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Eating to Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

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Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

The Sikh's holy city of AMRITSAR, site of the fabled Golden Temple, is the largest city in Punjab: noisy, dirty, dusty and hopelessly congested. Its one saving grace is the Golden Temple, whose golden domes soar above rheteing streets. Amntsar is also an important staging post or those crossing In do—Pakistani frontier at Wagha, 29km west.

Listings Amitsar in Haryana and Punjab

Airlines the main Indian Airlines office is on Court Road 0183/213392; Air India (j 0183/546122) js located at the Amritsar International Hotel complex near the bus stand. Ambulance 0183/220900 or 501702. Banks and exchange Several banks offer foreign exchange facilities including the State Bank of India, halfway between the bus stand and the Golden Temple, the Bank of Punjab, near the temple, and the Chartered Bank and ANZ Grindlays, both at Hall Bazaar. Authorized agencies such as Narang Travels at the Amritsar International Hotel arcade, near the bus stand, also change money. Hospitals Kakkar Hospital Green Avenue (0183/506015); Sri Guru

Pathankot in Haryana and Punjab

The dusty town of PATHANKOT, 270km north of Chandigarh and 101km to the northeast of Amritsar, is an important cantonment and railway junction close to the frontier with Pakistan and near the borders with Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. Many travellers pass through to pick up bus connections to Dharamsala, Dalhousie, Chamba and Kashmir, or to take the slow train east through the picturesque Kangra Valley.

Around Chandigarh in Haryana and Punjab

While Chandigarh's futuristic architecture may be of limited interest to most travellers, the ornamental Moghul gardens in Pinjore, on the northern outskirts of the city, have a much more universal appeal. Southwest of Chandigarh there are further Moghul ruins at Sirhind, a good place to stop overnight between Delhi and Amritsar. Anandpur Sahib, the home of the Khalsa movement and one of Sikhism's most venerated shrines, lies just off the Chandigarh-Mandi highway and makes a worthwhile detour, especially during the festival of Holi.

Moving on from Chandigarh in Haryana and Punjab

Chandigarh's long-distance transport connections are summarized on p.665. The railway station, 8km from the centre, has direct services to Delhi, Amritsar and Jodhpur, Regular buses run to Delhi (248km), but the journey can be made in almost half the time by taking the superfast a/c Shatabdi Express trains (#2006 & #2012 departing at 6.50am & 12.20pm). Second-class tickets cost Rs435, four times the bus price, but the journey is far more comfortable and convenient. Other useful trains include the #4096 Himalayan Queen (dep 5.35pm, arr New Delhi 10.30pm), the daily #4535 Kalka-Amritsar Express (dep 4.58pm, are Amritsar 23.20pm) and the

Arrival, information and city transport to Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Amritsar's airport, serving Indian Airlines flights from Delhi and Chandigarh, lies 12km northwest of the city. Taxis (around Rs200) and auto-rickshaws (RslOO) run to the town centre, while buses pull into the huge, frenetic bus stand off GT Road on the eastern edge of the city centre. The railway station lies on the northern edge of the centre, 2km west of the interstate bus stand. PTDC's tourist office, Youth Hostel, Mall Mandi. GT Road (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm: ©0183/231452) is friendly, helpful and has useful information on bus and other travel connections. Amritsar is too large and labyrinthine to negotiate on foot. If

Arrival, information and city transport in Haryana and Punjab

Served by flights to and from Delhi, Amritsar and Leh, Chandigarh's airport lies 11km south of the city centre. Facilities include an Indian Airlines office (0172/704539), a branch of the State Bank of Patiala and a taxi stand. The railway station lies 8km southeast of the centre, connected by half-hourly buses or auto-rickshaws and taxis. The prepaid rickshaw counter is worth queuing for as rates are fixed. There's a useful Current Reservations ticket office, although Northern Railway's main computerized reservation counter is at the bus terminal (Mon-Sat 8am—8pm). All state transport buses pull in to the main transport and information hub -

Golden rules of Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Visitors of all nationalities and religions are allowed into the Golden Temple provided they respect a few basic rules, enforced by patrolling guards. Firstly, tobacco, alcohol and drugs of any kind are forbidden. Before entering, you should also leave your shoes at the free cloakrooms, cover your head (cotton scarves are available outside the main entrance - or wear your Kullu hat), and wash your feet in the pool below the steps. Photography is permitted outside, but not inside any of the shrines tours, provides details on temple accommodation and has books and leaflets about the temple and Sikh faith.

