O) -** -»' \ • Amritsar, literally meaning the tank of nectar, is steeped in glorious religious and national traditions. Its temples—Har Mandir and the Purgiana are places of pilgrimage for the devout Sikhs and the Hindus; its Jallian- wallah Bagh is the Mecca of freedom-lovers and its busy markets are the haunts of many a trader from India and abroad. Prior to the partition of the country, Amritsar occupied an unrivalled position in the business and commercial life of the un­ divided Punjab. Situated as it is on important trade routes, its trade even today extends to Kabul and Kashmir, although the Partition left it a border town and did away with much of its erstwhile importance as a trade centre. Amritsar lies at a distance of about 280 miles from Delhi and is only 16 miles from Wagha, the outpost of the Indo-Pakistan border. With a population of about 3,00,000 and a number of educational institutions, business markets, industrial concerns, banks, hotels, parks and restaurants, Amritsar still remains the most important, the largest and, perhaps, the most picturesque city in the Punjab. The town attracts a large number of visitors from India and abroad on account of countless places of historical interest in it. Early History This portion of the Punjab, the fertile central Doabs, came into prominence with the rise of the Sikh religion and power. As a purely agricultural tract this area may have been under the kings of Lahore and probably peopled by the ancestors of the jats, the peasant 2 proprietors of today. From the establishment of the Mohammadan power in Lahore and the Punjab by Sultan Mahmud, in 1023 A.D., till the overthrow of Muslim supremacy by the Sikhs the region of Amritsar appears to have been attached to the 'Suba' or Province of Lahore and was ruled by the Moghal Governor headquartered there. The district lay on the route from Lahore to Delhi and, travelling by road, one may still notice at intervals, a few of the pillars of 'Kos Minars' which marked the course of the road. The town of Amritsar was founded in 1577 by Guru Ram Dass, the 4th Guru of the Sikhs, on a site obtained by him from the Emperor Akbar. Here he began to excavate an older pool to build a tank with a temple in its midst. The work was completed by Guru Arjan Dev, his successor, and city began to grow there around the sacred tank, from which it took its name "The Pool of Nectar". He is said to have made Amritsar the headquarters of his followers. Thereafter the city became the religious capital of the Sikhs. During the period when the Mughal rulers had declared for the persecution of the Sikhs the place suffered in its popularity. Subsequent to the defeat of the Sikhs against Ahmed Shah Durrani in 1762, the city was destroyed, the temple razed to the ground and the sacred tank defiled. Iti was rebuilt in 1764. After Ahmedshah's retirement, the city was divided amongst the various 'Misls' or confederacies into which the Sikhs had been split up. Gradually the Bhangis, the more prominent of the misls, brought the city into their sole possession and remained supreme till 1802. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who had strengthened his position by a matrimonial 3 alliance with the powerful Kanhaya con­ federacy and had occupied Lahore in 1801, drove the Bhangis from Amritsar in the Reign of Maharaja Ran jit Singh Maharaja Ran jit Singh got the great shrine roofed with copper gilt, whence it came to be known as 'Golden Temple'. He frequently visited the Harmandir Sahib, as the shrine was popularly described, to make obeisance and large offerings. At Amritsar, in 1809, Maharaja Ranjit Singh met Mr. Metcalfe and signed the treaty by which he was recognised by the British as the ruler of the places he held on the eastern side of Sutlej, and undertook on his part not to extend his dominions further in the direction of the protected Cis-Sutlej States. In the same year, he completed the building of a fort named Gobindgarh at Amritsar. He also surrounded the city with a massive wall, the greater part of which has been demolished since the British occupation. It was at Amritsar that the Maharaja received Lord Auckland before the first Afghan War. Many of the leading men at the court of Lahore were intimately connected with the district, such as Sardar Lehna Singh Majithia, the Sandhan- walia chiefs (who belonged to the same family as the Maharaja) and Sardar Sham Singh Atari, whose daughter was married to the grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1837. After the defeat of the Sikhs at the 2nd Sikh war the place was annexed by the British along with the rest of the Sikh dominions