It’s been ages since I last been on a solo trip. This time the destination was the Holy City of Amritsar! I have been planning this trip since December 2015 with friends but never worked out. Finally I found a gap in my training schedule that I decided to hop on to cover the city and fulfill my commitment. As usual it was not a well planned trip but an impromptu one with tips from my friends on phone. Only thing I did was to book a hotel room.
I landed in Amritsar early in the morning by flight. Luckily the weather was pleasant as it was the 1st week of April. I booked a cab and reached the hotel to stow my luggage. I requested the hotel authorities to guide me as I came in unresearched and they gladly did. I hired a cab for the day and started on my journey after having my breakfast.
First stop - JallianWala Bagh. It is the site of massacre by the colonial rulers on citizens which was the darkest event in history leaving deep scars on the people’s minds. Currently the place serves as a memorial depicting the gory event. There is a walk through along the place with videos, plaques etc giving a detailed description on what and how events transpired. The well where people jumped to escape but met an unfortunate outcome is well preserved, so are the brick walls with bullet marks. There were memorial stones of freedom fighters with their inspirational quotes. A well documented journey into the past.
Next stop - Lunch. Been to the famous restaurant “Yellow Chilli” by renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor! Was mesmerised by the lip smacking food.
Next stop - “Sadda Pind”. It’s a model village setup depicting the lifestyle of a village in Punjab. It’s an interesting and well curated journey for all age groups. Initially I felt that I would not spend much time, but ended up spending a lot of time. It had food, cultural and adventure shows, fun games etc. I got the opportunity to don the traditional Turban! I rode on a horseback, I got a glimpse of weaving carpet. Overall I was impressed by the setup and appreciated my time spent well.
Next - Attari Border! It’s the border between India and Pakistan where every evening there is a beating retreat ceremony by both the border patrol forces of India (BSF) and Pakistan(Rangers) face off in a well sequenced event culminating with the lowering of flags. This event is like the “Haka Dance” seen on television during rugby matches played by New Zealand. It’s a high adrenaline goose bumps raising event to watch. It was a wonderful to watch women being part of the contingent on either side which was not there in the videos I used to see before of this event.
Final stop - The Golden Temple! The holiest worship site of Sikh religion. The worship place is open to visitors from all walks of life irrespective of their religious backgrounds. The visit to this place cannot be penned in words but must be experienced by all. The “langer” or the community lunch is a must have! I can assure that you will return well enriched by the experience!
Next was me heading to the hotel for a good night rest and return back to airport the following morning for catching my onward flight. Another great solo trip to cherish!
