My trip to Amritsar was an eye-opener. Travel gives you experience. It teaches you more than you could ever learn in a classroom or from the internet.
On a much-needed break from the daily routine, I chose to visit Amritsar. It's near to Delhi and perfect for a weekend gateway. Although it's a bustling city and cannot be described as a relaxing destination like for instance Manali, still I stuck to my decision.
Getting out of the comfort zone is somewhat difficult. Wanting a break and a change of scenery, I took it up as a challenge.
Panchvalley Express
Multiple means of transport like trains, buses and flights are available between Delhi and Amritsar. Taking an overnight train was the best option for me.
Previously Indian railways were in a bad condition, there are no other words for it. People or management hardly cared about keeping the place clean. But in recent years, things have changed drastically. The stations, platforms even trains are clean and in a much better condition than before.
Although it falls short of cleanliness at times, sleeper class solves its purpose. Panchvalley Express was decent. Overcrowded but manageable. In situations like this, booking an upper berth will save you the trouble of dealing with other passengers. You can keep all your bags with you and rest peacefully for the night.
The First Day
I was relieved as the train was on time and I finally reached my destination after a seemingly long night. The first thing you will notice when you get out of any station in Punjab is the number of men in "pagri".
Amritsar is the holiest place for Sikhs, the homeland of the Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple. Although you can see Punjabi men in Delhi, the vibe you'll get in Punjab is on a different level.
Go Stops Amritsar
Taking a tuk-tuk from outside the railway station, I directly reached my Hostel, GoStops Amritsar. I have previously stayed at GoStops Jaipur. You can read more about my Jaipur trip here.
As expected the colorful hostel and the cordial staff were welcoming. Having reached early, I used the common area to rest and freshen up. The rooftop was beautifully decorated with green carpet, small chairs, khats, and plants all around. It had a relaxing vibe. The rooftop was the perfect spot for basking in the warmth of the winter sun. I made a mental note to spend the next morning on the rooftop and proceeded with the day's plan.
For my Day 1, I planned to visit Jalianwala Bagh, Partition Museum, Wagah Border, and end the day with a visit to the Golden Temple at night. Keeping my luggage in the cloakroom, I headed out for Jallianwala Bagh.
Jallianwala Bagh
Indian history is strewn with painful memories at every point. Jallianwala Bagh is a reminder of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in which the British Indian army shot at a crowd of unarmed Indian civilians killing over 400 people and injuring over 1000, on Vaisakhi (13th April 1919). The narrow passage opens into a manicured garden that stands as a memorial to the fallen. There are bullet marks on the walls, circled for visitors to spot them easily. Martyr's Well is the place where the people jumped to save themselves from the bullets. You can not help but feel sad by seeing all this.
Partition Museum
My next stop was the Partition Museum.
The Indian states Punjab and Bengal were worst hit by the partition of the country. Partition Museum was another emotional moment. Everywhere you could see the proof of lives torn, uprooted. Families lost, running away from their homes, becoming a refugee. The struggle, the hopeless situation they faced, the blood, the killing, the train full of dead bodies of people who ran to save themselves.
In today's world, we complain about every small thing. Most of us in the 21st century have never seen war or conflict at this level firsthand.
There are many things that we take for granted. Even the basic needs like having a safe place to stay, not have to look over our shoulders every day are a blessing we do not acknowledge.
If you visit Amritsar, please visit Partition Museum. It is such an underrated place but has so many stories to tell. A history that is forgotten, but needs to be remembered.
By the time I was out of the Partition Museum it was already 1 pm.
If you want to visit Wagah Border by Hop On - Hop Off Buses you can get your tickets by Fawwara chowk. The ticket cost was 290INR per person. It's a double-decker bus so you can select your seats accordingly.
My bus to Wagah was at 2 pm. I had a plate of Amritsari Kulcha on my way and rushed back to my hostel, thankfully the location of GoStops is at the center and a walking distance from the major attractions. Checked in, met my roommate, a traveler from Italy, After having a pleasant conversation, I headed out for Wagah.
