The Amritsar Allure

The trip organised by Nidhi and the Silver Talkies team to Amritsar was a first for me in many ways. It was my first visit to a city with many historical facets. It was my first visit to the divine Golden Temple. It was also my first trip with a group of people, most of whom I was meeting for the first time.

I did have moments of reticence with the idea of travelling for three nights with an unknown bunch of people. But I decided to take the plunge and even went on to share a room! And my leap of faith paid off. It was a wonderfully organized tour, with Nidhi, an extremely patient person, at the helm. 

On day one, we went to the Gobindgarh Fort for the sound and light show. It was fun to see my fellow travellers do amateur bhangra on the lawns in front of the beautiful fort before the show. We were quite unprepared for the cold but (not so) quietly braved it. The fragrant adrak ki chai did help a lot. The sound and light show was very nice with Kabir Bedi's rich voiceover. The fort's aged structure was transformed into many locales by the clever use of light. A great beginning!

The next day, we visited the Golden Temple early in the morning. It is one of the most serene and holy places that one can visit. The way everyone politely made way for the elderly and people with children was a revelation. When I laid my forehead on the ground in front of the Guru Granth Sahib inside the sanctum, I cried and said 'Thank you'. Repeatedly. No one asked me to move on. I voluntarily did so because I became aware of the number of people who were patiently waiting to express their devotion. When I sat at the water body waiting for everyone to regroup, all I felt was peace and calm. It was like the hustle and bustle of my life had paused for me to breathe and go inward. It was beautiful.

We then headed to the Jallianwala Bagh. I sat on the periphery. I was not able to summon the wherewithal to take a closer look at a place that holds so much tragic historical significance for us. Partition Museum was next. I felt many emotions at the museum. Grateful that I have not had to go through what the people who suffered partition did; awe at the resilience of the people who survived.; deep sorrow when I listened to some of the recordings of people recounting their experiences; and horror at the atrocities.

On the third day, we went shopping before lunch and then headed to the Wagah border for the ceremonial beating retreat. And ceremonial it was! I would also use the word 'theatrical!' Our hearts and chests swelled with pride, we chorused Vande Mataram, Bharat Mata ki Jai, and Hindustan Zindabad with fervent sentiments of patriotism and love for our beloved India. We also saw Pakistan mirroring the entire ritual on their side. The aggression, the moustache-twirling, and the kicks in the air were a spectacle. Truly something to behold! The photo with the 6ft 7 inches tall Army jawan was the cherry on the cake!

Let's now remember that we were in the heartland of Punjab. Therefore, how can we not talk about the food? We landed on March 4 around lunchtime (happy coincidence!) and headed straight from the airport to Bharawan da Dhabha - our first taste of the Amritsari kulcha! The chole, the sarson ka saag, the dal makhani, the aloo gobi, and the lassi, made us realise that we had indeed landed in food paradise.

The Amritasri kulcha is a tandoor-baked piece of one of the most refined forms of the Indian roti. It is delicious. Not oily, flaky but not dry. A must try which will tempt even the most non-epicurean person to have sizeable portions of it. 

That evening after the sound and light show, we proceeded to Crystal restaurant, followed by A-One Kulfa. Now here, I will be a little circumspect about what exactly 'kulfa' is. That it is delectable, filling and unique is all I will say. I would suggest that you go to Amritsar and try it. You need to experience it. Descriptions don't do justice.

On the second day of our trip, we ate near the Golden Temple. Bhai Kulwant Singh Kulchian Wale is a plain shop in an inner lane with long lines. It serves four kinds of kulchas and lassi. There was something so honest and true about the kulcha and chole here. Once again, words do not suffice. In the night we went to Novelty Sweets on Lawrence Road. 

Day # 3 was lunch at Makhan da Dhaba and dinner at Sadda Pind, a cultural and foodie experience.

The real treat was the produce. It all tasted like it should - the saag, the paneer, the lassi, the gobi, the matar, even the aloo! With the long supply chain involved, I dare say, us metropolis dwellers have forgotten the true taste of food from the field to the table! 

My travelogue would be incomplete if I did not mention the shopping. Juttis at Raunaq's - an irresistible collection. The phulkari material, the sarees, the suit pieces, a shopper's heaven! We shopped to our heart’s content at Raja Exclusive on Katra Jaimal Singh.

Ujagar Singh Karam Singh Papad Wadian Wale packed and delivered our orders of hing, wadis, papads, chole masala, and many other masalas to the hotel. We picked up the local delicacies from Kanha Sweets. These included besan ke ladoo, mathis, and patisa. We also got the famous aam papad from Lubhaya Ram, both on Lawrence Road. Let me also give my companions their due share of credit. Everyone was super cooperative, friendly and accommodating. It was time really well spent.

And of course we took pictures at the sarson ke khet. Just the most befitting touch to the trip.

Food for thought: There is a poem by WH Auden at the museum, about the agonizing quandary of Sir Cyril Radcliffe who drew the lines of India's partition. It made me wonder - was his agony more or that of the victims of partition? He probably had to live with the guilt of having to do what he did and the way he had to do it, for the rest of his life. I am still debating the point in my head. What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.