Three Musketeers in Amritsar…

Trip!!!…hmmm…nice idea!…but why????

Visiting a new place is a great way of taking the break from Business as Usual schedule. My starting of career i.e. Office life is undoubtedly one of the most important thing which happened to me and I am very happy with it. But a slight deviation from the normal route provides a dose of rejuvenation to our mental and physical health.

I consider a short trip to any of the distinct places of India (till now India only but hoping for a foreign land trip too) equivalent to filling such required deviations with a lot of memories and learnings. A trip to Amritsar was one of its kind which fulfilled the eligibility of deviations. This trip was an spiritual cum cultural cum adventurous one.

Trio at Jalianwala bagh…

A green guard…

The other two musketeers- Vikas and Archit just made my trip ‘a worth remembering’ one.

“When nothing happens according to plan, it is a symbol of arrival of goodness for sure.”

It’s a trip…great!…but remember great fun with comes with great pain…

Any normal traveller would like to book a ticket for train (Indian Railways are famous for their rail tracks which passes through the natural beauty of India covering villages, mountains, agriculture lands and diverse culture) but in our case the private bus was the only option left. In India, private buses are the most caring transport services. They will not only wait for every passenger who has booked the ticket either through online or offline but also for who are not even confirmed whether to go or not. They will not leave the bus stop until all the seats are occupied. It seems as if the bus conductor goes for a walk and catches every random citizen to request for boarding his bus. The people like us who consider ourselves to be extra smart and time punctual and hence reaches bus stop on or before time has to wait for at least 2 hours before their bus actually depart. Even the Chaiwallah and Powerbank seller gets bored of seeing the same passenger on his every 5 minute trip. In the midst of all the hullaballoo, the bus driver was the smartest person. He was not giving any chance to let passenger think that bus is not going to move for the next 2 hours. He silently and tactfully used to move/displace the bus slightly in every 10 minutes break. He was confirmed that passenger would never know whether the bus is on standstill or moving. The bus departure time was 10.30 pm but it actually departed on 12.30 am. The fortunate part was our Sleeper Bus which was comfortable enough for a good sleep.

The time to delve into past…a painful past and a bitter truth…

We all woke up with the freshness of cool Air Conditioned bus instead of cool breeze of farms as visible from the window. The Earth was covered in the robe of greenery with the Red Bindi (i.e. red dot) of rising Sun. This beautiful picture emerged just at the break of dawn and made a great start for the day ahead. We reached Amritsar at 12.00 and our real journey started from 2 pm. We booked a hotel near Golden temple only. The whole surrounding was very beautiful, well planned and perfectly clean.

Bullet marks on the walls…

Smarak

Gallery depicting the horror…

Our first halt was Jallianwala Bagh. It represents the heart-wrenching story of innocent martyrs who faced the wraith of guns and bullets caused by Colonel Reginald Dyer. The walls with the bullets took us on a backward journey when the people were opposing Rowlett Act. This incident also sparked the anger of a young man, Bhagat Singh, to revolt against British tyranny. The well was also there where many of the people jumped to protect themselves from the guns and ended their life. The gallery in the Bagh presented the pictures of old times and created a vivid picture in our mind. This vivid picture wasn’t even faded and we came to our next halt- Partition Muesuem. The interior construction was unique in design. The models of tent, villages, well and people were revealing the pain which people at the time of India Pakistan partition must have felt. The gallery of mass killing and riots can be a little disturbing for anyone. Other precious things like letters, live interviews, etc. were also one of its kind.

“The truth is hard to digest but difficult to change.”

Unexpected realization…unplanned destination…

I would totally recommend to browse the Internet for top 10 places to visit when you have only 2 days’ time to visit a place. Google baba recommended Gobindgarh Fort. We were not sure about the beauty of this place but it totally turned out to be one such place where money payback is very high. The ticket is of INR 250 only and the experience & fun achieved in return are invaluable. I tag this place as MUST GO for anyone.

The fort is like a city in itself. It wears a robe painted with the history of Sikh Gurus. This robe has stains of bloods, religion and people expectations. The government has used this marvellous place to comprehensively present the culture of Punjab. A lively environment is maintained by the dancers, camel riders, bike riders, etc.

