Wanderlust Tales : Amritsar Diaries - Exploring like a local, Punjab
DAY 2
HOW TO GET HERE:
We left around 9:00-ish in the morning from our hotel to reach the Golden Temple. Amritsar is a small place and most of the places lie in a radius of about 3-4 kms.
Ola saves your day and most of our rides in the city were booked through OLA.
#ola
AMRITSAR DIARIES:
MUST DO THINGS IN AMRITSAR:
The Punjabis here are so heart warming and the politeness which reflects in the language is heavily soothing - even a short conversation would win your heart. 😍
First thing to tick off your bucket list must be the Golden Temple. The beauty and the serenity of the temple is every bit worth the fame it has attained over the years.
You can read more about my visit from the below link:
Golden Temple
https://xylo742.blogspot.in/2018/04/wanderlust-tales-amritsar-diaries_7.html
Once you pay your respects at the Golden Temple - you would find a throng for prasad at one corner as you are exiting. The kada prasad is overloaded with ghee but a spoonful drop onto our palms and it is pure jannat. There will be a lot of chaos to get the prasad - but don't miss out on the delicacy. 😋
Who wouldn't know of this grave human massacre - which was one of the starting points for our Indian Freedom Struggle.
We left around 9:00-ish in the morning from our hotel to reach the Golden Temple. Amritsar is a small place and most of the places lie in a radius of about 3-4 kms.
Ola saves your day and most of our rides in the city were booked through OLA.
#ola
AMRITSAR DIARIES:
MUST DO THINGS IN AMRITSAR:
The Punjabis here are so heart warming and the politeness which reflects in the language is heavily soothing - even a short conversation would win your heart. 😍
The men are tall, broad shouldered adorning a turban with their traditional dress of kurta pyjaama and the women dress up simply in salwar kameez and their long Rapunzel like hair are worth pondering on. 😕
- Golden Temple
First thing to tick off your bucket list must be the Golden Temple. The beauty and the serenity of the temple is every bit worth the fame it has attained over the years.You can read more about my visit from the below link:
Golden Temple
https://xylo742.blogspot.in/2018/04/wanderlust-tales-amritsar-diaries_7.html
- Guru Da Langar
Lakhs and lakhs of people fall in for the Guru Da Langar.
As the people of Amritsar proudly claim - "Hamare dwar pe koi bhukka nahin rehta". Poor to the poorest , rich to the richest everyone dine in one ground. 💚
There is a separate langar area designated for the devotees - it is open 24 X 7 and they feed innumerable people.
As we stepped in, to see the amount of dishes was a true mark of triumph. You are asked to queue up, and handed in the plates, spoons and katori for the water.
The dining area is on the first floor , you have to chant the few slokas in the name of the Guru till your dining area.
The hall is huge and it is astounding to see number of people already seated there eating peacefully. There are mats put up, one must find a vacant place and seat yourself with the plate and the sevaks will readily serve on your plate.
A simple meal of a roti, kheer, kabuli chana and moong daal was so relishing - it is the love of the people and God which goes into preparation which makes the food so tasty. Simplistic yet filled with loads of love. 💜
Relentlessly, number of people are doing seva, from cleaning the plates to drying them to distributing them - every devotee has a chance to do seva - it is not restricted to only one or a few.
You can also drop in donation for organizing the langar, in case time doesn't permit you to do the seva.
As the people of Amritsar proudly claim - "Hamare dwar pe koi bhukka nahin rehta". Poor to the poorest , rich to the richest everyone dine in one ground. 💚
There is a separate langar area designated for the devotees - it is open 24 X 7 and they feed innumerable people.
As we stepped in, to see the amount of dishes was a true mark of triumph. You are asked to queue up, and handed in the plates, spoons and katori for the water.
The dining area is on the first floor , you have to chant the few slokas in the name of the Guru till your dining area.
The hall is huge and it is astounding to see number of people already seated there eating peacefully. There are mats put up, one must find a vacant place and seat yourself with the plate and the sevaks will readily serve on your plate.
