Home to the holiest shrine of Sikhism

Region of Amritsar

Amritsar is home to the beautifully and aesthetically designed Golden temple where millions of pilgrims, throng to, every single year. You have the city having a rich cultural heritage indeed. The city is the iconic and spiritual center for the Sikhs. You have beautiful chanting of prayers at the Gurudwaras. You have authentic food, temples, festivals, and spots of historical significance out here. Amritsar is a bustling city that is located in the state of Punjab. This is the second most populous city in Punjab after Ludhiana. Come on; let’s unveil the historical, cultural, and touring hubs the wonderful city has in its charm!

Culture of Amritsar

You have the brimming spiritual culture at the palatial city of Amritsar. The Amritsar tourism must bring out the intricately designed religious sentiments, the city offers to local inmates and tourists who come here. Baisakhi is a festival that is celebrated every grandly across the city of Amritsar. During the festival, people in every household are found in their finest garments. It is fun-filled get-togethers and food sharing wherever your eyes glimpse into. You also have Holi, Navrathri, Shivratri, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chathurthi, and Christmas that are celebrated grandly across the city of Amritsar.

You have the typical Punjabi literature that is followed across religious texts and biblical annotations. The national heritage and the level of patriotism the people of the city have been quite indomitable indeed. You must have heard of the Jallianwala Bagh incident. Thousands of civilians lost their lives while the British troops opened fire at a religious center. Apart from Gurudwaras, you have temples, churches, and mosques too. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Jains live here in equal harmony with one another. The people here are quite warm and friendly. Fairs and festivals are celebrated at most of the households with pomp and splendor. You have vibrant dances, food, and enthusiasm that are shared by the local inmates. For a cosmopolitan touch, you have boutiques, pubs, and high-dining restaurants. This way, you cover a brief overview of the cultural aspects, the city enjoys.

History of Amritsar

It was Guru Ram Das who was the founder of the magnificent city of Amritsar. He was the fourth Sikh Guru indeed. The city was founded with a rich Sikh tradition attached to its cultural well-being. The city was founded during the 15th Century AD. Between 1574 and 1604, numerous temples and Gurudwaras were built by the Sikh religious leaders, as a matter of fact.

Forming a part of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjith Singh fortified the city. This was done by constructing a wall in the Katra Singh area. The wall was constructed during the year 1822. The old walled city was thoroughly built that had specifications matching 25 yards in breadth and 7 yards via height. The entire city of Amritsar was known as the walled city. You had thirteen walls in total. These were Lahori Darwaza, Khazana, Hakeem, Rangar Nangalia, Gilwali, Ramgharia, Doburji, Ahluwalia, Deori Kalan, Rambagh Deori, Shahzada, Lohgarh, and the Hall City. While the British Raj invaded Amritsar, it was known as the walled city indeed. We then had a major tragedy that struck the city of Amritsar. The British troops suddenly opened fire at a religious place named Jallianwala. Hundreds of innocent Indians lost their lives. This incident happened on April 13th, 1919. A statutory memoir was then constructed in memory of soldiers who were martyred during the incident. There were freedom struggles that were fought throughout the city of Amritsar until we had received our Independence on the 15th of August 1947. The Amritsar tourism department lays special emphasis on visitors who visit Jallianwala Bagh in memory of 1000s of Indians who had lost their lives at the massacre organized by the British General Dyer.

Tourist sight-seeing in Amritsar

You have quite a number of exotic tourist places in Amritsar. You have the bustling golden temple wherein millions of people throng to. At the langar, you have free food that is distributed to devotees who step into the Golden Temple. You have the historical hub namely the Jallianwala Bagh. Likewise, the number of tourist attractions in Amritsar is far many. Let us have an overview of what these are.

The Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is one of the most prestigious religious spaces that is revered the most across India. The Golden temple is also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib. The golden hub is situated at the heart of Amritsar and can be easily reached from any part of the city indeed. The temple is constructed using the purest form of 24-carat gold. This way, the evenings of the temple premises are lit up, while you can see the temple glow even across the night skies. The langar is open 24/7. More than 100,000 hungry devotees are served wholesome food at the temple premises.

The community kitchen, in fact, attracts a huge number of devotees and visitors to the temple hub. They are served with wholesome food irrespective of caste, creed, or community. Amid the vast complex, the Durbar Sahib or the prayer hall is particularly restricted to the Sikh community indeed. The Amrit Sarovar or the ‘Golden Lake’ refers to the small lake or ghat where pilgrims or devotees can take a dip inside the waters. Then, they enter the premises of the temple. The evening lights even glow across the Lake. Golden Temple is inarguably one of the most exquisite tourist places in Amritsar.

The Wagah Border

The Wagah border is around 28 km from the city of Amritsar. Again, this is one of the most iconic tourist places in Amritsar. Again, the Wagah border lies at an easy distance of 22 km from Lahore, Pakistan. So, what do you deduce from this? It is the Wagah border that marks the geographical boundaries between India and Pakistan. You must visit the place during the wee hours of twilight. You have the military troops of both India and Pakistan meeting up at the Wagah Border. The soldiers engage on a 30-minute display of military camaraderie and showmanship.

Jallianwala Bagh

Jallianwala Bagh is a famous tourist spot known for its historical significance indeed. You have a memorial in honor of thousands of Indians who had lost their lives during the Jallianwala massacre that took place on 13th April 1919. You also have a well-maintained garden surrounding the memorial. That is the reason why this is the Amritsar tourist spot that gets named Jallianwala Bagh. Thousands of people come to this spot to pay their respect and homage to those soldiers who were martyred during the massacre.