and was made the headquarters of the district named after it. The direct road from the railway station to the Golden Temple, or the Darbar Sahib, in the centre of the town passes through the Kaisarbagh. A little further ahead towards the Town Hall is the Saragarhi Memorial erected by the Indian Army to the memory of the small detachment of the Sikh soldiers who fell in 1897, defending the fort of Saragarhi (near Kohat) against overwhelming odds. At the entrance to the temple precincts stood the famous clock tower popularly known as 'Ghanta Ghar' which has since been demolish­ ed. In its place, two temple domes of modern design with clocks at the top have been erected on two sides of the holy shrine. The Golden Temple The Golden Temple is by far, the biggest attraction of Amritsar. The Sikhs call it Hari Mandir (The Temple of the Lord) or Darbar Sahib—The Court Divine. The Temple, surrounded by the sacred tank, presents a lovely sight when its glimmer­ ing reflection is caught by the myriad ripples dancing around it. At night the Temple and the causeway leading up to it are brightly lit. The Temple is a three-storeyed imposing structure, the top being a canopied gilded dome surrounded by golden turrets- The inside of the Temple contains fine filigree and enamel work in gold which is a rare specimen of its kind. On special occasions such as birthday an­ niversaries of the Gurus and on the Diwali night, the Golden Temple is attractively illu­ minated and it presents a feast of colour and si£).iinn aqj jo Xjouiara in pasrej [WJoaraHI : ityjaqii jo aureu . V The Golden Temple ^ & A" m •* $r 1 V-*** '^B ' » v Durgiana Temple / Baba Atal's Tower A busy bazar ? MM* An entrance to the Rambagh Garden / i- *^ I *T-*Plfc V v\>v* ^BriHw^WvnWVH I ''*ffT» • Martyrs' well, Jallianwala I • v . *v 'v. A view of the Rambagh •X/ . Garden www • 5 light. Huge crowds assemble to witness these illuminations. Among the buildings near the Golden Temple, the Akal Takhat or the Immortal Throne and the tower of Baba Atal are of special interest to a visitor. Akal Takhat is the seat of Sikh theocratic authority where all decisions pertaining to the religious and social life of the Sikhs are taken. The tower of Baba Atal, an octagonal nine storeyed structure, 150 feet high, perpetuates the memory of Baba Atal Rai, son of Guru Hargobind, the Sixth Guru. Jallianwala Bagh Memorial. Ajpout a quarter of a mile from the Golden Temple is the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial which commemorates the sacrifices of hundreds of men, women and children who were victims of a ruthless firing in the dark days of 1919. The incident took place on April 13, 1919, when thousands of people had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to voice their feelings against the repressive policy of the British Government. General Dyer tried (to silence the freedom-lovers with volleys of bullets which, according to official estimates, took a toll of 379 lives and wounded another 1,200 persons. This accentuated political awakening in India and brought Mahatma Gandhi to the forefront of the Indian political life. The bullet marks can be seen to this day on the boundary walls of the garden. Jallian­ wala Bagh has been turned into a spacious and well-laid park where people from all parts of the country come on a political pilgrimage. A beautiful memorial has been raised here in the memory of the martyrs. The memorial 6 represents the flame of liberty and reminds the people of the sacrifices made and the grim struggle waged to attain freedom. Durgiana Temple Durgiana Temple, a partial replica of the Golden Temple is situated outside the Lohgarh Gate. It is sacred to the Goddess Durga and is frequented by he devout Hindus. Rambagh Garden. The historic Rambagh Garden outside the city is a high attraction in the evenings when people throng its green parks to relax and breathe fresh air. Several clubs function in the Garden which also houses the well-known Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Gobindgarh Fort The Fort Gobindgarh is a short distance to the south-west of the city. It was completed in 1809, the fortifications being traced by the French officers in the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In May 1857, it was secured by British troops sent over from Lahore in ekkas. Two and a half miles west of Amritsar railway station on the Grand Trunk Road is the Khalsa College, which was founded in 1882. It possesses an imposing and pleasing structure and is well worth a visit. Amritsar is the home of many an industry in Punjab and has earned a name in the Indian as well as foreign markets.