2 Days in Amritsar

Waheguru ji da Khalsa. Waheguru ji di Fateh!

A trip to Amritsar had been on our bucket list for as long as I can remember. For some reason or the other, it just never happened.

We planned a 2-day trip to Amritsar on our way to Himachal for a longer break. And we had two goals while in Amritsar, and two only - to pray, and to eat. Anything else would have to be taken on a case-by-case basis.

We landed on the evening of the 21st of Dec, in a city gripped by relentless and biting cold. It was an evening flight so there was a little apprehension about the flight getting delayed due to the fog, but the chaps at Indigo, know what they are doing. We landed on time.

I had prebooked the Fortune Ranjit Avenue via booking.com because it wasn't too far from the Airport - say about 20 min tops. Since we got in late, and were a little tired, we decided to try the hotel's in-room dining. And boy were we in for a surprise! We ordered the butter chicken and naan, and it was brilliant. Often folks don't order food from the hotel they stay in, but we have been very lucky with in-room dining. So, with our bellies full, and us comfortable and warm (Waheguru's blessings) we settled in for a comfortable sleep.

22nd Dec was going to be all about the temple. We are not very early morning people, so we decided to visit the temple around 10 am.

The Uber dropped us at Bharawan Da Dhaba, and it is a 6-7 min walk to the main temple complex.  This walk takes you through a large bazaar which envelops the main temple complex.

The bazaar is alive pretty much all the time and you will find shiny trinkets to buy, and all kinds of street food served with the legendary Punjabi heartiness. There are a couple of new age coffee shops - Starbucks, McCafe, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Co., etc in this bazaar.

After depositing our footwear just at the mouth of the temple complex, we headed inside. After quick hand wash and feet wash, and a perfunctory check we were admitted inside the complex.

Nothing can ever prepare you for the first time you view the Golden Temple. Photos do not do justice. Words cannot do justice. Just know this - when you see the golden dome for the first time, you realise you are in the presence of divinity.

The temple complex is massive, and extremely well maintained by volunteers. The Sarovar (man-made lake), surrounding the Sancta Sanctorum is flanked by a marble walking path, carpeted as protection against the cold.

We joined the queue for darshan at around 11 AM. It took us about 3.5 hours at that time of the day to get inside the Sancta. All through this time, the volunteers offered water, and stories for anyone willing to listen. If you have an infant, the volunteers also help you move ahead of the queue. Do empty your bladders before getting in the queue though. Thanks to the weather, we were comfortable, and while I usually detest queues for any darshan, this felt divinely ordained.

The Sancta itself has 3 levels - ground + 2 - so make sure you do visit all three. The Granth Sahib on the first floor is hand-written. When you exit the Darbar Saihb, DO NOT miss the Khada prasad.

A few things to keep in mind when you do visit the Golden Temple:

1. Carry a headscarf. Without a headscarf you will not be permitted entry. While there are some available at the entry, you may want to carry your own for hygiene reasons.

2. Don't be an idiot. The sevaks (volunteers) will not hesitate to tell you off if they catch you making reels, or doing some other non-sense. So don't do it.

3. If you're unsure about something, ask. Most of the volunteers working at the temple are more than happy to answer questions. So if you do have a question about the right way of doing things. or about the temple itself, ask.

4. Maintain decorum. Try to maintain some silence. This is a place of worship, and no one will call you out if you talk, it is just a good idea to observe silence and maintain the sanctity of the temple.

The Golden Temple welcomes everyone with open arms. So be respectful.

We felt we didn't get enough of the temple, and planned to return again, but this time at night.

After our darshan, we were famished. We had skipped on breakfast and were surviving on some fruit. Bharawan Da Dhaba came recommended, and we were close by, so we chose it for lunch. IMO it was good, but not great. We had the paneer Amritsari and Kulchas. I am sure there are better options (as I later found out). We skipped Kesar da Dhaba - the missus had visited it once, and did not have anything great to say about it.

You can visit the Jallianwala Bagh after this. The entry is pretty non-descript. there is just so much history to this park. We were quite overwhelmed after this visit. You can see bullet marks on the wall, the infamous well and a walk around the marks four galleries dives a bit into the history of our battle for freedom. We have a lot to thank to the ones who came before us.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Don't be an idiot - this is a freedom movement memorial. Not a place to make your stupid reels. Respect the dead.

