By Robert Selwitz
Amritsar, birthplace and spiritual capital of the Sikh religion, is great for travelers seeking a less-visited but absolutely fascinating stop in India. Here it's possible to gain an understanding of Sikhism's egalitarian, reformative beliefs while experiencing the Golden Temple, one of the world's most remarkable faith-based structures.
In the midst of a lake many believe to have healing powers, a vast network of white marble structures surrounds the gold-clad, domed temple. The temple and the town were built between 1570 and 1577. The gold was added in 1830.
For centuries Amritsar thrived as a major trade center due to its location just 31 miles from Lahore. However, in 1947, during the Partition when Lahore became part of Pakistan, trade dropped sharply. Amritsar was suddenly a border town, all too close to ongoing India-Pakistan strife and battles.
Indeed, Amritsar saw heavy post-Partition fighting and destruction. This was particularly intense during the years when Amritsar's Muslim population swiftly left for Pakistan while Pakistani Hindus and other non-Muslims fled to India. Today, Amritsar's population is roughly 60 percent Sikh, with the balance mainly Hindu.
Along with attacks during India-Pakistan wars, there have also been other disastrous events. The worst was in June 1984, when Punjabi and Sikh-based, independence-seeking rebels holding the temple were forced out during less than a week of fighting. This preceded — and clearly was a factor in — the Oct. 31, 1984, assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Sikh bodyguards. They said they were responding to the attack on the Golden Temple, but the killing didn't stop there. During the next four days vengeance-seeking Hindus and other non-Sikhs killed thousands of Sikhs.
Today, however, peace reigns. To fully experience the temple requires two visits — to attend the evening Palki ceremony and then return the following day to tour the temple itself.
Palki is short for the palanquin — a gold- and silver-decorated platform borne by four bearers and used to transport the Guru Granth Sahib, the holiest Sikh book, to and from the temple. According to our guide, devout Sikhs believe it is not just a book but is actually alive. Therefore, since it needs its nightly rest, it "sleeps" in a special room and is transported to and from the temple every morning and evening.
These daily half-hour-long journeys — usually to the temple around 4 a.m. and back to its chamber around 10 p.m. — feature attendants laying down fresh sets of silk and brocade coverings, sprinkling rosewater en route and clearing the path of any possible debris.
Music, singing and dancing rise as believers and tourists surge toward pathway barriers to get a glimpse of the holy book being carried past them. It's important to watch where one steps since even in the midst of the loudest moments there are devotees sprawled out, some even sleeping, in the midst of the crowd surge.
While there's no admission fee, one must remove all foot coverings, including socks, and walk through a shallow pool of water before entering. Also, woman must wear scarves, while men cover their hair with orange bandanas that are widely sold near the temple. It is important to walk cautiously after foot cleansing since wet feet and smooth marble can easily result in slips and falls.
The next day, after a walk around much of the lake, it's time to join the long line leading to the temple entry. Ultimately you climb three flights of lushly decorated rooms and stairs, passing by a room where a large-type copy of the holy book is continuously read. You then continue up to the roof for impressive views of the lake and surrounding buildings.
Next comes a visit to an extraordinary dining area where, according to our guide, some 40,000 people are fed daily, free of charge. It's open 24 hours each day, so anyone at any time can join the line and be presented with a vegetarian meal that includes dahl, chipatis, potatoes and water. As long as you can comfortably sit cross-legged and dine without back support, you are provided with a plate and eating utensils.
Afterward guides can show visitors the food-preparation areas where chapatis are made, potatoes peeled, and vegetables sliced and assembled. It is also possible to see the vast area where plates and glasses are continuously washed and air-dried.
All of this — including perpetual cleanup that keeps the entire temple area fresh and debris-free — is done on a voluntary basis. This underlies Sikh tenets that not only ignore castes but also bring practical benefits to anyone in need.
Surrounding the Golden Temple is the bustling but largely rundown downtown. Since drivers can't park within a half mile of the temple, guides can take a direct route or a more circuitous and fascinating path to reach it through the once prosperous commercial and manufacturing center. There, via a guide or heritage tour, it's possible to navigate narrow alleys and also to observe structures that, prior to Partition, hummed with manufacturing. Intriguing remains include art deco architectural elements and paintings of trains and cars, reminiscent of the old merchant homes in Shekawati, Rajasthan.
While in Amritsar, one visit that is in order is to Jallianwala Baqh, a city park enclosed by a wall where, on April 13, 1919, British troops opened fire on peaceful celebrants of an agricultural festival. Thinking the people were staging an unauthorized political rally, the troops blocked the only means of egress and hundreds were killed. Still visible today are bullet-pocked walls, a well where hundreds jumped in futilely attempting to save themselves from attack, a memorial to the fallen and a museum that details the event.
Among the tales it relates are that of Udham Singh, an Indian national who, precisely 21 years later, tracked down and assassinated Sir Michael O'Dywer who had been governor of the state of Punjab at the time of the massacre. O'Dwyer had endorsed the decision by Gen. Reginald Dyer (who died in 1927) to launch the attack. Singh was hanged on July 31, 1940.
An interesting excursion out of Amritsar is to the area immediately before the border with Pakistan. While the U.S. government urges citizens to avoid Pakistan, it's possible to safely view the nightly flag-lowering, ceremony performed simultaneously by Indian and Pakistani troops on opposite sides of the border from grandstands on the Indian side.
Synchronized high-stepping and belligerent marching songs are all part of a slightly surreal presentation in which combatants mirror each other's activities.
The ceremonies are occasionally suspended, as they were following a fall 2014 explosion on the Pakistani side. While casualties were extensive, only Pakistanis were wounded or killed. Therefore it's wise to have guides check the performance schedule to ensure it is happening.
Much less crowded and perhaps even more interesting are the deserted temples on Pul Kanjari, a UNESCO protected village en route to the border presentation. Highlights include remnants of an old canal, a mosque and a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. Eerily quiet now, this virtually deserted site suffered heavy damage during Partition and also during a 1971 occupation by Pakistan.
Less than a quarter mile from the actual border, it symbolizes the consequences of what can happen to once-prosperous areas that get swept up in political fights.
WHEN YOU GO
For information on Amritsar tourism: www.amritsar.nic.in/html/places_to_visit.htm
The Hyatt Hotel is comfortable and conveniently situated for touring: www.hyatt.com.
Greaves Tours provides excellent guidance within and outside the city: www.greavesindia.com.
Robert Selwitz is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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