Amritsar is Golden (Punjab, September 18-21, 2008)

I take the Volvo AC bus to Amritsar and arrive after dark. The weather is not bad on the drive, but when we arrive in Amritsar, the streets are flooded because it has just rained. The flood subsides by the next morning.

I meet a nice Belgian (Dutch-speaking) traveler at the hotel and in the morning we walk to Amritsar's main attraction--the Golden Temple. On the way we stop at Jallianwala Bagh, a small park commemorating the 2000 Indians killed or wounded here by the British authorities in 1919. According to my Lonely Planet guidebook, "Unrest in Amritsar was sparked by the Rowlatt Act (1919), which gave British authorities emergency powers to imprison without trial Indians suspected of sedition...On 13 April 1919, 20,000 Indians were holding a peaceful demonstration in Jallianwala Bagh, an open space surrounded by high walls. General Dyer arrived with 150 troops and without warning ordered his soldiers to open fire. Six minutes later, more than 400 people were dead, and a further 1500 were wounded" (272).

After Jallianwala Bagh, we move on to the nearby Golden Temple. This is the holiest place for Sikhs, who live in many parts of India but are mainly concentrated in the state of Punjab, in which Amritsar is located. Sikhism is a relatively new religion and has cultural elements of both Islam and Hinduism, but resulted from a resistance to both religions. Sikhs have been persecuted for their beliefs but show great tolerance and openness to outsiders. At the Sikh temples I have visited, Sikhs have tried to introduce me to their faith by showing me rituals or by asking how I feel about the temple I am in.

The sun brightens the dome of the temple, which extends into a pool of water contained in a marble square. Inside the temple is the Sikh holy book, believed to be the body of God. It is read continuously by devotees. Musicians sing traditional Sikh music, called kirtan, and it is broadcast throughout the temple arena over loudspeakers. Men bathe in the holy waters surrounding the temple. Just outside the temple is a huge community kitchen, in which the thousands of pilgrims who come here are fed daily.

At night, we take a small taxi to the Attari/Wagah Border between India and Pakistan to see the closing ceremony. This quite an event for all the Indians who have come to celebrate their country. Women are dancing in the street, and men join in (in a segregated section, of course) a bit later. Men wave Indian flags and crowds gather on the stands. The Pakistan side has far fewer audience members, perhaps because it is Ramadan, but I have also heard that this is the case even when it is not Ramadan.

The Belgian traveler and I had picked up a French traveler en route to solidifying our deal with the share jeep driver who took us to the Attari/Wagah Border. We also share the jeep with a British traveler, Glenn, and Belgian (French-speaking) traveler currently residing in Senegal, Mattieu. After the Attari/Wagah Border we head to the hotel where Glenn and Mattieu are staying. Its location in the old city, proximity to the old temple, sociable travelers and hyper-active, eager-to-please manager convince me to move here for my next two nights.

The next day we meander through Amritsar's streets, sipping on fresh-made pomegranate-orange-pineapple juice, and stopping for lunch at Punjabi Rasoi.

After dark, we head to the Golden Temple to see the closing ceremony and view the temple at night. We sit near the huge pool of holy water, marveling at the beauty of the temple by night, and speculating as to whether they really use cow's milk to clean the marble floors at night, as one traveler claims she's heard (turns out, they use water). A husband and wife join us with their new-born baby, and I try to talk with them and play with the baby. Then, about 10 boys come up and start talking with Glenn, asking everything about the UK (Why is it called both "the UK" and "England?" How old are you? Is this your girlfriend? What is your job?). This goes on for some time, and the intimidating Sikh guard comes by several times to disperse the growing crowd of curious boys. They are from nearby small towns and come to the temple every weekend. Religion here is a way for kids to pass time. At night, they will sleep outside on the marble floors of the temple, along with hundreds of other pilgrims. Glenn and I decide finally that we have made enough disturbance and leave. Also, he wants a cigarette, which is illegal in the Temple (and even at our hotel, because it is too near the temple, but he is discrete).

The next day, all the people I have been traveling with leave, and I am alone in Amritsar. I hire a rickshaw to take me to some of the temples and a museum outside the old city. First is a museum, Ram Bagh, about the bloody history of Punjab, which used to occupy land as far north as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Jammu-Kashmir.

Next, I visit Mata Mandir (Mother Temple), which is like a fun house. I enter through a low concrete tunnel that is painted black, then walk up some ramps to what could be called a hall of mirrors. Statues of deities are set in the walls, which are decorated in mosaics made of silver and colored mirrors. Truly sensory overload. After sneaking a picture of my reflection, I proceed down a path and under another tunnel, then walk through ankle-deep water. Looking back, I notice udders carved on the side of the tunnel, which is painted like a cow. What has just happened--where have I just been? As I understand, this temple is good luck for women who want to have children, and walking through this course is one way to ensure a positive outcome. I enter the main part of the temple, look at more deities, and sit down at the invitation of one devotee to listen to some music.

The next temple is less impressive, especially after the Golden Temple and Mata Mandir. It is Sri Durgiana Temple, a Hindu version of the Golden Temple. All in all, though, I have been pleasantly surprised at the variety of Hindu temples--no two are alike, as the religion has so much regional variation and many deities.