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AMRITSAR ATTRACTIONS |
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| CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| AMRITSAR EXCURSIONS |
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| RELIGIOUS PLACES |
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AMRITSAR CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| Jallianwala Bagh |
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The historical monument that tells the sad story of mass killing during the independence movement in India, Jalianwallah Bagh is another must visit in Amritsar. Here lies the memorial of the martyrs of the 1919 massacre by British General Dyer. Presently the place also has a park. The Martyr's Gallery is open from 9 am to 5 pm in summers and from 10 am to 4 pm during winters. |
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| Baba Atal Rai Tower |
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Located at a distance of few kilometres from the main town, Baba Atal Rai Tower is also a site worth visiting. It is believed that Guru Har Gobind died at this spot. Named after the son of Guru Har Gobind, this nine storied building is an important landmark of the place. Climbing on to the top gives you a panoramic view of the entire area. The first floor of the tower houses some of the miniatures related to Guru Nanak's life and his preaching. |
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| Wagah Border |
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One of the many nearby places to visit from Amritsar is the Wagah Border. Located on the Indo-Pakistan border, Wagah is 28 kilometres from the Amritsar main town. A good number of visitors come to this place to see the change of guards ceremony and the flag hoisting and lowering activities which are done with great skill and precision by the border security forces of both the countries. |
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| Ram Bagh |
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Ram Bagh a beautiful garden, an accustomed listener to the Neighs of thousand horses, announcing the arrival of the statesman of the century Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) the Lion of Punjab, has in its heart the summer Palace of this great ruler. Maintenance free inbuilt cooling system designed in the Palace exhibits the architectural excellence and invokes a keen interest. The garden was named by the ruler himself as a tribute to Guru Ram Das, the founder of the city. Now the summer palace of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been converted into a museum which speaks volumes on his times. On display are weapons dating back to Mughal times, portraits of ruling houses of Punjab and a replica of diamond "Kohinoor". |
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| Khalsa College |
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The oldest college of Amritsar was established in distinctive mix of Mughal and Sikh architecture in the year 1892 by the Singh Sabha Movement. The college campus is spread over more that 300 acres and has that distinctive charm with red minarets and domes against the lush green backdrop. |
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| Tarn Taran |
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Located at a distance of 25 kilometres from Amritsar, Tarn Taran is a famous excursion point. One of the important spots to see here is the sacred tank which is believed to have curative powers. It is believed that if a leper successfully swims across the tank, he or she can be cured of the disease. Tarn Taran also has a highly revered Gurudwara built by Guru Arjan Dev in AD 1768. This Gurudwara is built in memory of Guru Ram Das. It is amazing to see how the architecture of the Golden Temple has influenced the other significant structures. The Gurudwara of Tarn Taran is also made in the same architectural style. |
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| Dharamshala |
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Located at a distance of 200 kilometres from Amritsar in the state of Himachal Pradesh is Dharamshala, a popular hill station. It is also famous as the present home of Dalai Lama. This wonderful and picturesque hill station is characterised by magnificent deodar and pine forests, tea gardens and beautiful hills. Situated at an altitude of 1250 metres to 1982 metres, there are many spots to visit in and around the town. Mc Leodganj (10 km), the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute, Bhagsunath (11 km), St. John's Church (8 km),the Kunal Pathri (3 km) and the War Memorial (2 km from the town centre) are some of the major places to visit in Dharamshala. Dharamshala also provides access for a visit to some of the other nearby exotic destinations. |
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| Baba Bakala |
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The 9th Prophet Guru Teg Bahadur had revealed himself to Makhan Shah Lubana, a Sikh devotee here. A fair is held here on the occasion of Rakhsha Bandhan. |
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| Amanat Khan Sarai |
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A trip from Amritsar to Amanat Khan Serai would take one to one of the only four remaining serais of Punjab dating back to the Mughal period. Serais, as the name implicates refer to an inn. The Amanat Khan Serai is situated amidst all its nostalgia at a distance of 38 km from the city of Amritsar. Time has ravaged much of its beauty and glory but what has remained can surely give an idea of the impressive arrangement that once existed in this serai. Serai Amanat Khan is all the more special with its arched get ways that have been exquisitely sculpted out reflecting the Mughal style of architecture. The ruins of the glazed tile decor invokes nostalgia of a bygone era. The beauty of Amanat Khan Serai is also largely due to the 'Bouli' that is attached to the ruined well of the serai. Lying almost unnoticed, this richness from the Mughal period is situated in a small village to the south west of the main city of Amritsar. The beautiful Serai Amanat Khan houses the tomb of Amanat Khan, majestically guarded by the minarets on the four sides of the tomb. The mosque in the vicinity is adorned with beautiful verses in Persian. The serai had an arrangement of hundreds of rooms and is almost 100 yards both in length and breadth. This serai like the others served for the accommodation to the people passing the royal road from Atari to Govindwal. All of them, including the Amanat Khan Serai, has water tanks to serve the inmates staying in the serais. The place is historically rich and it is also easily accessible from Amritsar to Amanat Khan Serai.
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| Anandpur Sahib Fort |
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A trip from Amritsar to Anandpur Sahib Fort Ropar is enriching in the history, culture and religious tradition of Punjab. Located in the left bank of Sutlej river, the site of Anandpur Sahib is on the Chandigarh - Nangal Road at a distance of 41 kms from Ropar. Amidst the serene backdrop of the Naina Devi mountains, Anandpur Sahib is truly the 'city of divine bliss'. This excursion from Amritsar basically entails a trip to the land of gurudwaras and forts. This is because Anandpur Sahib was defended by the forts of Keshgarh, Lohgarh Anandgarh, and Fatehgarh and the picturesque valley has been the site of Sikhism for almost 80 years.
The Anandpur Sahib Forts have withstood the scourge of time and been witness to major warfare and events of Sikh religious history. The gurudwara of Kesar Sahib or Kesgarh Sahib, is one of the four seats of authority for Sikhism and the fort around it was built in 1699. A total of twelve relics from the life of Guru Gobind Singh and six martyrs of Sikhism are preserved here.
There are around 33 gurudwaras in and around the Anandpur Sahib. The Khalsa Panth and worshiping of Guru Granth Sahib started its journey from this holy site. All this makes Anandpur Sahib an interesting destination near Amritsar. The festivals of Holla Mohalla in March and Baisakhi in April is celebrated with huge pomp and gaiety in Anandpur Sahib and see lakhs of devotees flocking the holy place. An arrangement of community kitchen or langar for 40,000 people and an accommodation facility of 400 heads are available every day free of cost in Anandpur Sahib. This apart, there are several hotels and guest houses to provide dining and comfortable stays in Anandpur Sahib for those who want to stay overnight on their excursion from Amritsar to Anandpur Sahib Fort Ropar. |
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RELIGIOUS PLACES IN AMRITSAR |
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| Golden Temple |
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Located in the heart of the city is the Golden Temple, the most visited tourist attraction of Amritsar. Characterised by its four entrance doors (called deoris) in all four directions and the tastefully decorated shrines, in terms of art and architecture, the Golden Temple welcomes everyone regardless of the religion or faith one follows. The stunning sanctum, shimmering in the water of the holy tank, flanked by spotlessly clean marble walkways and pavements makes it breathtakingly beautiful.
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| Durgiana Mandir |
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The Durgiana Mandir is the largest Hindu temple in Amritsar, and was built in the 1920s. By definition, it is a temple devoted to the Goddess, Durga. It is built in the same style as the much larger Sikh temple, the Harmandir Sahib (or Golden Temple) rather than traditional Hindu temple architecture. Like Harmandir Sahib, it rises from a tank of water, with a middle pathway which is divided into two lanes heading to the central mandir and back. Part of the temple is also dedicated to Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth, and to Narayan, preserver of the universe. Hence, it is also known as the "Laxmi Narayan Temple". Its foundation stone was laid by one of the greatest reformers and political leaders of resurgent India, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. It is a well-known repository of Hindu scriptures.
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| Ram Tirth |
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Located 11 kilometres west of Amritsar on Chogawan road, dates back to the period of Ramayana, Rishi Balmiki's hermitage. The place has an ancient tank and many temples. A hut marks the site where Mata Sita gave birth to Luv & Kush and also, still extant are Rishi Balmiki's hut and the well with stairs where Mata Sita used to take her bath. The Bedis of Punjab (Guru Nanak Dev ji, the founder Prophet of Sikhism was a Bedi) trace their descent from Kush and Sodhis (the 10th Prophet of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh ji was a Sodhi) from Luv. A four day fair, since times immemorial is held here starting on the full moon night in November. |
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| Goindval Sahib |
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GOINDVAL, the firstever place of Sikh pilgrimage so designated by its founder, Guru Amar Das. This in fact was the spot where the ancient eastwest highway crossed the River Beas. With the renovation of the highway by Sher Shalh Suri, the Afghan ruler of north India (1540-45), this ferry site became an important transit point. This led one Goinda or Gonda, a Marvaha Khatri trader, to plan establishing an habitation at the western end of the ferry. Thwarted in his endeavour by natural calamities which Goinda attributed to evil spirits, he repaired to Khadur to seek Guru Angad's blessing. The Guru deputed his devoted disciple, (Guru) Amar Das, to help Goinda. Amar Das, who knew that track very well as he had been carrying river water from this place to Khadur daily for his Master's ablutions, laid the foundation of a village which was named after Goinda. After his apointment as Guru in 1552, Guru Amar Das shifted from Khadur to Goindval. In 1559, Guru Amar Das commenced the digging in Goindval of a baoli, i.e. a well with steps descending down to water level which, when completed, attracted pilgrims from far and near. Goindval also became ,in the time of Guru Amar Das, the centre of an annual fair on the occasion of Baisakhi. Even after Guru Amar Das's successor. Guru Ram Das, had built up Amritsar and made it his permanent seat, devotees continued to visit Goindval to have a dip in the sacred baoli and pay homage at other local shrines. |
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| Gurudwara Ber Sahib |
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This is the Gurudwara built at the place where the first prophet Guru Nanak got enlightenment and created Sukhmani Sahib while taking bath in the river Kali Bein.From Sultanpur lodi only the Guru Nanak started his famous journeys. Sultanpur Lodi in Kapurthala district is easily accessible from Jalandhar and Amritsar via Taran Taran and Goindwal Sahib. One can plan his visit from both Amritsar( around 60 km away) and
Jalandhar(36 km away). |
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