Archit with the statue of fighter

Fighters on their way…

Lively drill…

There is an excellent 7D show where the story of Ranjit Singh is retold in an exciting manner. I have seen 7D for the first time in my life and it is way beyond imagination.

“When the history is retold by mixing a touch of technology in it, the history becomes alive; the history becomes impactful; the history becomes lucid.”

There is a weaponry museum where the statues of armymen can be seen. One more place-Toshakhana is also worth seeing. It is now a coin museum but in the past it was the place where treasure was kept. Here, a replica of Kohinoor is increasing the value of this place. The self-sustaining air conditioning duct system which was in place for the guards is a mystery even now for modern science.

Dance at Fort

Whispering walls show…

This place is like a city as continuous dance performances like Bhangra, Acrobatics style, Giddha, etc. can be enjoyed. The most awaited performance was ‘Whispering walls’. It was a show where lights were projected on the walls of fort and the full history of Sikh religion was presented. It was very innovative in its form and the music was inspiring. It was a show of world-class level but no one knows about it due to less attention towards advertising by the authority. We, the outsiders, were excited after seeing all of this and equally excitement can be seen in the face of Program Host. He was interrupting himself to know our views about the show.

The road to Sarse Saag and Makke di Roti…

The next day our trip started with Sadda Pind. It is a tourist place in which the whole Punjab can be seen in an area spread across 12 acres. In other words, it is a Punjabi village living museum. I can describe this place in few lines as:

“A place where mud houses with lassi being continuously churned, men sitting on Charpais for discussion, children roaming to play, artisans busy with their paintings, women singing in their melodious voice, horoscope reader with his Parrot & cards and the Postman with the post can be seen alive yet static.”

Old-styled scooter

Horoscope reader

Post Office

Old-styled telephone

Kaleidoscope

Galiyan…

Women at work

A local family…

With Sardar of Village…

Just on the side of entrance, 2 women were busy preparing Make di Roti and Sarso Ka Saag for the visitors. The food was fresh and has a unique taste. The way of serving will give you a feeling of a home away from home. This serving fully satiated our wish of trying local cuisine. The most memorable incident of this place for me would be my future as foretold by the Horoscope reader. Few of the highlights are:

1. One foreign trip
2. Education will never leave my company. Opportunities of further studies will be there.
3. Marriage must be according to family. If run for love marriage, then two marriages will be there. Oooppsss…..
4. Don’t drive till Aug 2018
5. One government job
6. Family support will be there forever
7. Cautious approach with friends…Ooopsie…

a home

Pottery

camle play

Culture at its best

Yummy..Saag and roti

Cooks..ladies…

So, my horoscope was a mix of good and bad elements. I am thinking to focus more on good part. Next, I tried my hands on Pottery. I made a very bad Diya or cup (as I am confused by the shape of it!). It was once again proved that Engineers can become anything i.e. engineer cum potter sahib. This place ended with a delicious free lunch.

Pakistan VS India…the most inspiring fight for Indians…

The Wagah Border was the next halt. The crowd made security check a complex problem but the same crowd converted this journey into an exciting one also. The patriotism was at its peak on both sides of the border. The event started with the flag marching by the selected women from the crowd. Women empowerment was the message well received by all of us. Women are the new bearer of the responsibility of country’s growth. Then came the main part when the lowering of flags was accompanied with soldiers drill. It is the symbol of brotherhood and cooperation along with rivalry in between the two countries.

Wagah border

Sita Ram mandir

Sita Ram Mandir was in the way to Wagah Border. It is built where Sita was supposed to live while in exile with her two sons- Luv and Kush. It is a very beautiful temple with a big pond in the middle and two big Hanuman’s statue.

A touch of Spiritualism…

Golden temple is considered to be the holiest Gurudwara of Sikhism. It follows an equal feeling for people coming from everywhere. It was a great place to end my journey. This place is indescribable.

Golden pic

At an angle…beautiful from various angle

Golden entrance

beautiful market

A word of advice…

Meet the author.

Amritsar is a must visit place for anyone. It needs at least 2 days of time to realise the beauty of Punjab’s culture and its rich heritage. Their culture is a symbol of love, happiness and brotherhood. Feel it once in your life. You will be a different person after the visit.