Excursion

The most important tourist center in the state is Amritsar with its Golden Temple. This temple is considered to be the holiest of all the pilgrimages of Sikhism and houses Akal Takht, the supreme governing body of Sikhism. The Jalianwallah Bagh is a small park in the city where many pilgrims were massacred by the British police in the year 1919.

Wagah is the only open land point between India and Pakistan. The Changing of Guards and the ceremonial lowering of the flags ceremony at sundown are great tourist attractions and have their own symbolic importance.

Ludhiana is famous for its hosiery and woolen goods and products from Ludhiana are exported all over the world. For its production of hosiery, Ludhiana is also known as the Manchester of India. It also boasts of the world famous Punjab Agricultural University, which organizes the Kisan Mela every Year. Nearby is Killa Raipur, which is famous for its Rural Olympics.

Patiala is famous for its healthy food, loving people, wonderful parandaas, exciting Patiala peg and jootis. Easily accessible and well maintained, Patiala is a place that would give one the much-needed tranquility far from urban chaos. The Sports School and the Moti Bagh Palace are some of the places that one must visit to get a clear picture of the past of the state.

If Varanasi symbolizes the spirit of ancient India, then Chandigarh is its city of ‘today’. It is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. The city is considered to be a Mecca of modern architecture and planning all over the world. What makes Chandigarh extraordinary is the fact that within four decades, a barren landscape has been transformed into a modern and model human habitation. The making of a new city is like inventing a new tomorrow. And Chandigarh succeeds in ushering in a new dawn. The major attractions of this city are the Capitol Complex, Secretariat, Assembly, High Court, Open Hand, City Beautiful, Garden City, Piazza, Tower of Shadows, Geometric Hill, Martyr’s Memorial, Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Leisure Valley, Rose Garden, Garden of Tranquility, Garden of Rare Plants, Garden of Annuals, Bougainvillea Garden, Botanical Garden, Garden of Aromatic Plants, Government Museum and Art Gallery, Museum of Evolution of Life, and International Dolls Museum.

Jalandhar is an ancient city but not much of its evidence is left now. Today, it is a major rail and road junction and an army cantonment.

The Yadavendra Gardens 24 kilssometers on the Shimla road at Pinjore has charming Mughal style terraced lawns, flower beds, fountains, water channels and airy pavilions enclosed by high walls swathed in the mauve and magenta bougainvillea.

An ancient Indus Valley settlement was found near Ropar, which was also the meeting place of Punjab’s legendary Maharajah Ranjit Singh and Lord William Bentick on October 31, 1831.

Archaeological Destinations
Due to its rigorous past the best part of ancient Punjab is either in its ruins or underground. At Ropar, called Roop Nagar (the town of beauty is olden times) evidence of Harappan culture of Indus Valley Civilisation and relics of Alexander's Army have been discovered.

The excavations at Dholbaha, the ancient temple town at Hoshiarpur takes back its antiquity to the Pleistocene period of stone age man and shows evidence of continued development of civilisation right down of the 7th and 8th century A.D.The museum containing these relics is situated in Hoshiarpur city.

Ghuram, Patiala District
The first seat of Muslim Empire in India and the reputed birth place of Mata Kaushalya has ruins which show it is as a great enterpot, the archaeological digs are beginning to reveal indications of the epic age civilisation.

Sanghol, District Fatehgarh Sahib
Archaeological digs here have yielded relics which date back from Harrapan Culture of 6th century AD. A stupa and a Budhist monastery complex of the Kushan era (Ist-2nd Century AD) has also been unearthed here.

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Forts

Govindgarh Fort Amritsar
early 19th century designed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.Has special defence mechanism against artillery attacks, which were frequent when Punjab was still open to depredations of the Afghan hordes. Being with paramilitary forces it is not open to visitors now.

Bathinda Fort
Schooner shaped fort stands like a ship in a sea of sand; design eminently suited to the desert environment; is reputed
to be 1800 years old. It is said to have been built by Bhatti Reo.

In 1754 AD it was captured by Maharaj Ala Singh of Patiala. A small gurdwara commemorates the visit of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji here.

Faridkot Fort
30 Km south of Ferozepur. Reputed to be 700 years old, noteworthy for the hall of mirrors and wall paintings called Sheesh Mahals these halls of mirrors were copied in Rajasthan style and were actually the prayer rooms of the ruling family.

Qila Mubark Patiala, founded in1764 by Maharaja Ala Singh. It was originally a kuchi-garhi of a mud fort which was later raised into a sprawling double storied structure with a massive gate having beautiful arches. The best part of the fort is a museum now.

Bhadurgarh Fort 6 kms from Patiala, originally founded by Nawab Saif Khan in 1658. The present fort was built by Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala in 1837. It has two circular ramparts and is surrounded by a moat and covers an area of 2100 sq meters. This rather compact but nicely designed citadil is in the custody of the Department of police.

Anandpur Sahib Fort ,Ropar
Anandpur Sahib was defended by fiveforts. They have all become victims of the ravages of war and time. The central fort Anandgarh Sahib is still extant in parts. Its highlight is the deep well approached by a flight of stairs.

Phillaur Fort, Ludhiana
Phillaur fort was designed by Dewan Mohkam Chand,the brave general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh facing the, then, British border along Ludhiana.it is police training centre now.

