A full day exploring Amritsar, from the sombre history of Jallianwala Bagh to the Golden Temple kitchens, a superb dinner, and the unforgettable Attari–Wagah border ceremony.
Amritsar Tour.
Today, we toured Amritsar, visited several places, had dinner, and ended the day at the Attari–Wagah border for the lowering-of-the-flags ceremony. After a short coach ride into the centre of Amritsar, we met our guide from the previous night, who would take us around the city. We then walked the short distance to our first stop, Jallianwala Bagh.
Jallianwala Bagh.
I had never heard of Jallianwala Bagh or the events that took place there before our visit. I left wanting to learn more about the massacre, the people involved, and how such a disgraceful event in British history unfolded.
The gardens were lovely, and I could imagine people gathering there to escape the sun's heat. The memorials were plain, but the bullet holes in the surrounding buildings were a stark and poignant reminder of the atrocity.
As we left, our guide pointed out the Martyrs Memorial and said it would be our meeting point later, when we departed from the Golden Temple. We then moved on to our next stop, the Durgiana Temple.
Durgiana Temple.
We had a short visit to the Durgiana Temple. After visiting so many impressive temples and monuments, including the Taj Mahal and the Golden Temple, I wasn’t overly impressed by the interiors. The golden facade on the upper half of the building outside, however, was striking. Our visit lasted around twenty minutes, which was more than enough.
After leaving the temple, our guide walked us to the square outside the Golden Temple. We handed in our shoes, and I was given another orange bandana to wear before entering the complex.
Golden Temple.
This was our second visit to the Golden Temple, and today we explored the Langar, the community kitchen that feeds thousands daily. We were told that anyone, regardless of religion or background, could come for a free meal. We were welcome to join the queue, but none of us wanted to miss the tour of the kitchens.
We were shown the vegetable‑preparation areas, the enormous cooking pots, and the bakery where bread was made in large ovens. Our guide even took us to another level, showing us a view of the Golden Temple from the Langar kitchen, a perspective most visitors never see. The view was brilliant, sweeping over the entire complex.
After leaving the kitchen, we collected our shoes and had time to browse the nearby stores. I asked our guide where I could buy one of the orange bandanas we had been given. He told me to keep the one I had, it would mean more to me, and I didn’t have to pay for it.
I wandered around but didn’t buy anything before sitting opposite the large monument where we were all meeting before dinner. Slowly, the others joined me, many carrying bags of purchases. I didn’t want to think about the excess‑baggage charges some of them would face on the flight back to Delhi, let alone the UK.
We walked back to the coach and headed to dinner.
Dinner in Amritsar.
The coach dropped us off outside a restaurant our local guide recommended. We sat at adjoining tables, ordering separately. The staff were fantastic, quick, friendly, and in the case of the girls serving us, beautiful. The meal was the best I had in India and the best Indian food I have ever eaten. I wish all the food on our trip had been as good.
After dinner, our guide hurried us back onto the coach. We had about an hour’s drive to the India–Pakistan border and needed to arrive on time to secure good seats for the ceremony.
Attari–Wagah Border: The Lowering of the Flags.
I had seen short clips of the Attari–Wagah border ceremony on TV but knew little about it beyond the John Cleese‑like marching. I wondered if it had inspired his famous silly walk.
When we arrived, we parked in a large car park. We had been reminded repeatedly to bring our passports, as we couldn’t enter without them. As we queued for security, one of the women realised she had left her passport on the coach. My admiration for tour guides grew when one of them walked all the way back with her to retrieve it. The rest of us waited, anxious not to lose our chance at good seats.
Once she returned, we moved through security and into the stadium. We showed our passports again, with different gates for the ladies, before being shown to our seats. Our guide told us that when the flags reached halfway down during the ceremony, we should leave immediately to avoid the crowds and get back to Amritsar without delay.
The stadium on the Indian side held around 20,000 people, with a matching stadium on the Pakistan side. The open end of our U‑shaped stadium faced the border gates. Before the ceremony, thousands of women gathered on the road to sing and dance, like an open‑air, women‑only disco, led by a very camp compere who whipped the crowd into a frenzy. The sound system was incredible, like being at a concert.
I couldn’t see much of the Pakistan side from where I sat, but I could see thousands of people waving Pakistani flags in response to the Indian crowd.
When the ceremony began, it was fantastic, unlike anything I had ever seen. It felt like a cross between a military parade, a theatrical performance, and a Butlins entertainment night. The lead sergeant major was wonderfully flamboyant, and the whole thing was both impressive and amusing. It became one of the highlights of my trip to India.
All too soon, it ended, and we hurried out as the flags were lowered.
Return to Amritsar.
We stopped briefly to use the toilets before returning to the coach. Despite the crowds, we weren’t held up for long and were soon on our way back to Amritsar.
I don’t know if it was the long day or the painkillers I’d taken for my leg, but I don’t remember much of the drive back, just glimpses of the night sky and the passing countryside as I drifted in and out of sleep. When we reached the hotel, I went straight to my room and to bed.
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