A simple meal of a roti, kheer, kabuli chana and moong daal was so relishing - it is the love of the people and God which goes into preparation which makes the food so tasty. Simplistic yet filled with loads of love. 💜
Relentlessly, number of people are doing seva, from cleaning the plates to drying them to distributing them - every devotee has a chance to do seva - it is not restricted to only one or a few.
You can also drop in donation for organizing the langar, in case time doesn't permit you to do the seva.
- Kada Prasad
Once you pay your respects at the Golden Temple - you would find a throng for prasad at one corner as you are exiting. The kada prasad is overloaded with ghee but a spoonful drop onto our palms and it is pure jannat. There will be a lot of chaos to get the prasad - but don't miss out on the delicacy. 😋
- Bharwan Da Dhaba
The tremendous queue and the hustle bustle around the place is note worthy. The true traditional Punjabi Food at your service is a must try - AMRITSARI THALI which constitutes of two ghee laden absolutely lip smacking hot and fresh AMRITSARI KULCHAS - served along with raita and rich spicy gravy-licious chole - do you see the dark shades in the gravy?!
By the way, the localites call it Parwaan Da Dhabaa.
By the way, the localites call it Parwaan Da Dhabaa.
- Gianni Di Lassi
The LASSI is overtly famous here. It is prepared right in front you - huge chunks of curd beaten together and stored in a pot.
There is a guy who fills the glasses with a dollup of butter like substance in the base of the glass and fills the glass full of the lassi and adorns it with a handful of rabdi.
I am not sure if it is a must have - but after the long walk in hunt of the shop it was definitely refreshing.
It is located in the busy by lanes of the wholesale market near the Town Hall Street.
It is located in the busy by lanes of the wholesale market near the Town Hall Street.
- Jallianwala Bagh
Who wouldn't know of this grave human massacre - which was one of the starting points for our Indian Freedom Struggle.
It was the fateful day of the April 19th, that on the orders of Colonel Dyer, the troops fired at an unarmed crowd of Baishaki pilgrims - a brutality crossing all barriers. Almost 1650 rounds had been fired.
In the chaos, not only people were wounded and dead by the firings, but also many fell prey to stampeded. And there were others who just jumped to the well to ward off the shooting.
Churchill had openly condemned the attack calling it monstrous.
The walls of the memorial still have the bullet shots from 1919 - although I didn't have a heart to see the place thoroughly - it raised a sense of patriotism along with a strange feeling that how insensitive can one be towards humanity.
In the chaos, not only people were wounded and dead by the firings, but also many fell prey to stampeded. And there were others who just jumped to the well to ward off the shooting.
Churchill had openly condemned the attack calling it monstrous.
The walls of the memorial still have the bullet shots from 1919 - although I didn't have a heart to see the place thoroughly - it raised a sense of patriotism along with a strange feeling that how insensitive can one be towards humanity.
It is funny how so many years down the lane - the place has just become a place of hangout - little did I see that people respectfully paid their homage - but instead loitering around casually.
For me, it was even difficult to envision the day in my head.
They have tried to etch the names of the people who had been affected due to the event, right at the street.
It is just about 400 m from the Golden Temple - after you pay a visit to the holy abode, you can come to see the Bagh.
It is just about 400 m from the Golden Temple - after you pay a visit to the holy abode, you can come to see the Bagh.
- Shopping
Don't miss out on shopping on the numerous shops on the lanes of the Town Hall.
Ladies , it is a shopping paradise - jewelry, clothing, accessories, shoes, handicrafts, souvenirs - you name it and they have it.
Town Hall has many shops that you could explore to suits your choice.
Don't forget to pick a pair of the famous juttis for yourself starting at Rs.600/- or heavy karigi done dupattas or dress materials - especially the phulkari work. They are quite pricey I must say - but the work will make you go gaga - the pieces start from as high as Rs.2500/-.
A true work of craftsmanship and skills on a piece of cloth.
Haggling won't hurt. 😀
Ladies , it is a shopping paradise - jewelry, clothing, accessories, shoes, handicrafts, souvenirs - you name it and they have it.
