Get up at 4 AM to catch a 6:30 AM flight to Delhi and onto Amritsar; a distance of 1,600 miles. Amritsar is the spiritual capital for the Sikh religion. Everything went well and I arrived at 1:15 PM.
The major sites and activities that I am planning during my 3 day visit are:
- Wagah Border Flag Ceremony - India and Pakistan military units in full regalia, perform a unique ceremony when they close theWagah border station for the evening. The ceremony is an" intricately choreographed high-kicking, toe-stepping, quick-marching ceremony wherein the Indian and Pakistani flags are lowered" (as described in Frommer's India)
- The Golden Temple - Reported to be the most beautiful temple in all of India and home to the Sikh religion. The temple is unique in that visitors are encouraged to participate in the various religious ceremonies and accept the graciousness of the Sikhs. Visitors are encouraged to spend a minimum four hours visiting the great expanse of the Temple.
- Jullianwala Bagh - a site commemorating the 1919 massacre of hundreds of Sikhs by British troops.
- Old City Bazaar.
I will be staying at the Grand Hotel located in the "old city". The Grand is conveniently located near the The Golden Temple and railroad station.
I will depart Amritsar at midnight on March 18 and travel by train (sleeper coach) to Delhi to begin my second Intrepid tour of India's Rajasthan area which begins on March 19. (My Plan)
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Sanjay from The Grand Hotel was able to put together an evening tour with four of us...Ken - senior pilot for Lufthansa, Angus - oil/gas engineer from Newcastle, England, a Chinese gentleman and myself. For 500 rupees each we did the following:
Wagah Border Flag Ceremony: Left the hotel around 3:30 PM for a 20 mile drive to the India/Pakistani border crossing called Wagah. What we saw was surreal. Two nuclear nations confronting each other through showmanship. There were 4,000 plus people in the grandstands on the Indian side and about 1,000 on the Pakistani side. I can only speak of what I saw on the Indian side and assume that the same occurred on the Pakistani side. The Indians played loud Hindi music, they danced hollered...they had a cheerleader that must have been an NBA player...about 6'8"...the tempo and excitement built. The soldiers finally appeared in full regalia.....they strutted up to the Pakistani border....kicked their legs over their head...it went on and on for about 45 minutes...all of us were amazed at the pomp and ceremony on each side. Below are some pictures...they can't possibly capture the noise, smells and excitement...you might want to search You-Tube..
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| Pakistan Crowd |
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| Indian Crowd |
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| Indian Honor Guard |
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| Women at Border's Gate |
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| The Ceremony Begins |
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| Fancy Marching |
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| High Stepping |
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| Marching to the Gate |
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| Indian/Pakistani Flags Lowered |
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| Border Gate Closed for the Night |
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| Flag Retreat |
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| Party Over - Time to Go Home |
The ceremony concluded when both nations' flags were lowered and the border gates closed for the evening. We left around 6:30 PM and headed back to Amritsar and the Mata Temple. The temple is a 20th century creation to assist women, through prayer, to become pregnant. The Temple is unique in that you could take pictures inside. It reminded me of an fun house that one might find in an amusement park. There were mazes to walk and crawl through, low ceiling tunnels with water and numerous Hindu goddesses and Gods to stimulate your visual senses....enjoy the pictorial visit
Our final destination for the evening was the Sikh's holy complex called the "Golden Temple. To see the Temple for the 1st time left me with a lasting visual memory...absolutely breath-taking. To enter the Temple complex, you must cover your head and remove your shoes and socks. The temple provides a facility where you leave your shoes. I will return tomorrow so I'll leave you with these teaser pictures.
After the Temple, it was close to 10 PMs o we decided to stop for dinner at Lonely Planet's recommendation "Brother's Draha". I had a delicious vegetarian Thali, sweet lassi drink and a cup of masala chai. Back to the hotel...I had been up since 3:30 AM. Tired but fulfilled....my 1st day on my own was a success...goodnight.....zzzzzzz
Get up at 4 AM to catch a 6:30 AM flight to Delhi and onto Amritsar; a distance of 1,600 miles. Amritsar is the spiritual capital for the Sikh religion. Everything went well and I arrived at 1:15 PM.
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