2. Visit all the galleries. A wealth of information there.

3. Read up a little about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, so you have some context.

   
   

The rest of the afternoon was spent just idling, taking in the sights and sounds. We returned to the hotel for a brief rest and then headed out for dinner.

While planning this trip, I had asked on Twitter for recommendations and had a flood of options. After doing a quick vibe check with the fellow travellers decided to go to Beera Chicken House, and then Makhan Fish House.

The roast chicken at Beera was exceptional. Nothing like we've eaten before, and trip to Beera just for this is warranted. We also ordered butter chicken and were highly disappointed. It was just bland, and pretty flavourless. Serves us right. To be fair, it was the teenager's ask but we should have known better. You live, you learn.

Anyway, with this 50% hit rate, we headed Makhan, which is down the road from Beera - barely a 4-minute walk.

Makhan is worlds apart from Beera. This was a large restaurant and hotel. It had plush seating, and a Maitre'd (sort of), and a wait of 20 minutes or so. We got a table soon after and promptly got down to business - Amritsari Fried Fish! Now the fish in Amritsar is a local freshwater fish called Sangara. I am not much of a seafood person, but this fried fish was a work of art.

It was deep fried with the thinnest layer of besan. Served piping hot with a spicy chutney, you'd be stupid to not have this while in Amritsar. I got the mutton kheema naan, and it was decent too.

The service at Makhan was exceptional. For the volume of people they had dining, the attention to every diner was laser focussed. Also, do have the Gulab Jamun at Makhan. They source it from Sharma Sweets, another legendary shop of Amritsar, and we completely understand why. These were hand rolled, so the shape was not the usual spheres we see.

By now, we were happy. Both goals of our trip per part done.

Day 2 started with a visit to the legendary Ashok Kulche Wale - thanks to Anand for the tip. This is absolutely unmissable. Piping hot kulchas in the dead of winter - very few things come close. We tried Kulchaland on our way back from Himachal, but we'd prefer for Ashok Kulche wale any day. Do yourself a favour, and do not miss this.

The second half of the day was kept for the Wagah border. It is a good one-time experience. Be there about 45 min earlier to grab a seat. There is a lot of chest thumping happening, and you can partake in it. The closing ceremony is spectacular. The ceremony starts at 4:15 PM in winter and 5:15 PM in summer. The sight of the Indian national flag fluttering in the wind wakes up all sorts of nationalism in oneself.

Things to keep in mind while visiting the Wagah Border:

1. Reach early. About an hour is ok. Check with your driver if there are any farmer protests, as that can derail your plan substantially. Fortunately we had time at hand, and made it well in time.

2. Hire a cab for the entire duration. Finding public transport to go back is tough. For INR 1800-2000 you can have a cab at your disposal. Most cab drivers will offer this service.

3. Don't be an idiot - there are a lot of people. Stay together. Don't jump the lines. AND PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF.

We got back to Amritsar by 7 PM. After a short respite, we headed back to the temple. At night, the Darbar Sahib glory is at a different level. The complex is beautifully lit, and you can take as many photos as you like. Enjoy the langar, and if possible, offer some seva. You can ask any volunteer, and they will guide you to the right person and service station. We had the good fortune of seeing the evening prayers and seeing the Granth Sahib off to Sri Akal Takht Sahib for evening rest.

Note: If you would like to purchase any of the Golden Temple photos, please reach out to me here.

As I mentioned earlier, the bazaar surrounding the temple complex has a few gems in its bylanes. One of them is Gurdasram Jalebiwala. Piping hot jalebis and gulab jamun to end the day. Everything is easy to find using Google Maps.

2 days in Amritsar are enough to do the basics - temple visit, eating at a few places, but by no means enough to be able to do everything! We missed a few eateries, and we will cover these up in our subsequent visits. One trip to Amritsar is not enough.

This post would be incomplete if I didn't thank Sukhdeep Singh Ii, and Varun (Ambarsariya) for their fantastic recommendations.