Amritsar

By ajaychaudhary2nd

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Golden Temple

Harmandir Sahib at night

Amritsar is a holy city in the state of Punjab, India. The name of the city derives from the name of the pool around the Golden Temple (aka Harmandir Sahib) and means "holy pool of nectar" (Amrit: elixir; Sar: (short for sarovar) lake). It is the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion, and they are rightfully very proud of the city and their very beautiful and unique Gurdwara. The Golden Temple was initiated by Guru Ramdas Ji , the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed in 1601 by his successor Guru Arjan Dev Ji.

*Places Of interest*

Golden Temple
The Golden Temple is the main attraction in the city, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. It's a stunning complex, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India, excited to be at a place that they usually only see on television.s Ji, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed in 1601 by his successor Guru Arjan Dev Ji.

Darshani Deori
This is the main entrance, sporting a distinctly Victorian clock-tower.

Amrit Sarovar
The giant pool of water that surrounds and reflects the Golden Temple. Sections (marked off by ropes) are set aside for (male) pilgrims wishing to bathe.

Harmandir Sahib
This is the Golden Temple itself, floating above the Amrit Sarovar, housing the sacred Adi Granth scripture which is recited out loud during the day. This is the most crowded point, accessible by a bridge from the edge of the pool, and entry here is regulated by guards.

Amritsar massacre memorial
Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) is a short 5-minute walk from the Golden Temple, and is the site of the 1919 Amritsar massacre. On April 13 of that year, British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children.

Best time to visit Amritsar is in the winter, between October and March.


Airport :

Raja Sansi International Airport is about 11 km and a 15-20 minutes drive from the city center. It's one of the modern airports in India and quite adequate if not exactly exciting. Most flights are to Delhi, an hour away, but there are an increasing number of international connections: Jet flies to London, Air India flies to Toronto via Birmingham and Air Slovakia flies to Bergamo, Barcelona and Birmingham via Bratislava. There are also surprising numbers of flights to Central Asia.

By train :

Amritsar is an important railway station and is well connected to major cities in India through daily trains. Onward/return trains can be booked online, at the train station or, most conveniently, at the small booking office in the Golden Temple Complex.

By car or bus :

Long-distance taxis are available from most places. It takes around 6-7 hours from New Delhi via NH-1.

Amritsar is well-connected by bus to most major cities and the northern areas within a days drive. Pathankot is about 2.5 hours away, and there are daily direct buses to New Delhi, Jammu, Katra, Chandigarh, Dharamsala .
http://wikitravel.org/en/Amritsar




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