Top Tourist Places To Visit in Amritsar

Amritsar is a prominent spiritual city for Sikhs located in Punjab. The name literally translates into ‘holy pool of nectar’. It is also called the Golden City because the Golden Temple is situated there. In the old days Amritsar used to be known as Ramdaspur, named after the fourth guru of Sikhs, Guru Ram Das, who was instrumental in setting up of this city. Located in the north-western part of India, Amritsar is only a few kilometres away from Wagha Border that separates India and Pakistan.

Amritsar is significant not only on a religious front but historical as well, owing to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and Operation Blue Star. This city is the birth-place and residence of many well-known freedom fighters, politicians, filmmakers, actors and religious figures. The city is very rich in culture. Its fame in serving sumptuous dishes extends even across borders. Other popular things from this region are the handicrafts, fabrics, carpets and farm products.

Climate and Geography

The city of Amritsar located in the North-western India; just 28km away from Wagha Border that separates India and Pakistan. The average elevation is 234 metres. The climate of Amritsar is a semiarid one, which is common to the North-western India. The summers are particularly extreme while winters are also no less. It rains reasonably well during monsoon. The post-monsoon season (September to November) is a suitable time to visit.

Transportation

Amritsar is one the important cities in terms of trade and tourism. There are well-established transportation links to this city via all means.

Air: Amritsar has an international airport with flights for Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Jammu etc. among the domestic locations and London Heathrow, Doha, Sharjah, Ashgabat, Tashkent, Dubai etc. for international travelling.

Rail: The city has a busy railway station with many express trains from major cities which are heavily booked most of the time.

Buses: Amritsar is located on the Grand Trunk Road, known as NH1. There are several buses that connect it with Delhi, Ambala, and Chandigarh etc. There are many buses available for local transport also.

Rickshaws: For local travelling, cycle rickshaws are the most preferred and cheapest mode of transport.

Cars/ Taxis: One can access and move around Amritsar in own or rented cars or avail taxi services. The roads in the city are in reasonably good conditions.

Shopping & Entertainment

The carpets and fabrics of Amritsar are very famous. The items made in Phulkari handicraft, such as shawls, suits and sarees etc. are very beautiful and popular all over. Punjabi Juttis (shoes) are available in many shops specially dedicated to them. Sikh symbols can be bought as souvenirs from outside the Golden Temple.