DESTINATION Amritsar’s New Avatar The Golden City is brimming with new attractions that give you a peek into its rich culture and history. From museums and farm-stays to a fort and grand heritage street – it’s time to explore this city beyond the Golden Temple and the Wagah Border. Pallavi Pasricha hat can I tell you popularly known as the Golden Temple, is about Amritsar - the the heart of this over 450-year-old city and biggest city of the is on every visitor’s itinerary, more recently north Indian state of the path leading to Sikhism’s holiest shrine Punjab - that has not has received a dramatic makeover and has Wbeen said before? Actually, aplenty. On my turned into a tourist attraction in its own first visit there, three years ago, the iconic right. Called the Heritage Street, it was Golden Temple and the city’s famous food opened in October 2016 and at its every had me enthralled. However, on a recent turn gives a glimpse into the history and trip, a host of new attractions that have culture of Punjab. come up brought me even closer to this city. Starting at the 150-year old Town Hall, the one-kilometre stretch up to the Walking down the heritage corridor Golden Temple is dressed up with statues, Statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the leader of the Sikh While the gleaming Sri Harmandir Sahib, tiled pathways and bright lights at night. empire 52 September-October 2018 INDIA & YOU 1 DESTINATION 2 1. A sculpture depicting Sikhs dancing their famous bhangra; 2 Exterior of the Partition 3 Museum; 3. Installation of a riot hit house; 4. Saw installation at Punjab State War A tall statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Heroes Memorial-cum-Museum; 5. Gallery of leader of the Sikh empire, riding a horse Hope at Partition Museum with a sword in his hand perched on a marble pedestal with carvings of elephants, Sikh generals and war scenes is at Chowk year, there was no specific museum about Phowara. A massive screen, just behind the that traumatic episode. Located in a red statue, where one can watch the holy book brick building in the east wing of the Town being read inside the Golden Temple is also Hall, it brings you closer to the real-life part of the new corridor. 4 stories of how people in both countries The biggest surprise for me, however, (India and Pakistan) were affected when was when I approached the Golden Temple. millions of people had to cross the Instead of a grimy, crowded road, where newly carved borders amid bloodshed hawkers and rickshaw pullers were jostling and violence. for space on my last visit, this time I was The Partition Museum moved me and I walking down a broad, neatly tiled pathway end up spending hours browsing through on a pedestrian-only zone, with shops on its 14 galleries. Set up by the Arts and either sides done up attractively in pink Culture Heritage Trust, the highlights are Kota stone tiles. Of course there are still the personal items donated by people hawkers selling wares that many tourists who had to cross the border, each with want, such as colourful jootis (traditional its own poignant story. For example a shoes) and religious artefacts but now the carefully-preserved phulkari (embroidery entire look is reminiscent of a plaza in a from Punjab) jacket and briefcase tells the European city. Just after the entrance of this story of a woman and a man who were street, there’s a sculpture depicting Sikhs separated in those troubled times, then dancing their famous bhangra and it seems luckily reunited at a refugee camp. A radio quite appropriate. After all, this iconic folk used by a man while he was crossing the dance that features in virtually all north 5 border to escape the mobs on both sides Indian weddings and even Bollywood films is demonstrates how difficult the journey was. central to Punjabi culture. Newspaper clippings, letters, paintings and A little ahead I come face-to-face with a photos give more insights. beautiful marble sculpture outside Jallianwala Mallika Ahluwalia, CEO of the Partition Bagh. Called Smriti, it has many heads that Museum tells me that the initiative was together form a flame. It is dedicated to the born because: “We felt that it was very people who lost their lives when a British important that the stories of our own general opened fire in 1919 on a gathering families and millions like ours should of Indians in the walled garden that is have a physical space that remembers, Jallianwala Bagh. Walking further, I reach the commemorates and pays a tribute to huge marble plaza, which is the entrance of everything