About Amritsar

Amritsar is a frontier city at Indo-Pak border. The Indo-Pak link road leads through Amritsar. Border Check Post is at Attari 25 km to the west of the city. India and Pakistan on either side are in peaceful coexistence, with a 5 ft wide no man's land in between. The disciplined formal rituals of the army from sunrise to sunset are main features at Wagha border. Every day during sunset the ceremonial flag down is a treat to watch. In the evening at Wagha borders (18-45) the gates of the both the states are opened, National flags are brought down with military honour. The flag is hoisted on the next morning. Tourist visit the border buses, autos & taxis are available from Amritsar.

Features

• Bangra Dance - Amritsar
• Surrounded by a fertile region, Amritsar is well-known for its agricultural produce, textiles and has a thriving chemical industry.
• Amritsar is also well-linked to the rest of India by air, road and rail, and is the gateway to neighbouring scenic states like Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• These states offer fantastic nature, breathtaking mountainous landscapes, and a rich diversity of culture and history.

Location

Amritsar, located in northwestern Punjab, has been the capital of the Sikh religion since the 16 th century and the Golden Temple is the most outstanding attraction in the city. Other tourist attractions include the Ram Bagh, a beautiful garden named after the city's founding father and the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which has a museum showcasing weapons dating back to the Mughal. Visitors will be drawn to the exciting colours and rhythms of this vibrant city.

The local handicraft is a feast for the eye - from the unique and intricate Phulkari flower embroidery work to beautiful woollen carpets and shawls. Visitors should also check out the beautifully handcrafted furniture with ivory inlay work as well as the intricately embroidered leather shoes (juttis). Amritsar PunjabVisitors will also be mesmerized by the famous Punjabi folk dance - Bhangra, while swinging to the dazzling dance movements, and energetic rhythms of the dhol drums. No trip will be complete without a truly gastronomic Punjabi dining experience – tempting curries, tandooris, paneer (cheese), rounding off with a glass of refreshing lassi, a traditional drink made from butter milk, yoghurt and fruit.

Trains from Amritsar arrive Lahore in Pakistan in about 3 hrs & bus from Delhi goes to Lahore from Delhi 4 days in a week via Amritsar. Though Chandigarh is the capital of the state, still Amritsar is the main centre of Sikh religion and culture. It is the principal holy place of the Sikhs. The second largest city of the state, Amritsar at a height of 234 m has a population of about seven lakhs. The people are so active and industrious that the problem of refugees did not affect their society as it happened in Bengal. Amritsar was on the ancient Silk-Route and the city thrived on trades as well as welcomed exchanges of ideas and cultures. It's eminence as the principal pilgrimage for Sikhs has turned the city into a major political cultural hub of the country. Though the actions of extremists demanding Khalisthan are under control yet the people even today are panicky.

In 1980 Golden Temple, i.e. Harmandir was turned into a fort by the extremists under the leadership of Sant Jamail Singh Vindranwalle. In order to break the seize within, Indian army started operation 'Blue Star' inside the Golden Temple on 4 June, 1984 and rescued the temple on 6 June amidst great losses and damages. Vindranwalle was killed at the Basement of Akal Takht, in an undeclared war between army and foJlowers of Vindranwale after a 3 day seize of the Golden Temple. After this bloodshed and damage though extremism was to some extent under control, after 4 months on Oct 31, 1984 Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi was assassinated in her residence by her own Sikh body-guard. In 1986 the Golden Temple again went under the control of the extremists. This time Punjab Police advanced operation Black Thunder and freed the temple with assistance from the army without blood shed. At last in 1988 Constitution was amended in order to stop political activities in religious places. In last two decades, Punjab has limped back to normalcy after the secessionist Khalistani movement lost the steam due to back of Public support as well as noholds bar army and police action. Amritsar is now normal and one may visit the place.

To the South East of Amritsar railway station is the dusty and congested old city, crowded with shops. The new city is being developed to the North-East part. Rambag, Mall, and other posh areas of Amritsar are in this newly developed part. However Golden Temple is in the heart of the old city. The walls of Ranjit Singh's time had been demolished to construct a ring-road around the city. 1 km to the east of bus std is State Tourism Office 2231452, at youth Hostel, Mail, G T Rd. Rickshaws, autos, buses & taxi service vailable in the city.

Travelers Document

All visitors to India are required to carry a passport valid at least for the next 6 months. Visas are mandatory but exemptions include:

Features

• Bhutanese and Nepalese visitors who are staying for less than 3 months
• Nationals from the Maldives, if they are staying for a maximum of 90 days (this includes any periods they may have spent in India up to 6 months prior to the visit in question)
• Transit passengers who have a follow-on ticket within 72 hours of arrival as long as they are not going to leave the airport.

Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals.

Currency and Cost

The Indian rupee is available in denominations of Re1, Rs.2, Rs.5, Rs.10, Rs.20, Rs.50, Rs.100, Rs.500 and Rs. 1000. One rupee is split into a hundred paise , available in denominations of 10p, 25p and 50p. There are coins for Re.1, Rs.2, Rs.5 and Rs.10.

A healthy budget in Punjab is about $35 a day that will see you sleep in decent clean beds and wake up to an attached bathroom for morning ablutions. It'll fetch you three decent meals, a spot of shopping and some auto-rickshaw rides. The dollar goes a long way in the country (the pound sterling, longer). The bare minimum is just under $15 a day, while a top end holiday could reach the skies.

Banks & Money Changers

Banking in Punjab is becoming easier. There are a sizeable number of ATMs in Chandigarh and Amritsar. Banking hours usually are 10 AM to 2 PM Monday to Friday and 10 AM to 12-noon on Saturdays. Changing money can be a tedious process so change substantial amounts at a time. The banks accept travellers' cheques or currency. Changing money anywhere but at accredited bureau is illegal.

Save up all exchange receipts (encashment certificates); these are required for visa extensions and other formalities, and when you want to convert rupees at the end of your trip

Business Guide

Punjabis are by nature street-smart business people. Aggressive and great go-getters, the people trade in fields of agriculture, bicycles, woollen garments, dairy products, hosiery and textiles. With increasing liberalisation at both the economic level and at the societal level, business protocol has begun to adhere to western standards. In the big cities expect thorough professionalism when dealing with private companies and high-ranking bureaucracy. Keep appointments, be punctual (though that's a value that Indians are only now picking up), and shake hands if one is offered or greet with hands folded in 'namaste'. You'll most likely be asked questions about family and home not because anybody wants to pry but because many Indians believe that curiosity conveys concern.

Dress formally for business meetings. Women would probably be more comfortable in trousers than a skirt. Men should wear formal cotton shirts with a tie and trousers if the weather is warm. Otherwise a business suit is appropriate.

Health & Safety

The major risks to your health from the armies of mosquitoes are malaria, encephalitis, kala azar and dengue . Cover your arms and legs; be liberal with the repellent and in problem areas sleep under a mosquito net. Traveller's diarrhoea is another running problem and year after year traveller after traveller gets the ' loosies '. Ensure it's nothing nastier by avoiding green salads, uncooked food, and water that you haven't sanitised by dropping an iodine pill into.

Slightly more serious is the risk of contacting AIDS, Hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases. For your sake and the sake of the people you're visiting always use a condom. Have safe responsible sex.

The quality of health services is not consistent. Urban centres, Chandigarh and Amritsar have good hospitals with proficient doctors, 24 hour chemists and diagnostic centres but it is not the same in the rural and semi-rural areas. The only alternative is to head to Chandigarh or Amritsar or Delhi if you anticipate trouble and if you have already encountered a problem then you could be airlifted. Medicines are fairly cheap in India and readily available in Punjab.

Travellers from yellow fever areas are required to have a certificate that declares that they are free of it. Prior inoculation for poliomyelitis is recommended .

Safety

Cases of mugging, theft and worse aren't completely unheard of but by and large serious crimes against travellers are few and far between.

Basic Precautions

• Keep your money and travel documents close to your body (perhaps in a pouch slung around your neck, tucked out of sight under your shirt).
• Keep several photocopies of your passport, insurance, travellers' cheques etc. scattered through your luggage
• Do not use a waist pouch, it may as well be a transparent plastic bag: it's that fragile and that obvious!
• Do not put all your money in one place
• Be extremely alert in the dark. The multitudes who are around in the day, disappear into their homes at night, and you go from having a huge thick safety quilt to a flimsy sheet! Try your best to be in a familiar area when it gets dark. If you are not, at least know how you can get to that area from wherever it is that you happen to be.
• Many women travellers wear the long tunic and loose pyjama dress of Indian women called the salwar-kameez and find that it substantially dissuades unwanted male attention. If you are travelling alone, do not advertise it.
• If you lose your passport, lodge a First Information Report at the local police station and contact your embassy

Shopping

Rags, woollen garments and carpets made in Amritsar are famous all over India. Prices are also cheap in Amritsar. Himachal Lamb wool products are manufacture in Ludhiana embroidered in Kashmir & Kullu and marketed in Amritsar. Though machine made in Ludhiana, these are sold at large in lots here. Onernay buy from the market near Telephone Exchange or from Golden Temple. Similarly Punjabi leather Chappal of Arabian Nights style may be purchased from the shops around the Golden Temple. Both winter and summer are severe in Amritsar. The tourism season is from Oct to march in Amritsar.