, handing out plates, spoons, a bowl for water, following some inside who take care of serving. Giant kitchen, which uses on an estimate of a news article '1,700 pounds of onions and 132 pounds of garlic, sprinkled with 330 pounds of fiery red chilies', has an 'automatic roti machine which can produce 25,000 rotis/hour' and has in recent times, got the go-ahead to migrate to a solar-powered kitchen, given the scale at which it operates.

After the Golden Temple, we sauntered out to Jalianwala Bagh, the place where hundreds of Indians were killed in the shooting ordered by General Dyer, suspecting a terror assembly, threatening the peace of the English crown. The place has an 'Amar Jyoti', the eternal flame, maintained by Indian Oil and a memorial for the victims. There are also signs all over to show where the shooting happened, the well into which many people jumped in and drowned to their death, feeling they had a chance of survival there rather than trying to run.

Later in the afternoon, we headed out to one of my favorite and very looked forward to parts of the trip - Shopping! I made sure we stopped by for some colorful, bright juttis. Back home, it is tougher finding something in a material that lasts more than 4-5 wears and also, my giant feet ensure I have little luck finding what I want. In Amritsar, there is something for everyone in a jutti shop. As expected, with a budget of two, I managed to squeeze in three in one purchase. From what our local help in Amritsar told us, a trip to the market is incomplete without Gyan Singh's Lassi. It is quite a sight indeed. Elaborate processes through a lassi making machine, finished off with a generous dollop of cream. The Dairy food market DOES thrive here!

The evening was well-spent at Wagah, to end the day with some interesting fare from Kesar da Dhaba. Finding our way down the small winding 'gallis' of the market in Amritsar, a short 'panji rupaya' ride down the alley, through store after store dishing out fresh, hot, delicious mouth-watering gulab jamuns in giant 'kadais', it is a foodie's delight. I of course gave in and dug into some melt-in-mouth jamuns, as I stood by the road watching how the parcelling section at Kesar, threw their half-done ingredients together, in almost mechanical precision, as hordes of people packed some wonderful dinner. The place is absolute value for money, will definitely make you smile as much, with every bite as it will when you open your wallet to pay the bill!

There it was. A day filled with a visit to a beautiful temple, an Indian freedom movement memorial, the Indian border, some shopping and lots of good food! A day well-spent in Amritsar.

Wah Wagah!

In our growing years, we learnt extensively about India's struggle for independence the Indo-Pak tension ensuing, the LoC, the breaches, the well-guarded borders. But seeing, is believing. Wagah Border is one experience you will find no place else. The sheer excitement in the chill November air, the sun setting against the dust kicked up by charged up guards during their rehearsed march, the screams, the national colors, it's a place you forget from which state you came and remember the only fact uniting you with everyone on this side of the gate, the Indian in you.

The gate shut, to be opened with aplomb at sunset

Located about an hour's drive away from Amritsar, at Attari, is where the only road border crossing between Pakistan and India is based. Wagah itself is a village, through which the partition line dividing two nations was drawn in 1947. It is more known for the elaborate pre-sunset daily ceremony at the border, where the gate opens for a couple of minutes, with both sides putting up quite a show.

Maddening excitement at the Indian section

The drive to Wagah, comes to an end with gates guarded with heavy security, people turned out in the tricolor, plastic flags in their hands, screaming, some excited with their cameras all ready to snap up what they might be lucky to see. It is best to try to arrange a VIP entry from any contact one may have, which makes getting in a lot easier. Else, there is much heavier checking and of course a lot of furlongs extra, to tread. We made it in through the VIP entry, though even that well attested letter was checked by atleast four different sets of personnel at various points. No bags allowed inside, though a money purse and a camera are allowed. After the checking, we were made to sit at pre-designated seats flanking the main gate of the ceremony.

Style statement 

One look around and you just can't help but feel the excitement in the air. Across the gate at the Pakistan section, white and green, their flag flying high, the half moon perched up and a little beyond, the guards in black pathani suits. The Pakistani section was divided into two, for men and women and seemed to be less filled as compared to ours. We turned out as though it were a India-Pak match. The normal stalls were filled in minutes and the speakers blared patriotic music, much to peoples' delight, who went mad with frenzy, waving the tricolor and joining in. While waiting, a lot of us walked up to the main security at the gate and requested a click. He agreed with much ease, as it seemed to be a request he had been hearing every day.

The main guard at the gate

Minutes into the ceremony, the guards in pairs, walk up to the border, with much aplomb, salute their peers and take their position on the sides. The same drill is followed on the other side. The various marches are interspersed with the microphone beaming Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram on ours, while Pakistan Zindabad and Jeeve Jeeve Pakistan on their side. The gate is then pushed open, the rope is drawn aside and the guards face each other with the most stern look for a few seconds, after which the flags are crossed and hoisted. It is quite a sight to watch, two flags of nations at constant war, hoisted at the same point by men separated by a few inches.

The gates are then shut and people disperse. The VIP exit path takes you across through a corner, a section, where the Pakistani VIPs also must walk past and for those few seconds, you can't help but wonder, how you are standing at an arm's distance from a neighboring country. A series of waves and smiles exchanged across that one single rope and you are politely asked to keep moving by the security forces.

The walk back then begins to resemble a typical Indian mela, with food stalls, people running helter skelter. As you reach the exit, you see how every available guard is approaced by kids and is posing away for photos. Makes you for a moment realise, how human they too are and how tolerant they must be, to be a camera's muse every single evening.

Less than an hour of a ceremony, but absolute celebration in every step. A sight not to be missed.