Amritsar

Excursion
The Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir, Jallianwala Bagh, Company Bagh, Gobindgarh Fort, Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh, Sarai Amanat Khan, Museum of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Khalsa College in the city.

Gurdwara Khadoor Sahib, Gurdwara Chheharta Sahib, Gurdwara Goindwal Sahib, Gurdwara Tarn Taran Sahib, Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdwara Baba Bakala, Gurdwara Chowk Mehta, Dera Baba Jaimal Singh (Radha Swami Sect), within a radius of about 50 Kms.

A visit to Wagha Border (at a distance of 28 Kms.) is an interesting experience, especially at sunset while Retreat takes place when Indian and Pakistan border troops put up a coordinated and spectacular display, comparing favourably with London’s changing of the Guard. Taxis may be hired from the city for the return trip.Harike Pattan on the outskirts of the city is National Wetland and Wild Life Sanctuary at the confluence of Beas and Sutlej rivers.

Gandhi Gate
Popularly known as Hall Gate, it is the entrance to the shopping hub of Amritsar - Hall Bazaar. A typical maharaja type gate with a clock and a Glow sign which reads "Amritsar - Sifti Da Ghar".

Hall Bazaar
Hall Bazaar is the main shopping place in Amritsar. With Electronics, Watches, Readymade Garments and Book shops it is an one-stop place for shoppers

Town Hall
At the end of Hall Bazaar, one finds a beautiful pink coloured building. This building of is the office of Municipal Corporation of Amritsar.

Jallianwala Bagh Memoria
This historical place is now a memorial park with a museum. Hundreds of innocent people were killed and thousands injured when General Dyer started firing in a general gathering of Indians against Britishers. Even today, the bullet marks on walls of the building exists.

Other places to visit . . .
Just adjacent to the Golden Temple is the Jallianwala Bagh. It is a memento of the Freedom Struggle. It was at this site that hundreds of people were shot down by General Dyer. This brutal massacre of over 2000 innocent unarmed people, on the orders of a British General on April 13, 1919 highlights the atrocities performed by the British on Indians.

Durgiana Temple, outside the Lohagarh gate of the old city, is dedicated to Goddess Durga, and is a centre of pilgrimage for devout Hindus. Other attractions are Ram Bagh Garden, encircling the palace of the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh; Fort Gobind Garh, which was built by Ranjit Singh in 1805-09; Baba Atal Rai Tower; Baba Bakale, a gurudwara dedicated to Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhs and Taran Taran, a gurudwara in the memory of Guru Ram Das.

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Shopping
Shopping in Amritsar is a memorable experience. The market places the lanes, the bazaars, the squares, the plazas-hum with activity. The main shopping areas are the Hall Bazar, Katra Jaimal Singh and Lawrence Road. The city offers traditional souvenirs along with modern brandwear at all locations. The main attraction however is the woolens, carpets and blankets, besides juttis and embroidered stuff. The bazaars of Amritsar offer a colourful range of traditional and modern wares from carpets, durries, kites, fireworks, bangles, shawls to cut-glass and woolen textiles. At Guru bazaar, near the Golden Temple, each lane sells a different commodity.

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Distance From
Chandigarh 235 Kms.
New Delhi 450 Kms.

Getting There
Amritsar is connected by Indian Airlines flights to Delhi, Srinagar and Chandigarh twice a week. There is a weekly flight to Kabul. Amritsar is connected with direct trains to Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai, Puri, Nagpur, Jammu and other cities of India. The important trains include Frontier Mail to Mumbai, Shatabadi Express to Delhi, Utkal Express to Puri and Howrah Mail to Calcutta. There are bi-weekly trains to Pakistan. There is a vast network of bus services of Punjab, Himachal, Delhi, Haryana, Pepsu, Chandigarh, UP, J&K, Rajasthan State Roadways, apart from private operators. Important destinations include Delhi, Shimla, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Rishikesh, Kulu, Manali, Dharmshala, Dalhousie and Jammu.

By Air:
Amritsar is connected by Indian Airlines flights to Delhi and Srinagar. There is a weekly flight to Birmingham and Kabul. Rajasansi airport is not far from the city and taxis are available for the transfers.

By Rail:
Amritsar is connected with direct trains to delhi , Calcutta , Mumbai , Puri, and other places. The important ones include the Frontier Mail to Mumbai, Shatabdi Express to Delhi and Utkal Express to Puri. There are twice-weekly runs by Lahore Express, the train to Pakistan. Amritsar Railway station provides amenities including Retiring room and refreshment rooms. Taxis are available outside the station.

By Road:
There is vast network of bus services of Punjab, Himachal , Delhi . Haryana, PEPSU, Chandigarh, U.P , J& K , Rajasthan state roadways, apart from private operators. Importanat destinations include Delhi, Shimla , Chandigarh , Dehradun , Rishikesh , Kullu, Manali and Jammu . Taxis are also available, but not everywhere. They stand outside the airport and railway station. There are autorickshaws and cycle rickshaws are also very common for local transfers.

When to visit ?
The best time to visit Amritsar is between October and March.

Hotels & Accomodation
Amritsar has a wide variety of accommodation options available. Some good hotels of Amritsar include, Mohan International Hotel (Tel: 183-227801-8, Fax: 226520), Ritz Hotel (Tel: 226606, Fax: 226657) and Hotel Airlines( Tel: 227738).

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