Golden Temple / Wagah Border

The heart of Amritsar is undoubtedly the Golden Temple, named after its gold-plated dome. It is the most important religious shrine for all Sikhs as is the holy pool that surrounds it. Throughout its history, the Golden Temple was repeatedly attacked and rebuilt, but it is still open to people of all faiths. With its Islamic and Hindu architectural blend and its four doors welcoming visitors from around the world, this temple welcomes over 27 million tourists each year.

Within the Golden Temple complex is the Akal Takht, the main religious authority of the Sikhs. Here the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred book of the Sikhs, is kept for 4 hours each day, retiring to its “bedroom” shrine after spending 20 hours every day at the temple.

Another must-attend for visitors at the Golden Temple is the Guru Ram Das Langar - the community kitchen where fresh food is cooked and served to all who come there. All visitors sit on the floor as a sign of equality of all and are served vegetarian dishes by volunteers.

Near the Golden Temple is the Jallianwallah Bagh, where a massacre took place in 1919. Sikh devotees had gone here after their temple visit to hear speakers talk about the Rowlatt Act, which aimed to stop the growing nationalist movement by allowing arrest without reason, indefinite detention, imprisonment without due process, etc. A regiment of soldiers led by General Dyer opened fire into the crowd, killing hundreds of people and wounding thousands.

This incident had the opposite effect as people became angry about firing into an unarmed, peaceful crowd. Today you can visit the Jallianwala Bagh Museum that houses memorial structures, martyrs’ well, a gallery, and more. The site was visited by Queen Elizabeth in 1961, 1983, and 1997, as well as by David Cameron in 2013.

If you visit Amritsar, you’ll want to check out the Partition Museum, which houses documents and materials from the time British India was divided into the independent countries of India and Pakistan. This division led to massive riots as people found themselves living on the wrong side of the new borders. Around 800,000 people are believed to have died in the riots, and an additional 1,400,000 became refugees.

At the Partition Museum, along with the art, photo, and audio exhibits, of particular note is a participatory structure titled ‘Tree of Hope’. Made with barbed wire, this “tree” has paper leaves in shades of green where visitors have left personal accounts of how the partition affected their families.

Most visitors to Amritsar also make time for the Beating Retreat. This is a daily ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border, where Indian and Pakistani soldiers perform a synchronised march as well as flag-lowering. The soldiers perform high kicks, stomps and incorporate some dance moves. This ceremony is an acknowledgement of the countries’ competition as well as friendship. On the major festivals of Eid and Diwali, both sides exchange sweets with each other as a token of goodwill despite the constant threat of war between the nations.

Check out the itinerary for this tour