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Punjab is known as the Land of Five rivers. At Roop Nagar there are evidences that link us to the indusvalley civilisation and also antiques pointing out to the Alexander the Great's army existence has been received. The Bhatinda and the Faridkot fort tells us a lot about the rich past of Punjab. The summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh displays a different architecture and a uniue design. Being a rich historical place the museums here are also very rich and its worth a see.
Amritsar
Amritsar is one of the most important cities of Punjab and is famous for the Golden Temple which is perhaps the most sacred shrine of the Shikhs. Amritsar means The Pool of Nectar, and Guru Ramdas, the forth guru of the Sikhs founded it in 1557. Pakistani travelers come through Amritsar by the land route.
How to reach
Flights are available from Delhi(446 kms) and Srinagar. Well connected by Rail to all the major cities of India. Shatabdi and Frontier mail etc are important trains from Delhi. The state transport buses from Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana and other cities are also available. It is 223 kms from Chandigarh and Shimla is 342 kms.
What to see in Amritsar
The Golden Temple
The original Guru Granth Sahib is housed in the temple by the pool after which the city has been named. The dome of the Temple is gold-plated and the total amount of gold used is believed to be 400 kgs. The temple garden, Baba Atal Tower and Ramgarhia Minars are places within the temple complex.
The Old City
A Hindu temple called Durgiana is a 15-minute walk from the Golden Temple.This temple of goddess Durga is in the old city. Another temple built on a lake, is dedicated to Lakshmi and Narayan. There are a number of mosques including the mosque of Muhammad Jan. The Fort of Govindgarh built by Ranjit Singh in 1805-09,can also be visited.
Ram Bagh
This beautiful garden has a museum built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh as his summer palace which now houses a museum. An interesting feature of the gardens is a bathing tank constructed by the French General Ventura. The city gate of Rambagh Gardens is topped by a red sandstone baradari (pavilion). The gardens are a delight with their walks and fountains providing an ideal picnic spot.
Jalianwala Bagh
Just five minutes walk from the Golden Temple is the famous Jalianwala Bagh that commemorates the death of 2000 Indians at this site, who were shot indiscriminately by the British in 1919.Bullet marks and the well into which some people jumped to escape can still be seen.
Anandpur Sahib
It is called the city of Bliss and the hills of Naina Devi form a backdrop to the city. There are many Gurudwaras here and Guru Gobind Singh baptised his followers as Khalsa here.
Wagah border
A visit to the Wagah border is an interesting experience especially at sunset while the Retreat takes place when Indian and Pakistani border troops put up a cordinated and spectacular display comparing favourably with London's changing of the Guard.
Taran Taran
22 kms south of Amritsar is the Gurudwara taran taran a gilt domed structure built in 1768 to commemorate Guru Ramdas. The waters of the tank here are believed to be miraculous especially in curing leprosy.
Hari-ke-Pattan
on the outskirts of the city at the confluence of Beas and the Sutlej rivers is a scenic spot and the bird sanctury and offers oppurtunities for angling.
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