Just like a coin, a city has two sides to it — one that the locals dwell in, and the other that is seen through the eyes of travellers. In this special series of, ‘Visit Your City Just Like a Tourist Would,’ today our pièce de résistance is Amritsar. By Kumar Shree
1. Golden Temple
An expedition in Amritsar is incomplete if you don’t set foot in the glorious Golden Temple. Pay a visit at night to the temple and experience true bliss. The aura, tranquility and charm of this holistic sanctuary is at peak post sundown. You can also help with cooking langar and washing utensils for one of the largest free kitchens in the world and cherish the joy of service (or as they call it lovingly, seva).
2. Wagah Border
Wagah or the Attari border is roughly an hour’s drive from Amritsar. You can definitely do this mini road trip with your friends or family on a weekend. A super enthusiastic gathering of people on both sides of the border come together to cheer for their respective countries. The spirit of joy and peace will immediately engulf you with pride, admiration and patriotism. When here, spread the cheer of brotherhood. The thuds and thumps of soldiers performing at the ceremony is a sight to behold.
3. Partition Museum
Amritsar is a repository of rich cultural chronicles. If you wish to bask in the glory of Amritsar’s history, head to the Partition Museum. Visiting the museum in 2019 has its own charm. The Partition Museum is coming up with a special exhibition called Punjab Under Siege. This exhibition will display everything that’s associated with the tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh to observe the centenary year of the massacre. Apart from that, you will also get to see the Refugee Artefacts donated by the partition survivors and their families.
4. Bicycle Tour of the City
The best way to explore a city like tourists is to go on a guided bicycle tour. City On Pedals conducts three-hours of bicycle tours around the city that will change your perspective of Amritsar. Not only do they offer affordable dormitory services, but they also have an array of different routes for bicycle tours to choose from. For instance, their packages are named as: Amritsar Heritage Bicycle Tour, Amritsar Street Food Bicycle Tour, Amritsar Golden Temple Walking Tour, and etc. They also have tours to the legendary Wagah Border and a couple of villages near Amritsar.
5. Sadda Pind
Let us break up the name for you and you’ll understand what it truly means. ‘Sadda‘ means your own, and ‘Pind‘ means your village. That’s what Sadda Pind is all about. This place is spread over 12 acres of area, and it packs all the essence, flavour, culture, and life of Punjab under one roof. Visit this place to experience the look and feel of real-life brick-and-stone houses of goldsmiths, potters, iron-smiths, farmers, sarpanch, zamindars, tangewala and more. Indulge in festivities as you can witness live folk dance performances like Bhangra, Jhumar, Kikli, and Gidda. If you wish, you can join them, too!
Amritsar is much more than these five must-visit places. It will take more than a decade to explore the city in its truest essence. However, we have offered you the first must-do itinerary. Now get going.
Related: Vistara Now Offers Flights to Leh and Amritsar