that those people went through.” the iconic Golden Temple. A well in the museum pays tribute to the countless women who used to jump Learning more at the Partition inside them to escape violent mobs. The Museum last gallery called the Gallery of Hope has The older generation often recalls a gigantic tree where people can write stories of the partition of India into two messages on green paper leaves. separate nations in 1947 and the event is recorded in history books but until the Exploring the Gobindgarh Fort Partition Museum opened in Amritsar last Under the control of the Indian Army INDIA & YOU September-October 2018 53 DESTINATION until it was handed over to the Punjab the moment you see the memorial, which is government in 2008, few had stepped dedicated to the martyrs. The names inside this fort until it was thrown open to of 3,500 martyrs are inscribed on it. the public last February after restoration There are eight galleries depicting different work. Every evening a dramatic sound war periods. and light show, which uses technology like laser lights, animation and projection Food trail mapping, brings alive the history of Punjab While there are many new things to at Gobindgarh and is truly awe inspiring. explore, some things never change and one Originally built as a mud fort by Gujjar of them is the legendary joints where you Singh Bhangi, the local chief in the 1760s, it sample the rich, decadent food of this city, was rebuilt in the 19th century by Maharaja which is the culinary heart of Punjab. There Ranjit Singh. is the thali (assortment of dishes) at Kesar It is at this fort that the famous Kohinoor da Dhaba, the melt-in-the-mouth tandoori diamond was kept until it was taken by (grilled) chicken at Beera Chicken Corner, the British and gifted to Prince Albert in puri chole (fried fluffy bread with chickpea 1950. Now the diamond is at the Tower gravy) at Kahna Sweets, and gulab jamun of London in the United Kingdom. A key (deep fried sweet dish dunked in sugar attraction here is the replica of the canon syrup) at Sharma Sweet Shop. called zamzama or ‘taker of strongholds’ Although Amritsar was for long a quick that was used in important battles. weekend halt for many visitors, with so Other attractions here include a many new things on the plate for tourists, 7D show, exhibitions, a museum and two days may no longer be sufficient to do performances of traditional Punjabi dances. justice to this city. Enjoying local culture at Sadda Pind One can get an authentic flavour of Above: The savoury Amritsari kulcha and chole (crisp Capital Punjabi culture at Sada Pind, a heritage bread and chickpeas); Below: The sweet gulab jamun Cities village near Amritsar. Literally translated this place means our village and visitors can get an entire range of rural experience here a farm experience. Now many places – from traditional cuisine to handicrafts around Amritsar offer a stay in the vicinity Pathankot and from music and dance to textiles, all of fields where you can eat local food, take in a lovely, rustic setting. There are houses a tonga (horse cart) ride to villages close by, Amritsar dedicated to different activities. The visit a dairy farm and enjoy Punjab in its true musician’s house is where one can hear folk rustic setting. Kapurthala songs; a haveli (mansion) gives insight into Windsong is a charming bed and Jalandhar how village landlords lived; and a potter’s breakfast located next to gorgeous yellow Chandigarh house is where you can try your hands at mustard fields. The six rooms here are Punjab Mohali the age-old craft of pottery. named after rivers in Punjab. Don’t miss the food tour organised for guests – they Bathinda Hop-On-Hop-Off bus take you to little-known local haunts that Mansa There’s nothing like the ease and are not on the popular food trail. Punjabiyat convenience of sightseeing by using a Hop- is another place about one hour away On-Hop-Off bus. Though many cities in from the city with four cottages where India are still to adopt this, Amritsar has one can get a slice of Punjabi culture and done it. So sit back, enjoy and listen to the disconnect from the urban experience of How to Reach commentary as the bus takes you around 17 Amritsar. Another lovely place is The Kothi Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport spots across the city. The cost of the ticket in Gurdaspur, where you can wake up in the in Amritsar has daily flights to major Indian is INR 250 (EUR 3) and the timings are 8:00 morning to milk cows, weave a basket cities and to a few international destinations.