The Gurudwaras Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Undoubtedly the most authentic places to stay in Amritsar are the Golden Temple's three gurudwaras. Intended for use by Sikh pilgrims, these charitable institutions also open their doors to foreign tourists, who can stay for a maximum of three nights. Lodging at gurudwaras is usually free, as is the Sikh custom, but donations are gratefully accepted. Of the three, the Sn Guru Ram Das Niwas is the larger, while the neighbouring Sri Guru Nanak Niwas (where Bhindranwale and his men holed up prior to the Golden Temple siege in 1984) also offers a limited number of double rooms with attached

Practicalities in Haryana and Punjab

Regular buses run between Chandigarh and Sirhind, a stopping-point on the main Delhi—Amritsar railway. The railway station lies 5km from the tourist complex. Buses from Amritsar usually drop passengers at the Grand Trunk Road intersection, 7km south of Aam-Khas-Bagh - catch a local bus into town or take a rickshaw. Housed in a small eighteenth-century summer palace, the PTDC Maulsarai Tourist Complex (01763/22250; 0) overlooks gardens and the Sheesh Mahal. The Archaeological Survey has repossessed much of the building and there is just one large but shabby room left, full of character, with high ceilings and lots of peeling plaster. Inexpensive

Travel details Amritsar Haryana and Punjab

Trains Amritsar to: Agra (2 daily; 13-16hr); Calcutta (2 daily; 37-45hr); Chandigarh (1 daily; 6hr); Delhi (11 daily; 5hr 30min-12hr); Gwalior (1 daily; 18hr); Jhansi (1 daily; 20hr 35min); Mumbai (3 daily; 31 hr 25min-44hr); Pathankot (3 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Varanasi (2 daily. 22-26br). Chandigarh to: Amritsar (1 daily; 6 hr); Delhi (4 daily: 3hr 30min-6hr); Jodhpur (1 daily; 21 hr); Kalka (3 daily; 45min-1hr 10min). Pathankot to: Amritsar (3 daily; 2hr 30min-3hr); Calcutta (Sealdah - 1 daily; 42hr); Delhi (4 daily; 10hr30min-13hr); Jodhpur (1 daily; 20hr) Jogindernagar (2 daily; 7hr 30mm-9hr); Varanasi (1 daily; 27hr). Buses Amritsar to: Chandigarh (30min; 5-6hr); Delhi

Bedlam at the border Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Every evening as sunset approaches, the India-Pakistan border closes for the night with a spectacular and somewhat Pythonesque show. It takes place at a remote little place called Wagha, 27km west of Amritsar, and has become a popular tourist attraction, especially on a Sunday. Hundreds if not thousands of Indians make their way westwards to Wagha (and Pakistanis eastwards) where they congregate, eat ice cream and wait for the setting of the sun. The nearest town, 2km away, is Attari, connected by frequent minibuses to Amritsar. Indian guards sporting outrageous moustaches and outlandish hats entertain the crowds, who watch from specially

Haryana and Punjab

The prosperous states of HARYANA and PUNJAB occupy the flat and fertile tract of river plain that extends northwest from Delhi, towards the mountains of Jammu & Kashmir and the border with Pakistan. Divided by the Partition of August 1947, Punjab has been systematically shorn of its once vast territory: losing the Punjab Hills to Himachal Pradesh and later sacrificing a further chunk to create Haryana. Crossed by the five major tributaries of the Indus, the former British-administered region of Punjab ("Land of Five Rivers") was split down the middle at Independence. Indian Muslims fled west into Pakistan, and Hindus