Shahpur Kandi Fort,7 Km from Pathankot
This 16th century fort nestles at the foot of the towering Himalayas and overlooks the river Ravi. Is a comfortable rest-house now.

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Temples
Ram Tirth, Amritsar
Location 11Kilometres 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 Gibind 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.

Shiv Mandhir, Gur-mandi, Jalandhar
The Mandir dates back of the Lodhi Era. It is said that the Nawab of Sultanpur Lodhi, in whose territory the city of Jalandhar then fell hadeyed a newly married Hindu girl whom he had wanted to make an object of his lust. She was the devotee of lord Shiva whose serpent saved her honour. Awed by the appearance of this serpent he had begged pardon from the girl and on her bidding he had got this temple built. The temple has an unusual architecture. Its main gate is built in the style of a mosque while the rest of the building is in Hindu style.

Durgiana Mandir, Amritsar ( Lakshmi Narain Temple )
Built in the third decade of the 20th Century it echoes, not the traditional Hindu temple architecture, but that of the Golden temple and, in a similar manner rises from the midst of a tank and has canopies and the central dome in the style of the Sikh temple. Its foundation stone was laid by one of the greatest reformers and political leaders of resurgent India, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. It is a well-known repository of Hindu scriptures.

Bhagwathi Mandir, Maisar Khanna, Bathinda City
Its history goes back to the 17th Century AD. The locality of the city in which this temple is located formed a part of a village, then called Khanna. People from this village were the devotees of Jawala Mukhi temple in Kangra. Once, when Kamala Bhagt of this village and another holy person Kali Nath were proceeding towards the Jawala Mukhi temple, Bhagwati Mata, the deity of Jawala Mukhi appeared before them, almost two kilometers before their destination the moment they had lit fire to pray. She blessed the devotees and told Kamala Bhagat that in future, he need not come to a pilgrimage to Jawala Mukhi because his worship at his village will be sanctified as his worship at her abode. Since then a religious fair is held at this place twice in a year.

Kali Devi Temple, Patiala
Situated opposite Baradari garden on the Mall Road of Patiala. This Temple was built by the rulers of the Patiala State. Because of its beautiful wall paintings and icons the temple has been declared a national monument.

Sodal Mandir, Jalandhar City
The temple of a child deity where wishes are fulfilled. Thousands of devotees congregate here during the month of September.

Panch Mandir, Kapurthala Town
It was got built by the founder of the Kapurthala State, Fateh Singh Ahluwalia. The prime dome in the centre is surrounded by several smaller temples dedicated to different deities. It is the most striking building in the city of wonder architecture. Its replica was exhibited in the pre-partition Punjab Museum at Lahore.

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Gurudwaras
Sikh gurudwaras are scattered all over the country and even abroad. Being the home of Sikhism Punjab has numerous Gurudwaras. Only mportant ones have been listed here. Most important of them today lie in two circuits, Amritsar and Roopnagar (Ropar). For the convenience for planning a pilgrimage these Gurudwaras have been grouped into Amritsar , Anandpur Sahib and others headings. Visit to Gurudwaras in Amritsar circuit can be planned with keeping Amritsar as base point. Amritsar has adequate number of star hotels and it is well connected by fast trains and regular air service to New Delhi and other places in India. For Anandpur Sahib Circuit one can plan his visit keeping Chandigarh as base point. Chandigarh has all amenities of International standard available.

Amritsar Circuit
Har Mandir Sahib or Golden Temple
Amritsar City. With a part of the land granted by Emperor Akbar, the foundation stone laid by a Muslim Sufi Saint, Mian Mir, the construction was completed in 1601. Free kitchen and recitation of the divine word never cease here. Its four gates invite everyone from all directions, the scripture is unique, it contain the divine message as received by saints, bhagats and pirs of all the faiths of India.

The Baisakhi and Diwali fairs in April and October every year are celebrated with great fervor and gusto.

On the fair of Baisakhi all the jewelry in the toshakhana (treasury) of the temple, which consist of indescribable ornaments, is displayed around Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Diwali of Amritsar is out-of-the-world. The entire Golden Temple is illuminated with traditional lamps of different colours. The reflection of the temple in the shimmering water of the holy pool binds the eye, to the many-a-splendoured pageant. Fire works display by the traditional professionals recreates the glory of the times gone past.

Tarn Tarn
24 Kms south of Amritsar. Founded by the 5th Prophet Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji the impressive Gurudwara with gold plated dome has a holy pool. The guru used to run a leper's home here.

Goindwal Sahib
Within easy reach of Tarn Taran was the centre of Sikh religion during the time of the third Prophet, Guru Amar Das ji. The deep well (bauli) in the Gurudwara has 84 steps. Whoever takes a bath here and recites Japji Sahib (divine composition of the first Prophet of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji ) at each step, and repeats the recitation followed by bath in the Holy Well 84 times, attains moksh, because he lives out 84,000 cycles of birth representing each specie created by God.

Khadur Sahib
52 Kms from Amritsar. Commemorates the seat of Sikh religion during the time of the second Prophet, Guru Angad Dev Ji.

Baba Bakala
45 Kms from Amritsar. 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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