How to spend a day in Amritsar

I lived in Chandigarh for about 6 years. Now just like going to Puri when anyone showed up at my place in Bhubaneswar, Amritsar was one destination that everyone yearned to visit when they came to Chandigarh.

I have been here numerous time. Even during one of my high school trips. But here I will be narrating my latest visit to this place. The last time I came here when one of my Bhubaneswar friends came to visit me. Even though there are many places to visit in Chandigarh, Amritsar is a must-visit for everyone.

Now, as usual, we booked a car from Zoomcar and left from Chandigarh early morning at 5 AM. We wanted to leave as early as possible because we had a long-distance to cover and come back the same day as well as a lot many places to stop at.

Leaving so early meant no time for breakfast. And so, came our first stop of the day. 

Heritage Haveli, Rupnagar

No one should miss a chance to have a meal at Haveli when travelling to Amritsar. When you search for Haveli, you will find many options. Even we didn’t know which one we were entering. We were just hungry and entered the one which came on our path. This one is a restaurant cum hotel. 

It has a grand entrance with a huge and beautiful chandelier you can spot when you enter the restaurant. I am a huge fan of extraordinary lightings. So, took about 10 minutes to capture it from every angle possible. 

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Even though we reached around 6 in the morning, the menu was quite restricted. We were hoping to have parathas but they denied. Only options were bread-butter, bread-jam and sandwiches. A great disappointment actually. So, we had a mini breakfast here.

Moving on, I was eagerly waiting for another Haveli to show up. I mean, how can I be full with just sandwiches? Lucky for us, we arrived at one.

Haveli, Amritsar-Jalandhar Highway

Now, this was the real deal. We ordered the most famous of all dishes that are favoured here. 

• Parathas of 3 variety- Aloo (Potato), Gobi (Cauliflower) and Paneer (Cottage cheese)
• Chole Bhature
• Puri with Aloo Sabzi
• Lassi

I wish I would have remembered to click some pictures. But I was so damn hungry, that I literally devoured my food the moment it came. I was only able to capture the mouth freshener provided after the meal.

Now your Culture at Haveli

Right adjacent to this famous restaurant is, umm, you might call it a museum. It is an open area with different sections portraying different aspects of Punjabi people. From culture to history to occupations and so on. They even have stalls where they sell handcrafted goods like kites, kitchen utensils and keychains and many more. Even gold items too. 

There are fairs held in this area too. But it was not much of an occasion at that time, so pretty empty. We were the only ones roaming around and exploring this place.

Next Stop- Golden Temple

Golden Temple, Amritsar

When you search for places to visit in Amritsar, this literally comes on top. Also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, is one of a kind Gurudwara. Can you imagine looking at a structure made of pure gold? I mean literally pure. As in 24- karat gold. Even the gold we use in our day to day life is made of 22-karat gold. 

To reach here, they have sealed a whole area around for pedestrians only. No vehicles allowed. It has actually helped in managing the crowd. Because many people for faraway places come to visit this holy place. So, eliminating the traffic of vehicles is a bliss.

Many locals have started offering their parking areas and charging for the same. We literally went round and round for about 10 minutes till one local approached us. He took us to a nearby parking area and without any second thought, we took it. 😉

After a 10-minute walk, we reached the Golden Temple. There are a few mandatory rules when entering this holy place.

• Remove your shoes and socks. There are dedicated cloakrooms to deposit them
• Cover your head with a scarf/handkerchief. Need not worry if you did not bring one. You can also buy handkerchiefs right outside
• Mobiles should be switched off/put on aeroplane mode
• Photography not allowed inside the temple
• Wash your hands and feet before entering the premises

I have never seen this place empty. I mean not even fewer people. It is always packed. There is a huge line to enter the temple. Separate for men and women. Be prepared to be walking and standing for a long time. But it is definitely worth it. 

Even though it is filled with people and their chitter-chatter, you will find it very peaceful. The gurudwara is in the middle of a water body which is filled with goldfishes. They sometimes swim close to the stairs. My peace was in watching them swim. 

Langar at Golden Temple

Now going to such a famous Gurudwara and not having langar would be wasting an opportunity. If you don’t know, langar is the Sikh tradition of serving food to people without any bias. People of all religion and caste are welcome to have a meal here.

It is prepared by volunteers. And meals keep on changing each day. We had rice, roti, dal, chana and kheer. It was just divine. I really don’t know why, but having food in any holy place is beyond measure. It’s the same as I had a meal at the Jagannath temple. Pure bliss.

Oh, almost forgot to mention the kada prasad (Atte ka Halwa). It is to die for. And I am not even exaggerating here. It really is that good. Just one negative thing is that you need to pay for it. I mean the one which you want to offer inside. There is no fixed price. It is up to you how much you want to. Everyone gets kada prasad served while exiting. 

Jallianwala Bagh

This garden in Amritsar is at a mere 3-minute walking distance from Golden temple. It is a historical garden which witnessed the massacre that happened in 1919.

It holds memory structures like the wall on which you can see bullet holes and the well in which many jumped in to protect themselves. They recently created a museum and a souvenir shop which comes while exiting the Jallianwala Bagh.

Attari-Wagah Border

Every person is proud of their own country. And so are Indians. This border is between India and Pakistan. Another hotspot in Amritsar. Every evening, the security forces of India (Border Security Force, BSF) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) perform a drill and ceremony. In which, during sunset, they lower their respective flags simultaneously. 

Now, there is a huge line for entry separate for both men and women. And of course, to get a good view, you must arrive 2 hours or early so that you are first to enter. Still, a long wait.

The security tries their best to manage the crowd, but somehow, there is chaos. People literally run to get the best seats in the arena. Even I did. 

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There are a few things to keep in mind. No bags are allowed inside. You can carry your wallet/purse and camera inside. There are small stalls also past the security where you can buy water and eatables like chips or popcorn too. But I would suggest you carry your water bottle as you will have to wait in line for a long time. Keep yourself hydrated.

Now, when we entered the arena, I frantically started searching for a place to sit from where you can view the ceremony clearly. There are many pillars in between. So, I had to be careful where I sit. 

It is approximately a 45 minutes ceremony. Security forces from both countries showcase their strengths and try to have an act of who is better. With patriotic songs playing in the arena, they call upon women and girls to come to the central area to enjoy dancing and feel the love of the country.

Finally, at sunset, both the flags are simultaneously taken down. It Is kept in mind to gradually take them down from the pole at the same pace. It really was the best way to end our tour of Amritsar.