AMRITSAR & CHANDIGARH VISIT

We have been visiting religious places at long distances for some time, so this time we decided to visit some place near Delhi. Visit to Amritsar (about 450 km from Delhi) - most famous for GOLDEN TEMPLE became the obvious choice. Other sightseeing places in Amritsar are Jallianwala Bagh, Durgiana temple & India-Pakistan border i.e. Attari (Wagha) Border about 40 Km from city. At Wagha a ceremony is held daily in the evening. We, therefore, planned a three day trip.  Weather of Amritsar was similar to Delhi, so we packed summer dresses for three days in a bag for two of us and left by road in the second half of 2012.

We reached Amritsar in the evening and checked into Hotel Ritz at Mall Road. Jallianwala Bagh – near to Golden Temple was our first halt. At this place Gen. Dyer of British Army massacred innocent public (including women and children) without provocation & warning on Baisakhi Day of 1919 killing a large number of them. Some of the bullet marks left by Gen. Dyer’s army have been preserved at three places in the Bagh. There is also a MARTYERS WELL in which more than hundred persons were drowned in a bid to save themselves from the firing. We also watched light & sound program. Thereafter, in the same evening visited Shri Harmandir Sahib (Temple of God) – popularly known as Golden Temple or Shri Darbar Sahib. Golden Temple is built with white marble, overlaid with Gold in a sarovar. Devotees take dip in this holy sarovar before paying obeisance at Shri Darbar Sahib. Here Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of Sikhs) is kept and worshiped. This has four entrances i.e. at North, South, East, West directions. Within the complex there is a very big Langar. Here meal is prepared voluntarily by devotees & served daily to thousands of pilgrims free of charge. We also took food at langar, it was really tasty comprising of Daal, Chapattis and Kheer which was fresh & very hot. There was no restriction to the quantity of food to anybody. The hotel in Amritsar is rated at three on scale of five.

Next day visited Shri Durgiana Temple in the city. This has resemblance to Golden Temple i.e. big edifice in the middle of sarovar with gold ceiling and silver doors. There are separate temples of Lord Lakshmi Narayan, Lord Radha Krishan with Giri Raj Ji and Lord Rama, Lakshman, Sita & Hanuman Ji (known as Ram Darbar) within the edifice.  Behind this structure is an idol of Lord Shiva with stream of water flowing from head symbolizing Ganges from Lord Shiva’s head. There is Sheetla Mata temple along with nine incarnations of Goddess. Nearby is Bada Hanuman JI temple. After shopping we went to Attari Border with Pakistan to witness a ceremony of lowering of Flags of both the countries in evening by BSF of India and Rangers of Pakistan. Due to unprecedented rush, we were not able to personally witness the ceremony, but have to be contended with a CD which were being sold at venue. Same evening we left for Chandigarh at a distance of 130 km.

We stayed in a hotel at Zirakpur (near Chandigarh). In the morning left for Morni Hills a hill station in Haryana about 40km from Panchkula off the NH-1 through narrow & ill maintained road. Reached Tikkar Tail Lake. At this place an adventure park has been developed on the theme of wild life by the Haryana Govt. along with a scary house. Further we passed through Quail (Morni). This is an ideal place for quiet weekend. Hills are covered with pine, Neem, Oak etc. trees. At a short distance from this place is Tikkar Lake also at Morni. This is a paradise for bird watchers. Haryana Tourism have resorts at both the places.

 Though Morni  is considered as  a hill station in Haryana and near to Delhi, but has neither been developed nor maintained as a place for weekend holiday.  Same evening we returned to Delhi after travelling about 280 km.