Guru Ke Mahal

This Amritsar tourist spot, namely Guru Ke Mahal serves a religious sanctity indeed. This is a palatial palace that houses the Granth Sahib and their gurus, as a matter of fact. The Mahal was founded by Guru Ram Das during the year 1573. This was built as a little cottage or a hut to serve the interests of religious gurus of the Sikh religion. But eventually, the place became bigger as a palace. The place has now become a palatial three-story Gurudwara indeed. The Guru Granth Sahib, which is regarded as the holy book for the Sikhs is placed upon a raised platform, right here.

Bibeksar Sahib, Amritsar

You have the Bibeksar Sahib that is a famous Gurudwara in Amritsar. This is one of the finest tourist places in Amritsar, worth mentioning indeed. The gurudwara is situated near the Chattiwind gate that is hardly located at a distance of 1.5 km from the Golden Temple. This was indeed a congregation site for the 6th guru of the Sikhs, namely Hargobind Singh Ji. The son of Guru Arjan Dev Ji also shared the same premises, as a matter of fact. Hargobind Ji built a lake surrounding the gurudwara and made this place his permanent resting place too. He had laid the foundation for the construction of the holy tank during the year 1628.

Partition Museum, Amritsar

The Partition Museum is dedicated to the victims and survivors of Independent India. The nation was prepping itself into the division of the country into India and Pakistan respectively. The museum is located in Town Hall, Amritsar. The museum houses newspaper clippings, artworks, and memoirs of people who had suffered immensely during the abrupt partition of the country into two separate nations.

Gobindgarh Fort

Gobindgarh Fort is again one of the top-notch tourist places in Amritsar, known for its historical significance indeed. You find a historical museum and a cultural theme park that showcases the rich culture and legacy of Punjab. At the museum, you find traditional Punjabi costumes that were donned by the women of the yesteryear era. You find articles, in terms of utensils, they had used and even weapons of war that were being used during the olden days. You have Sher E Punjab and Whispering Walls that are portrayed to visitors as a themed movie showcasing the life of Maharaja Ranjith Singh. You also have live shows where folk dances and Bhangra are performed by artisans. You can buy typical Punjabi stuff like juttis and costumes at the Haat Bazaar that adjoins the museum premises.

Gurudwara Chheharta Sahib, Amritsar

Amritsar Tourism places this particular spot as one of the top 10 places at the bustling city indeed. The Gurdwara Chheharta Sahib is an iconic tourist spot located hardly 8 km away from the place. Again, this is one the most famous tourist places in Amritsar. You have the popular kite-flying fest that is conducted at the gurdwara year after year. The fest is organized with a lot of pomp and fanfare indeed. You have the famous Basant Panchami that is conducted in the month of Magh.

The festive occasion brings lakhs of devotees to this part of Amritsar. The local management also organizes free medical camp services. The Sikh community is the most helpful and generous across the country. The gurudwara is named after a major well that was dug by Guru Arjan Dev. This was to mark the birth of his son and his successor Guru Hargobind. 6 Pinnacle wheels were attached to the well to draw water from the well at a faster pace. To date, the Persian wells have been well kept and maintained.

Harike Wetland and bird sanctuary

This is one of the best tourist places in Amritsar known for nature and bird lovers indeed. The Harike wetland and bird sanctuary is the largest wetland across North India. This is an iconic spot that sprawls over a massive 4100 hectares of land indeed. The Harike lake surrounding the wetland is the major tourist attraction indeed. You have thousands of migratory birds visiting the wetlands every single year. You also find a thick canopy of vegetation and greenery surrounding the place.

Shri Ram Tirth Temple, Amritsar

The tourist spot is again one of the most resplendent tourist places in Amritsar. It is primarily believed that both the sons of Shri Rama were born here. They were twins named Lava and Kusha. The twin sons of Ram and Sita were born at the Shri Ram Tirth Temple at Amritsar. The temple is constructed using lime-yellow stone. The temple dates back to the epic Ramayana, wherein Balmiki had given an abode for Sita post Ram abandoning his own wife. The architectural beauty of the temple premises is something that is really worth exploring. The temple organizes a five-day fair post-Diwali. Millions of devotees throng to the temple premises to seek the blessings of the almighty. The evening lights dazzle across the temple premises adding to its splendor and grandeur.

These are some of the iconic tourist spots in and around the bustling city of Amritsar. You can have a travel package booked by the Amritsar Tourism department online to make the best out of your vacation here.

Food in Amritsar

You have rich and finger-licking cuisines forming a vibrant part of the Amritsari foodie culture. Most of the households out here use lavish amounts of ghee to prepare rotis and North Indian gravies. Amritsari kulchas, lassi, Amritsari fish, Chicken Tikka, Chicken tandoori, and hot Gulab jamuns are some of the delectable dishes specific to Amritsar.

Tourist activities in Amritsar

You can enjoy plenty of vacationing or holidaying activities while you are here. You can visit the Golden temple early in the morning. The rays of the early-morning sun fall upon the ‘Golden Temple’ which can enhance the glow of the temple. You can visit the Shri Ram Tirth Temple too. You can visit Gurudwaras to get a feel of how Sikhs do their prayers. You can hit out a high-dining restaurant that serves you the typical Punjabi food. That laches, parathas, and chole masala have oodles of oil and ghee added to the same. Punjabi lassi is also famous and is easily available in earthen jars chilled.

We have covered some of the most aesthetic aspects covering the golden city Amritsar. Haven’t you packed your bags yet?