[ Edit ] Overview

The spiritual heart of the Sikh community, Amritsar is perhaps one of India's most important junctions – connected to the rest of India by the 500 year old Grand Trunk Road on its east and Pakistan through the Wagah Border on its west. In addition to the fabulous Golden Temple, Amritsar's attractions include it roadside dhabas and the spectacle of the daily closing of the India / Pakistan border gate at Wagah..

While the area around Amritsar was briefly under Greek influence around 326 B.C., and subsequently became part of the Maurya and Gupta empires, Amritsar’s notable history is inter-linked with the birth and growth of Sikhism and the establishment of the Golden Temple starting in the 1500’s.  Amritsar, which means “Pool of Nectar”, derives its name from Amrit Sarovar, the holy tank that surrounds the Golden Temple.

Otherwise like most small and crowded Indian cities, Amritsar is an important destination given the presence of the Golden Temple.  However, there is more than just the temple for visitors.  Amritsar played an important role in India’s freedom.  Jallianwala Bagh is the site of the massacre of unarmed Indians by British troops in 1919.  In addition, the Indo-Pakistan border at Wagah, just a short distance from Amritsar, with its elaborate change-of-guards drill at the evening gate closing has become a major tourist attraction.

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[ Edit ] History

Quick Facts

[ Edit ] State

Punjab

[ Edit ] Location

At the western end of Punjab and on the Grand Trunk Road bordering Pakistan.

[ Edit ] Best Time To Visit

October to March is presents the best weather in Amritsar.  Summer tends to be unbearably hot – a shade warmer than Delhi – for leisure travel.

[ Edit ] Tourist Offices

[ Edit ] STD Code

0183

Sightseeing

Golden Temple

Hathi Gate Temple

Jallianwala Bagh

Khair-ud-Din Masjid

Other Gurudwaras

Ram Bagh

Wagah Border

Weather

DAY: Fri	LOW: 26	HIGH: 31
DAY: Sat	LOW: 26	HIGH: 30

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