Amritsar

Amritsar, India

The Golden Temple reflected in the sacred pool during a golden sunrise in Amritsar.

Amritsar is home to the Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest site, and a busy old city that rewards two or three unhurried days.

The place

Amritsar sits in the Majha region of north-western Punjab, about 28 km from the India–Pakistan border. The city has roughly 1.2 million people within its municipal limits, and the metropolitan area around it is larger still. It stands at about 234 metres above sea level on the flat Punjab plain, so the land is level and the sky feels very wide.

For most visitors the city means one place: the Golden Temple, set in a sacred pool at the heart of the old city. The lanes around it are dense with shops selling bangles, fabric, sweets and steel kitchenware, and with pilgrims who come in family groups and linger for hours. Beyond the temple, the city is a working commercial centre, and its markets are busiest in the morning.

Amritsar works well as a base for two or three days. Walk the old city early, when the temple is at its calmest, then spend the afternoon at the colonial-era sites and the gardens to the north of the centre. Traffic, rickshaws and weekend crowds are a constant. Summers are hot and winters are cool, so plan your days around the season rather than the calendar.

Its story

Sikh tradition credits Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru, with founding the town in 1574. The site was reportedly chosen on the advice of his predecessor, Amar Das, who asked him to find land for a new settlement and to dig a sacred pool at its centre. Ram Das completed the pool first, built his guru's residence beside it, and invited merchants and craftsmen from across India to settle there.

The town was first called Ramdaspur after its founder. Under his successors the settlement grew through donations and the unpaid labour of volunteers, and the pool became the focus of a temple complex. The gurdwara that now stands in the water took shape in this period, and the name Amritsar, meaning pool of nectar, came to be used for the whole town.

The city's modern history is shaped by 1919. On that day British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed crowd in Jallianwala Bagh, a walled garden in the city, and the killings became a turning point in the independence movement. Later, under the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Ram Bagh garden was turned into a summer palace. The brick and lime Gobindgarh Fort, built in 1760, shows the military side of that era, and today it is being developed into a site with museums and performances.

What to see

Culture

Amritsar's identity is shaped by Sikhism, and the Golden Temple is a living place of worship rather than a museum piece. Visitors are expected to behave as they would in any gurdwara. Heads must be covered anywhere inside the complex, with a headscarf or a cloth tied over the hair, and loose scarves are handed out free at the entrances, so you need not buy one in advance. Shoes and socks come off before the approach, and feet are washed at the taps before you go in. A cloakroom near the entrance holds footwear.

Inside the complex, photography is not allowed in the sanctum, though the outer walkway around the pool is open to cameras. Lighting up, drinking alcohol and spitting are all out of place in the complex and within sight of the temple, and the busy street outside is not the place for a cigarette. Queues for the sanctum and the langar move steadily because volunteers run them, so join in patiently. Modesty applies to clothing too, and shoulders and knees should be covered.

At Jallianwala Bagh, behave as you would at any memorial, and keep conversation low. Before you reach the temple gate, cover your head and put your phone away, because photographing people inside the sanctum is the fastest way to cause offence.

What to wear

Traditional dress in Punjab centres on the salwar kameez, a long tunic worn over loose trousers and finished with a dupatta, a long scarf draped over the shoulders. Cotton and silk are common. The phulkari embroidery of the region, with bright silk thread worked in geometric patterns on cloth, is a textile tradition people still treasure for weddings and festivals. Many Sikh men wear the turban, tied in a range of colours, and many women wear the dupatta for modesty as well as the sun.

In Amritsar today you will see a mix. Older residents and many pilgrims wear traditional salwar kameez and turbans, while younger people wear jeans, kurtas and western shirts, often with a scarf for the heat. Smart casual is the norm in the city's shops and restaurants.

For a visitor, pack light cotton or linen that covers shoulders and knees. Breathable fabric matters more than anything in the hotter months. A scarf is essential, both for the sun and for covering your head inside the Golden Temple. Choose shoes that slip on and off easily, because you will remove them often and walk on warm stone and pavement.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. October to March is the most comfortable window, with cooler days and clearer air. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon months bring humid spells, so plan outdoor sightseeing for early morning and late afternoon if you travel then.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Most flights to Amritsar connect through New Delhi, which is about 1 hour away by air. The cheapest last leg from the airport is a local bus to the main road, then a rickshaw or auto into the city. Trains connect Amritsar with Delhi and other Indian cities.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources