A visit to the hallowed city of Amritsar, situated in Punjab, a northern state of India is sure to have a purifying effect on the mind and soul. This city is the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion and has a rich as well as poignant history. During our visit to this unique city, we were overwhelmed by alternating emotions of reverence, sadness, patriotism, and joy. We present here some pictures, which we hope captures the character of this enigmatic city.
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Amritsar
Amritsar is a city steeped in spirituality and history, from the serenity of the Golden Temple to the poignant history of Jallianwalah Bagh, Amritsar is packed with experiences that touch the core of your heart.
Jallianwalah Bagh
We started our tour of the city by paying homage at the site of the Jallianwalah Bagh massacre, where hundreds of unarmed men, women, and children were gunned down in cold blood on the fateful day of April 13, 1919. Today a small structure covers the well where hundreds jumped and perished while trying to escape the cruel bullets unleashed by the soldiers under orders from a Senior Military Officer.
The Martyrs’ Well, where hundreds jumped and perished
The point from where the guns boomed on that fateful day
This wall, where today, pigeons come to roost, still bears the bullet marks from the day of the Massacre
A flame burns in silent homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for India’s freedom
Golden Temple
The first glimpse of the Golden Temple, framed in the entrance arch
A man meditates in the serene precincts of the Golden Temple
A panoramic view of the Golden temple precincts
Lassi at Amritsar
A large glass of Lassi goes a long way in cooling you down on a hot summer day
Wagar Border, Amritsar
The Indian flag flies high at the Wagah Border, 30 Kms. from Amritsar. Wagah border is India’s border with Pakistan
Wish there were no borders a little girl seems to think as she witnesses the Beating Retreat Ceremony at Wagah Border
Amritsar is a city which tugs at your heartstrings, appeals to your inner soul and at the same time excites your gastric juices, a city with a complex personality, a city you cannot but fall in love with!
Do watch our video on Golden Temple here:
You might be interested in checking out our article on the Golden Temple, Amritsar. Click here to read the article ‘The Golden Temple – Serenity Serenades Spirituality’.
Which is the most enigmatic city that you have visited, do share your thoughts through our comments section.
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The golden temple is so beautiful. It’s also so important to pay tribute to a country’s history. Thank you for this beautiful photo essay! I learn so much from your posts!
Thank you. 🙂 Amritsar is beautiful and rich in history.
Did you experience a meal time at the Temple? They feed everyone as a charitable donation and not one single poor person will go hungry, such an amazingly philanthropic place.
Yes, we did and thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food. 🙂
The Golden temple is so beautiful… I wish I can discover it one day!
It is very beautiful indeed!
What an incredible and beautiful place with such a sad yet strong history. thanks for sharing
Yes, you are right. Thank you. 🙂
Lovely pictures! My girls and I long to visit India.
Thank you. 🙂 You all will love it!
Wow what an experience. I always have a hard time visiting places like this. On the one hand it’s incredibly moving to be in a place where tragedy occurred. It makes you reflect on life and what you can do to promote peace. But on the other hand it can be incredibly morbid to have these places as tourist attractions. Where do we draw the line between offering respects and exploiting tourism?
Very true. Such places stir the emotions within you and sometimes make us realize everything about being human!
Wow, this temple complex looks really huge and really beautiful. And as you say, a city with a complex personality. Really nice!
It is indeed. 🙂
That martyr well must have been a sad place to contemplate. I felt similar feelings when visiting Buchenwald (a Nazi concentration camp) in Germany. But I did enjoy your pictures of the beautiful golden temple!
Yes, it did make us emotional. Thank you.
Wow. I’ve never heard this story before. Thank you for sharing your experience at that site. I really love the picture of the little girl. It seems she has a bit of hope on her face.
Thank you. 🙂
Amritsar remains one of my girlfriends favourite places in India!
From sharing a meal inside the Golden Temple to the theatre of the border ceremony, such an amazing place!!!
You said it. It is amazing!
It sounds like an emotional, but also enjoyable visit. The temple is beautiful and the city sounds interesting, but definitely a somber occasion when reliving past experiences such as this.
You are right.
Hindustan Acha Hai!!!
Thank you. 🙂
That sounds like a very emotional experience. The temple looks beautiful
Indeed it was.
I think describing the city as evoking “sadness, patriotism and joy” was the perfect description. Sounds like an emotional experience – something that many people won’t soon forget.
Yes, we had mixed emotions while visiting the places in Amritsar.
Wow. This is a really interesting post for someone who doesn’t know much about the Indian Revolution – like me. Thank you for sharing more about this tragic event, but showing the beautiful things they have made in honor of the martyrs. Ps the photo of the man meditating at the temple is beautiful. Cheers!
Thank you. 🙂
It must have been an emotional visit, but I think it’s been commemorated beautifully and important not to forget our past. What a beautiful temple as well. I’d love to see this one day!
It was indeed an emotional one. Thank you. 🙂
Wow, I didn’t know anything about the Jallianwalah Bagh massacre, but Amritsar sounds like a sad but important place to visit.
Amritsar has a lot of history and culture.
Very nice pictures. Swarna Mandir or Harminder Sahib is the holly place is situated in Amritsar Punjab. The distance between Amritsar railway station and Golden temple is 2 km.
Source : http://www.roaddistance.in/punjab/amritsar-railway-station-amritsar-to-golden-temple-distance/by-road/
Thank you. 🙂
Amritsar sounds like a really fascinating place to visit. I am sad that I didn’t check it out on either of my trips to India, as I’m not sure I will get an opportunity to return. I love the way this place has clearly captured your heart!
Amritsar is a lovely place and a must see in India.
I really liked the photo that showed the first glimpse of the Golden Temple. It’s like I got a glimpse into your journey that day. I do not know much about the history of India, so this was a very interesting read for me.
Thank you. 🙂
Great photos! The golden temple looks beautiful and it seems like a very serene and spiritual place. Awful to hear of the massacre that took place. That must have been a very emotional moment. Thanks for sharing!
The temple is serene and beautiful and we did become very emotional.
Wow, thank you for such an insightful post. I had no idea about Martyrs’ Well – so sad!
Thank you. 🙂
Your photos tell an amazing story. I love this post.
Thank you. 🙂
I’ve never heard of that massacre. So sad!
It is very sad. 🙁
Beautiful but so sad. Glad they have the monument so that people are reminded of the sacrifice of others.
Can’t think of any cities that I’ve visited that I’d consider enigmatic.
True.
Very informative about something I knew little. I find this sort of learning quite emotional too.
Thank you. 🙂
Wonderful photos. I have not yet been to India. Perhaps one day …
Yes, you should plan to visit.
It sounds like a visit here would bring up a lot of emotions and cultural connection. The photos are lovely, India looks amazing
Yes it is. Thank you. 🙂
I didn’t know about the Jallianwalah Bagh massacre, so now you’ve got me looking it up and reading up on it. So sad. This place looks enriched with history; I’d love to go.
It is indeed a sad event. Amritsar truly has rich culture.
I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t make time for Amritsar during my month long backpacking trip to India. I know I only had a month which realistically meant I couldn’t see everything but all the people we met on the road agreed it was their favorite place in India. Did you participate in the Langar tradition that the Sikhs practice? It’s such a beautiful tradition… I wish all religions practiced their faith so generously and openly as the Sikhs do.
You can make it up in the next trip. We did participate in the langar and had the food too which was so delicious. I agree that this tradition really brings in the human touch and bonds one and all.
Hi Sandy and Vyjay,
I would totally love to meditate while looking at the Golden Temple as well! How beautiful and serene it is, I hope I can visit there one day. Thank you for this wonderful post and video!
Zaria
Thank you. 🙂 It is a serene place and you will love it.
What an incredible place full of rich, deep history and tragedy.
I know, it is truly incredible!
Being an Indian I have never been to that side of the country, I really missed out on a lot. The photo of the man meditating near the Golden Temple looks stunning. Hope I could visit once I get back to India.
You should definitely go. It is lovely. 🙂
Interesting mix of temples and celebrations. Anyone can surely fall in love with Amritsar.
Exactly.
I’ve been only a few places of tragedy. It is hard to fully enjoy the beauty of a place when the history is so sad. My hope is that such tragedies can stop and be a lesson.
Agree, let peace always prevail.
The photos look so beautiful! It seems like an interesting place to travel to – so rich in history and culture. I just hope that history won’t repeat itself and no borders anymore to separate families.
Thank you. 🙂 Yes, let peace prevail.
Seems like Amritsar is a mixture of sadness and joy. The martyr well in particular kind of reminds me when I visited the Auswitz. It was the same feeling of sadness. Thanks for also sharing this wonderful photos.
Thank you. 🙂 It was really a trip with mixed emotions.
Thankyou for the photo tour – I’m sure the site of the Jallianwalah Bagh massacre is absolutely chilling when visiting in person – I still felt something strong just looking through the photographs. I do think that it’s so important to visit these kind of sites though – if we let ourselves forget the past we are destined to repeat it.
Thank you. 🙂 We did get emotional visiting the site and as you said, it is important that we visit such places.
With so much stories and history, this must’ve been a very moving trip too.
Yes, it was very moving.
I’ve heard fables of how magical the Golden Temple is at dawn or dusk. I’ve a friend from Amritsar who keeps coaxing me to come to Amritsar, but I have never managed it. I think I really should take her up on it.
You will definitely love it.
It is hard visiting places that represent a sad past – but I do believe it is important visiting these places – it’s a huge eye-opener and forms part of understanding a culture better. I felt deeply moved when I visited places of tragedy in Cambodia, Vietnam or Laos — should I ever go to Amritsar, I would definitely go and visit.
Completely agree.
I have visited Amritsar sooooo many times as a kid – I love the food at Golden Temple. 🙂
I can’t wait to go back there, but this time at night to see how it lights up.
It is beautiful. 🙂 And food is so tasty.
The marker showing were they were fired upon from gives me chills. Beautiful and so sad at the same time.
Yeah, very true.
Amritsar was my very first encounter with India and is, after many years, still the most beautiful and emotionally powerful place I have ever seen. I love living that feeling again through your photos!
Oh, that’s great to know. 🙂
India seems so rich with diverse culture and history. I’m so ready to experience it in person!
Indeed it is.
Just another reason to add this reason to our travel wish list! The Golden Temple is stunning!
Just another reason to add this region to our travel wish list! The Golden Temple is stunning!
Thank you. 🙂
This makes me realize, I just don’t know enough about India! So many places in that beautiful country I have never heard of. Must be time for a trip!
Amritsar is truly amazing and if you plan a trip to India then it is one of the must see places. 🙂
It looks like a beautiful city but the history of it makes me feel sad!
Yeah, true.
I had not heard of this, thanks for sharing. The marker showing were they were fired upon is extremely moving.
I know, seeing that, we too got very emotional.
I know it’s a place I absolutely have to visit one day. The atmosphere will certainly be incredible.
Yes, I am sure you will love it. 🙂
India has so much beauty and sadness to experience and I hope to get there very soon. I want to travel to places like Amritsar that are so rich with history.
Indeed, yes. And Amritsar should definitely not be missed.
Such contrasting sights, people and history in one city. And the Martyrs’ Well would be a heart-wrenching site to visit. India’s history is dotted with so many tragic happenings.
True. Amritsar has a whole lot of history and culture.
Oh, wow. It seems like they have a respectable memorial set up to remember the massacre. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Ann. 🙂
Sad, lovely place. It is important to understand the history so as not to repeat it.
Very true.
What and incredible and sad story. People don’t ever realized how many History is induced in monuments, but that’s what I love about discovering new places. Knowing why it’s been there and how it can still impact our lives. As for the most intriging city, I’d go for Jerusalem. For me, as I’ve been there a dozen time, I always have this feeling that History is pregnant on every corner, and no matter what, we never learned enought about the events happening in thos historic streets.
I completely agree with you Liana. There is so much these monuments and places have to tell and show us and there is so much for us to learn.
Lovely. Did you try out the old lanes and the lovely food and other things they sell?
Great pictures , thank you sharing the nice blogs and images,well done
keep it up.
The memorial at jaliawala bagh brings shivers and memories of the ruthless era. While the golden temple fills one’s heart with humble and kind emotions. Amritsar is a must visit in India. We are soon planning a trip here.