Amritsar - Gheos Worldguide

Amritsar

Amritsar, or Ambarsar, was founded in 1574 and it has always been an important crossroads on trade routes between central Asia and India and commercial activities have earned the city its wealth. It is also one of the oldest and most fascinating cities in India and the major pilgrimage and cultural center for Sikhs in the country.

Points of interest

The Akal Takhat was built by the 6th Guru Sri Har Gobind, as a seal of temporal authority symbolizing the unity of spiritual and temporal life in 1609.
The Amritsar Central Railway Station (ASR) opened in 1862.
The Bada Hanuman Mandir.
Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Asthan was completed in 2016.
The Gobindgarh Fort is a historic military fort located in the center of Amritsar. It was built in 1760. A replica of the Zam-Zammah cannon stands in front of the fort. The original cannon stands in front of Lahore Museum in Lahore.
The Golden Temple is the most prominent religious site in Amritsar. The temple was founded by Guru Ramdas, the 4th important Guru for Sikhs and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev in 1589. In 1809, during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign, the lower half of the temple was decorated with marble while the entire upper half was inlaid with copper. In 1830, it was covered over by gold plate. That earned the temple its present name: Golden Temple. Free kitchen and recitation of the divine word never cease here. The Golden Temple has four gates that invite everyone from all directions.
Gurdwārā Shaheed Ganj Sahib.
Gurdwārā Bābā Aṭṭal Rāi (ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਬਾਬਾ ਅਟੱਲ ਰਾਏ) is an octagonal tower. It is 40 m tall and it has 9 floors. The tower is dedicated to Atal Rai.
Heritage Street runs between the Golden Temple and the Town Hall. It is a vehicle-free zone.
The India Gate was completed in 1931. It was built to commemorate the 74,187 soldiers of the Indian Army who died during WWI.
The Jallianwala Bagh is a Martyrs' Memorial, built in the shape of a flame. It is not far from the Golden Temple and commemorates one of the most heart-rending events in India's history. At the location of the memorial, some 1,500 to 2,000 people were attending a meeting of the freedom movement on 13 April 1919, when the British General Dyer opened fire on the crowd. Numerous people died and bullet marks, as well as the well into which some people jumped to escape the onslaught can still be seen. The site houses a museum, a gallery and several memorial structures.
The Jang-e-Azadi Memorial (Battle for Freedom Memorial) is a memorial and museum in the toen of Kartarpur, not far from Jalandhar.
Amritsar's Khālsā Kālaj (ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਕਾਲਜ, Khalsa College) was founded in 1892 and built on grand scale in typical Sikh architecture. Part of the premises were used for the new Guru Nanak Dev University. It is located on the Amritsar-Lahore highway, some 8 km from Amritsar's city center.
Mata Lal Devi Mandir was built as a 'Model Town'.
The Punjab State War Heroes' Memorial & Museum.
Nexus Amritsar is a shopping center on GT Road. It opened in 2009.
The historic Pul Kanjri is located on the Amritsar-Lahore highway, some 35 km west from Amritsar.
The Partition Museum is located in the town hall of Amritsar. The museum is dedicated to partition of India. In 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan resulting in a mass migration between the 2 countries. During the event some 800,000 people lost their lives and 1.4 million people were left homeless.
Ram Bagh is a beautiful garden. It encompasses the Summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and a museum. The garden is laid out in the same pattern as Shalamar Bagh in Lahore.
- The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum has an exhibition on weapons dating back to Moghul times, as well as several portraits of the ruling houses of the Punjab.
- The Ram Bagh Palace was the summer residence of Maharaja Ranjit Singh is situated in the middle of the beautiful Ram Bagh garden in the center of town. The palace was completed in 1831.
Sadda Pind.
The Shri Durgiana Mandir (ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਦੁਰਗਿਆਨਾ ਮੰਦਿਰ, Durgiana Temple) is a revered shrine that is dedicated to goddess Durga. It was originally built in the 16th century, but it was later destroyed and rebuilt in 1921. It is situated in the middle of a sacred lake, outside the Lohgarh Gate and its design was based on the Golden Temple. Hindus from all over India come to Amritsar to visit the Durgiana Temple. Ot is often referred to as the Silver Temple.
Shri Ram Tirath.
Shivala Bagh Bhaiyan.
The Statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was erected in Heritage Street.
The Tower of Baba Atal Rai was built in memory of Baba Atal Rai, son of Sri Har Gobind Ji. The octagonal nine-storied structure is about 50 m high and features several beautiful frescos depicting the life of Guru nanak Dev Ji.
The Town Hall is home to the Partition Museum.
The Urban Haat Food Street.
VR Ambarsar is a shopping center, located in Circular Road. It opened in 2013.
The town of Wagah (واہگہ) is located 32 km (20 mi) from Amritsar. It is famous for the Wagah border ceremony that takes place there every day. It is an important border crossing between India and Pakistan.

Apart from al those interesting sights, there is a large number of cotton, wool and silk textile factories in Amritsar. Other industries include electric goods, sewing machines, auto parts and carpets. Most goods are exported to the Middle East.

Amritser is also a major distribution center for dry fruits, tea and condiments. It is known throughout the region for the manufacture of elaborate wooden chessboards and chess pieces.

There are numerous hotels and hostels in Amritsar, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Golden Temple. There are also countless restaurants in the city.

The Katra Jaimal Singh, near the telephone exchange in the old city, is a good area for shopping. Amritsar has air, rail and bus connections with many places in India.

The city is located in the northwest of India, 455 km (283 mi) northwest of Delhi and only 47 km (29 mi) northeast of Lahore (in Pakistan). There are numerous interesting places in the area around Amritsar.

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