Amritsar, India-The Golden Temple

November 14^th and 15^th-Golden Temple in Amritsar, India

We woke up early to catch the 7am train to Amritsar. Wow, I was shocked, Ankita’s father (Uncle) had gotten us the best tickets on the train, definitely a first class experience. Lovely spacious seats, room for luggage, air-conditioned. It definitely was worth it for this 5 hour journey! As we arrived to Amritsar, we hired an auto rickshaw to take us into the heart of where the Golden Temple is. We aimed to stay at these Gurdwara type of accommodation establishments. I was shocked, they look like hotels. The rates are super discounted at 500 rupees a night for a double room ($10/night) with proper bathroom facilities and lovely clean sheets. Everyone there is doing “Sewa”. Sewa is the act of selfless volunteer work to become closer with god. That means, everyone who works there and in the Golden Temple is doing sewa from the cleaners, cooks, shoe attendants, guards, etc. It is an amazing experience to watch such teamwork come from this culture. The Golden Temple is a Sikh Temple but allows people of all faiths to come and visit. We settled in and then went to see this breath-taking monument. It’s stunning, what a work of art. We stood in line for more than an hour to see the inside of the temple and pray with the devotees. After we went to the Langar Hall where hundreds of thousands of people come each and every day for a meal. They are open 24/7. It is an area run completely by volunteers. In one corner you can see groups of people washing dishes, another peeling onions, ginger, garlic, another cooking, another making tea, another serving food, another making roti. Assembly lines of people who are there just to serve all of the visitors to the temple and in return become closer to God. Everything is for free at this temple including the food but donations are always appreciated. What a treat to be able to see the automatic roti making machines, which are churning out thousands of roti per hour. Auntie decided to jump in on the fun and do sewa at the roti making area and another time she washed dishes. Ankita also got in on the action too at the roti station. We retired to our room to only come back at night to watch the Golden Temple illuminated with the most beautiful lighting display.

The next day we went outside the temple for breakfast to feast on fresh aloo (potato) paranthas with chana masala (chickpeas in curry). Oh my god, this is by far one of the tastiest things I’ve ever tried and so cheap! For about 60 rupees ($1) you get eat this lovely meal. The market is never ending with people selling garments, clothing, food, fresh lassi (yogurt milk shakes), and every tantalizing piece of Punjabi food out there. We later went to visit the Durgiana Temple which is a Hindu temple that is pretty much the exact replica as the Golden Temple. Not as busy as the Golden Temple but something that is interesting to see. Before heading back home I also visited the Jalianwala Bagh with which is a memorial site for the massacre that happened in 1919. British forces had openly began to fire at the innocent people of this city leaving hundreds dead and many wounded. They’ve created a beautiful garden memorial site where people can read about what happened here and enjoy a moment in the gardens. With everything you are able to experience at the Golden Temple, I would highly recommend visiting this area for a day or two as it has definitely been one of the highlights of my India tour.

GALLERY OF GOLDEN TEMPLE IN AMRITSAR