Wagah Border
It took around an hour to reach. Despite reaching early, I did not get good seats. Weekends are usually too crowded. Anyways after waiting for around 2 hours, the ceremony finally started at 5 pm. From 4.30 pm energetic music was being played and ladies (if anyone wished to) were asked to come down from the stadium and take part in the ceremony.
Some were given flags and ran around the stadium. All this went on till 5 pm when they returned to their seats and finally, the ceremonial guards started. Throughout, the enthusiasm of people chanting shouting at the top of their lungs, the national slogans, everything was overwhelming. It's like a battle of who can drown the sound of the other side. And in all this commotion, you will hardly get to see what goes on on the other side.
Do you know how I felt after the beautiful ceremony? Disappointed. Hold on, before you start thinking something else, hear me out. It was the sight of the stadium which made me feel that way. Trash everywhere. While people had refreshments and were cheering during the ceremony, they left packets, empty water bottles all over the stadium.
Is this their love for the nation? They will shout and cheer but then they would leave trash lying all around. Dustbins were placed at every equal distance, one need not even go far. Still, they simply left. If they can shout so much, show such vigor, would it hurt them or cost them anything to throw the trash in the bins?
The bus dropped me at the Partition Museum at around 7.30 pm. I went to Gurudwara next. You must see the Golden Temple at night. Sitting by the water I felt so calm. The reflection was mesmerizing. It was crowded yet you would feel peaceful by the lake.
After this, I headed to the famous Kesar Da Dhaba for my dinner. Made from pure desi ghee, the food and lassi were delicious. I reached my hostel at around 10 pm. Being too tired and exhausted both emotionally and physically I slept off straight.
Second Day
Remember the hostel rooftop I mentioned before? This morning I got up late, freshened up, and headed straight to the rooftop. Also, made plans with my roommate to go for Langar later that day.
We talked about so many things. She has been traveling solo for around 4 months. She was sharing her experiences. It was wonderful to hear. Most of us are bound to a clock for all our lives. School, college, job, marriage, kids and it goes on. We are constantly striving for better jobs, unsatisfied, trying to be better than others, and in between all this forgetting to LIVE.
Basking in the sun on the hostel rooftop was bliss. It was almost empty apart from a guy practicing yoga. The view is beautiful. You can even see the golden tip of the Gurudwara from there. Blue sky, light wind, mild sunshine, I couldn't have asked for anything more. The moment's peace was worth going out of the comfort zone. No gadgets. I kept my phone aside, took deep breaths, and enjoyed the moment.
I went to Gurudwara next. My roommate was already waiting for me. We had Langar together. Sitting with everyone at the Langar together gives you the feeling that everyone is equal, the exact way how things should be. The reason I love visiting Gurudwara is the way they treat everyone, equally. Be it rich, poor, men, women everyone is equal, there are no differences.
After Langar, we bid each other goodbye. I went on to explore the markets and the surrounding local area. Thanks to google maps now it's much easier to go around. And if your Google Map fails at any point just ask a shopkeeper, they will point you in the right direction.
My first visit was to the cloth market. While exploring the local market I had sugarcane juice. It was refreshing. Next, I decided to go to the Makhan Chicken and Fish corner. I have heard that their fish fry was worth trying.
So my second day was mostly about food and the local market. The back alleys were similar to the ones in Delhi with small shops all along the road. It was already dark by the time I reached Fawara Chowk. At night, the lights made it better. I sat there and watched the crowds pass by.
Lying down on my hostel bed I recollected all my experiences on this trip. The emotional history which gave me strength, the conversations with fellow travelers from my hostel showed me the varied ways in how people live their lives. Most importantly how in various small ways this trip has taught me so much. While on my train back to Delhi the next day, I was already looking forward to my next adventure.