How to Explore Amritsar in One Day

Written by Nina Xu, and published by Forrest Yu

Despite the absence of streets as crowded as Delhi's, stories as romantic as Agra's, and monuments as magnificent as Jaipur's, Amritsar, a city in the Punjab state of northwestern India, touched my heart and soul. The Golden Temple, the Community Kitchen, and the Night Bazaar were all incredible, giving me the experience nowhere else in India can offer. Here I recommend some of the top experiences in a one-day tour.

1. Sikhism

With almost half of the city's population being Sikhs, it's impossible to talk about Amritsar without mentioning Sikhism., the world's fifth largest religion with over 25 million followers. The Sikhs are easily recognized by their uncut hair and a turban. They believe that all human beings are equal no matter the race, religion, caste or gender. Another thing that sets the Sikhs apart is that they do not worship idols of any form. So you won't find any statues or religious pictures in a Sikh temple, nor will you see any candles, incense, or bells, because a Sikh worships only God that has no physical form.

Golden Temple in the evening

As the holiest city for Sikhism, Amritsar is an excellent place to get a taste of the Sikhism culture. So the Golden Temple and the Community Kitchen are must-visits.

2. Golden Temple

Known as the Jewel in the Sikh Crown, the Golden Temple is the most iconic building in Amritsar. It's the largest Sikh temple, with a history of 400 years. Some 750 kilograms of gold were used to gild the temple, which is why it gleams. The tank that surrounds the temple is called Amrit Sarovar, from which Amritsar gets its name. It is believed to have healing powers, attracting pilgrims from around the world to bathe in its sacred waters.

I met some nice Indian guys in the Golden Temple (I'm second from the left)

There are two best times to visit the Golden Temple, one in the evening when you can admire stunning glow of the temple and witness the grand Palki Sahib Ceremony, the other in the morning when you can see the temple complex in a different light.

Golden Temple at night

When illuminated, the Golden Temple is absolutely stunning, with strings of lights along the promenade that leads to the sanctum. I could see its beautiful reflection in the sacred waters. Though I was not a Sikh myself, I was deeply fascinated by its charm. It's hard to imagine any temple more beautiful than this.

Golden Temple at night is breathtaking

The Palki Sahib (night ceremony) that takes place every night is unmissable. As I mentioned before, the Sikhs are against idolatry. The only object they revere is the Holy Book, Guru Granth Sahib. This Sikh scripture is worshiped during the daytime in the main shrine and carried with a palanquin in procession to its sanctum for a few hours' rest before it is brought back to the shrine again the following morning.

Palki Sahib Ceremony in the Golden Temple

Though it was late in the evening, there were still many people in the line waiting to enter the temple. I listened to the hymn sung by the disciples inside, which I could only understand by reading the English subtitles on the screen. After all, it was a good way to while away the queue time. The sight of the dazzling Golden Temple and the grand Palki Sahib Ceremony had amazed me, but it excited me even more the moment I entered this magnificent temple. I marveled at the glittering decorations and could feel the overall sense of peace and serenity, which made the waiting hours so much worthwhile. Since photography is not allowed inside the temple, I couldn't show you its dazzling interior. You've got to see it for yourself.

Golden Temple in the morning

The next morning, I took a guided heritage walk through the old part of Amritsar to the Golden Temple, a good way to learn about the city's eventful past. The walk was not very impressive, but my guide Goldern was nice. As the narrow street was bustled with people and rickshaws coming and going, Goldern always kept me on the inside of the street and told me things to be aware of. If I must think of a word to describe him, it would be "gentleman".

A street view of the old town of Amritsar

My heritage walk ended in the Golden Temple which has four entrances. I entered through the west gate for the Palki Sahib Ceremony last night. But this time we chose the north gate that is said to offer more magnificent views of the pilgrims. No ticket is required to enter the temple, but one should cover the hair，remove shoes and socks, and wash the feet before entering. I did see more pilgrims in the morning than at night, pilgrims of all ages from babies to people of more than seventy years old. Their smiling faces made me feel welcomed and realize how inclusive Sikhism is.

The Golden Temple in the daytime

Etiquette for visiting the Golden Temple:

• Before going inside the compound, you need to 1) take off your shoes and socks (they can be placed in the stands at the entrances); 2) wash your feet in the foot baths 3) cover your head (you can borrow scarf for free or buy it from the nearby vendors beforehand)

• If you want to sit beside the water tank, sit cross-legged and do not dangle your feet in it

• No smoking or alcohol in the temple

• Do not take photos inside the temple (it is only allowed from the walkway surrounding the tank)

Visitors queuing to enter the Golden Temple

3. Community Kitchen

The Community Kitchen or Langar is the very manifestation of the Sikhism teaching about equality. Every Sikh temple (or Gurdwara) has a Langar where meals are served 24/7 for free to everyone, regardless of sex, color or religion. Only vegetarian food is served so that no religion is offended. People all eat together, which is very different from the Hindu caste system where people of different castes eat separately. Food is all donated, prepared and served by volunteers. Visitors can also help prepare the food, wash up or serve.

The volunteers were preparing vegetables

I visited the Langar at the Golden Temple, which offers free meals to up to 100,000 people a day. It consists of three parts: the kitchen, the dining room, and the dishwashing room. All were incredible - the kitchen may be the largest one in India; the dining room has the biggest amount of diners, and the dishwashing room has an amazing number of people doing the dishes. The kitchen is divided into two sections, one for processing the raw food, the other for preparation and cooking. I saw people peeling onions and cucumbers while chatting about everyday life from time to time. These vegetables would then be sent to the kitchen inside for further preparation before they are served to the public. As a visitor, I was also given a meal. Though the food wasn't very good, it did offer me a taste of a Sikh's daily life.

Visitors were ready to enjoy their free meal in the dining room

4. Night Bazaar

If you walk from the Golden Temple's parking lot to the main area of the temple, you'll see a souvenir shopping street famous for its Punjabi wear. The Bazaar is busy even if it's 10 pm. You'll find everything from shawls, carpets, shoes, electronics and a great number of other goods. This bazaar. It's a great place to experience the bustle and hustle of Amritsar, shop for souvenirs or simply take a stroll. Prices of the items are negotiable and getting a good deal requires some bargaining skills, though.

The shopping street near the Golden Temple

Amritsar is the most special stop of my 7-day India Tour. The experiences of the Golden Temple, the Community Kitchen and the night bazaar were amazing. If you're planning a trip to India, I highly recommend putting Amritsar to your itinerary, which allows you to see a different India.