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Ext Mall Road, Batala Road, Amritsar, Punjab, India
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Make the bread for Langar
Amritsar Local Custom
Serving Langar at the Golden Temple Complex
Inside Durgiana Temple
I am travelling to Amritsar for several days in February and would like to hear from others who have visited. Any advice would be most appreciated, also any comments on accommodations as well.
when do u plan to be there? i might be there for an excursion from lahore or something...need to check the schedule first though. nepalgoods has a nice page on it. i did check the rates for some accommodations there and it's quite good. $50 for a triple suite at grand hotel but it might be quite an experience to spend the night at the temple :)
Obviously, the one "don't miss" attraction is the (reconstructed) Golden Temple complex, the heart of the Sikh religion. Of interest, too, is Jallianwala Bagh, the site of a notorious massacre by British-commanded troops in 1919.
The better hotels are Mohan International and Ritz Plaza. I've stayed at Mohan. Its nice though slightly pricey...relatively that is. You could also stay at Ms. bhandari's guest House a little outside the city. I havent seen it but have heard some decent reviews about the place.
When you enter any Sikh Gurudwara, including the Golden Temple you must remove your shoes and cover your head. This is seen as a sign of respect. Make sure you take a scarf or handkerchief to cover your head. If you do not have one, one will be provided at the door. However, I think you would prefer to use something of your own to cover your head.
Every night at sunset, the border between India & Pakistan is closed for the night. The ceremony is worth seeing, it's a display of showmanship. The soldiers from each side try to show up the other. It's become such an attraction that grandstands have been built on both sides of the border.
The final part of the ceremony is the lowering of the flags, which is done painfully slow, because neither nations wants the other's flag to be higher, which would indicate superiority......
The border is about 30 km West of Amritsar. Try to get there around 4pm, and enjoy a tea before ceremony.
Even though photography isn't allowed inside the Golden Temple, I sneaked off a few pictures as its just too beautiful not to. The first floor walls are covered with Pietra dura and decorative plasterwork bearing animal and flower motifs covered in gold leaf. You get a great view of the reciting of the Holy Book from the balcony up above. Three guys were sitting on the floor playing instruments and singing away but without any music and words in front of them. People were giving money when they entered and dropping to the floor in prayer. It all got a bit silly as people were pushing and shoving their way through and I thought that it didn't appear to be a very calm way of doing things but that's just the way they do things and so be it.
The dome on top of the Golden Temple is shaped like an inverted lotus flower which is the symbol of Sikhism's aim to live a pure life. It's said to be covered in 100kg (220lbs) of gold that was donated by Ranjit Singh in 1830. The dome sits on top of the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors) on the roof of the temple which you can go up to. Inside the small hall which has walls of glass, there's another Holy Book.
Street Cricket is a must when you are in Amritsar because it was our bus driver who stop the bus to watch them playing and for me to tak the photo. So I think this must be an activity not to be miss.
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