Wooh..first day over in Chandigarh! Time seems to fly by....
Yeah, we reach the next day. Guess what? We were going to Amritsar! A place famous for its stuffed kulcha, Sri Harmandir Sahib, etc. I knew the trip was a going to be a fruitful and memorable one especially for an aspiring journo (that is me!). Amritsar, derived from the words 'Amrit' which means nectar and 'Sarovar' which means river, thus naming this great city.
My aunt, uncle, cousins, parents and I geared up for a road trip (you read that right, a road trip) that was estimated to last for 7 hours (even a passenger flight takes 5 hours to reach there)! Though the journey was quite tiring, it was an unforgettable experience!Firstly, our destination was Harmandir Sahib. Dear reader, would you believe me if I told you that it was made out of solid gold? You betcha!
Harmandir Sahib, meaning 'the holy abode of god' was designed by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru. It is one of the most admired spiritual sites for Sikhs. He also installed the Adi granth, the holy book of Sikhism in the famous Golden Temple. Millions of people throng to the much-respected place to cherish its beauty and magnificence. The shrine is also home to the noted langar, the world's largest community kitchen that serves and is served by lakhs of people everyday.
Though exhausted, I was filled with new energy in my quest for a glimpse of the unwritten ninth wonder of the world. Luckily, I was aware of the weird practice of the Sikhs where they would thrash your head with a stick if you did not cover your hair. With my head and hair covered with a white dupatta, I moved on. A quick caution for my travelers out there.
Just as you enter the streets, my eyes got glued to the elegant white statue consisting of small, pleading faces, a reminder of the savage killing of innocent Sikhs in 1919. Jallianwala bagh massacre, remember?
It was a pleasant, breathtaking view. The Golden temple stood in all magnificence and shone with all beauty and grace. The water gleamed and glimmered, only glorifying the night with its serene glow. It was teeming with devotees chanting 'Wahe Guru, wahe guru' all the way, even on a weekday. Although nobody was hired to clean the floors of the shrine, followers are found on the floors, faithfully scrubbing the floor clean, which is perhaps why the place is sparkling and it clearly shows the efficient maintenance.
What really astonished me was that no Non-Sikh was allowed to sit on the edge of the 'tank of nectar' (that is, the sacred water surrounding the Temple).
Should I call that a touch of religious sentiments or a harsh blow of discrimination? Hmm.
We also stopped for pinni parshad, a traditional Punjabi dessert that is made with wheat flour, dry nuts and fruits, almonds and desi ghee which was served in the shrine. For my Westerners out there, yes, we are allowed to have dessert before dinner.
Then, our last destination for the day was of course, the langar. We enter a room which seemed like a huge shimmering diamond, which was in reality, the cutlery room. Filled with just-washed steel utensils, spoons and plates, it was brimming with famished devotees, even at midnight.
We had a simple yet filling authentic Punjabi dinner which consisted of a parantha, a lentil-greens soup dish, soy-potato curry and a bowl of sweet black gram pudding. It's definitely worth relishing.
That was when I slipped into a deep sleep, energizing myself for another day filled with enthusiasm and joy. There I was, dozing off on the soft comfy bed. It had been a tiring day, after all.
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