Town Hall has many shops that you could explore to suits your choice.
Don't forget to pick a pair of the famous juttis for yourself starting at Rs.600/- or heavy karigi done dupattas or dress materials - especially the phulkari work. They are quite pricey I must say - but the work will make you go gaga - the pieces start from as high as Rs.2500/-.
A true work of craftsmanship and skills on a piece of cloth.
Haggling won't hurt. 😀
- Heritage Street
An evidence holding the true art, culture, heritage and history of Punjab. It was in the year 2016 that the Punjab Government spent about Rs.160 crores to to renovate and what they say is face lift the stretch from the Town Hall to the Golden Temple. About 170 buildings surrounding the area were worked upon in the process - and this can be seen as you walk down the streets. The red bricked buildings, the white marbled buildings definitely leave a mark on your head - kudos to the symphony in the organisation of the street from the streets, to the shops to the various buildings - everything just fits in the frame.
The feel one would walking down the lanes is similar to strolling on the foreign lands - the cleanliness, the architecture, the make and feel is awe breaking.
Town Hall was actually built by the British in 1866, and is the center of the local administration.
Heritage Street is filled with food joints, shopping centers - one could spend 3-4 hours easily here.
The feel one would walking down the lanes is similar to strolling on the foreign lands - the cleanliness, the architecture, the make and feel is awe breaking.
Town Hall was actually built by the British in 1866, and is the center of the local administration.
Heritage Street is filled with food joints, shopping centers - one could spend 3-4 hours easily here.
- Partition Muesuem
The Partition Museum - a red bricked building holds the memoirs of the Partition of 1947. It is space for commemoration as well as documentation of the migration from our years of struggle against the British Raj.
It is the place to be to get your history straight. It has been developed by Art and Cultural Heritage Trust. They have aimed to display more about the survivors, the misery that struck and the legacy.
Located on the heritage street itself - you don't have to make much efforts to reach here.
Don't miss the opportunity to witness the glorification of the BSF Jawans at the Border. They really put in hard work for bringing life to the ceremony of flag lowering at the border. Read more about it from the below link:
~Believe in yourself always!
It is the place to be to get your history straight. It has been developed by Art and Cultural Heritage Trust. They have aimed to display more about the survivors, the misery that struck and the legacy.
Located on the heritage street itself - you don't have to make much efforts to reach here.
- Autorickshaw - Hath Gadi rides
Marvel these rickshaws rides, which ply for short distances and it is indeed fun to ride in them. You could ride up in either of these or the hath rickshaws.
Be cautious, they literally pull you into their sawaris - so deal with them only if you intend to use the vehicles - else stay away - they could get really rude.
Be cautious, they literally pull you into their sawaris - so deal with them only if you intend to use the vehicles - else stay away - they could get really rude.
- Wholesale market
Just as the heritage street ends - starts a totally new world which is the pieces of Old Amritsar brought together for you - the Golden Temple Out Road. In the above picture, the gate is the start to the market.
A bazaar with the busy lanes having numerous shops tucked in together - offering clothing, footwear, accessories, souvenirs, electronic show rooms and eatery joints. One could say it is a less sophisticated version of the shops at the Heritage Street.
Going by the make, looked like shopping would be slightly inexpensive here as compared to the shops located in the Heritage Street.
A bazaar with the busy lanes having numerous shops tucked in together - offering clothing, footwear, accessories, souvenirs, electronic show rooms and eatery joints. One could say it is a less sophisticated version of the shops at the Heritage Street.
Going by the make, looked like shopping would be slightly inexpensive here as compared to the shops located in the Heritage Street.
- Waagah-Attari Border
Don't miss the opportunity to witness the glorification of the BSF Jawans at the Border. They really put in hard work for bringing life to the ceremony of flag lowering at the border. Read more about it from the below link:
https://xylo742.blogspot.in/2018/04/wanderlust-tales-amritsar-diaries-valor.html
More pictures(Google Drive):
More pictures(Google Drive):
Cheers to life!!
~Believe in yourself always!
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