The Capital Complex in Haryana and Punjab

Three blocks north of the centre, in the shadow of the Shivalik Hills, the Capital Complex, Sector 1, is the site of some of Le Corbusier's most ambitious experiments. The concrete campus, set amid balding sun-parched lawns, was designed to express the strength and unity of independent India. Ironically, the area is now surrounded by barbed wire and patrolled by armed guards, and has been indefinitely closed to casual tourists since the assassination of the chief minister of Punjab, Beant Singh, in front of the Assembly in October 1995. Check at the tourist office to sec if guided tours have

The City of Amritsar Haryana and Punjab

The Golden Temple stands in the heart of the old town: a disorientate of narrow lanes and bazaars. Eighteen fortified gateways punctuate the add named Circular Road, of which only one (to the north) is original. Skirting the edge of the old quarter, the railway line, crossed by a series of chaotic road bridges, forms a sharp divide between the bazaar and the more spacious British-built side of the city. Most of the hotels and restaurants are located in this district, around the Maginot-Lme-style railway station. Further north long straight tree-lined streets full of fast-moving traffic eventually peter out into

Some history of Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Amritsar was founded in 1577 by Ram Das. the fourth Sikh guru, beside a bathing pool famed for its healing powers.The land around the tank was granted in perpetuity by the Moghul Akbar to the Sikhs (who paid off the local W farmers to avoid any future dispute over ownership). When merchants moved in to take advantage of the strategic location on the Silk Route. Ainritsat expanded rapidly, gaining a grand new temple under Ram Das' son and heir Guru Arjan Dev. Sacked by Afghans in 1761, the shrine was rebuilt by the Sikhs' greatest secular leader. Maharaja Ranjit Singh,

Moving on from Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Prabhat ground floor. Hotel Pegasus Palace, opposite the railway station. Dhaba style restaurant serving generous portions. Cheap, but low on atmosphere. Satsangian da Dhaba, 126 City Centre, right opposite bus station. Excellent cheap parathas and veg food and efficient service. Sindhi Coffee House, opposite Ram Bagh Tinted windows and tablecloths, and an exhaustive mixed-cuisine menu that includes several Sindhi specialities. Moderate to expensive. Amritsar is a major hub for traffic heading northeast to Jammu & Kashmir, southeast towards Delhi via Chandigarh (the main jumping-off place for Shimla and central HP), and west to India's only land-border crossing point with Pakistan at Wag

The Golden Temple Amritsar in Haryana and Punjab

Even visitors without a religious bone in their bodies cannot fail to be moved by Amritsar's resplendent Golden Temple, spiritual centre of the Sikh faith and open to all. Built by Guru Arjan Dev in the late sixteenth century, the richly gilded Harmandir rises from the middle of an artificial rectangular lake, connected to the surrounding white marble complex by a narrow causeway. Every Sikh tries to make at least one pilgrimage here to listen to the sublime music (shabad kirtan), readings from the Adi Granth and also to bathe in the purifying waters of the temple tank - the

The Grand Trunk Road in Haryana and Punjab

Crossing Haryana and Punjab en route to, or from, Delhi, you're bound to travel at some stage, along part of the longest, oldest and most famous highway in India Stretching 2000km from Peshawar near the rugged Afghan-Pakistan frontier to Calcutta on the River Hooghly, NH-1. alias the Grand Trunk Road, was described by Kipling in his novel Kim, whose hero and his Tibetan lam i companion set off along it in search up' The River of Arrows", ;is "the Big Road", and "the Backbone of all Hind". The first recorded mention of this trade corridor dates from the fourth century BC,

The City in Haryana and Punjab

Chandigarh's numbered sectors are further subdivided into lettered blocks making route-finding relatively easy. Le Corbusier saw the city plan as a living organism, with the imposing Capital Complex to the north as a "head", the shopping precinct. Sector 17, a "heart", the green open spaces as "lungs", and the crosscutting network of roads, separated into eight different grades for use by various types of vehicles (in theory only), a "circulatory system".