Amritsar The Golden heritage..............Must Read

Amritsar, which literally means a pool of nectar, lies twenty kilometres east of the lndo-Pakistan border, is the Punjab state's second largest town. It was founded in 1577 by Ram Das, the fourth guru of the Sikhs. Here a tank was excavated and a temple was got built by the Fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev in its midst and a new city began to grow up round the sacred pool. The name Amritsar meaning 'Pool of Nectar', is named after the sacred pool around which the Sikh's Golden Temple is built. Sikhs from all over the world come to pay their reverence to Guru Granth Sahib and take a dip in the Amrit Saras Kund (Pool of Immortality) for spiritual purification is the major landmark of the place. The present city dates back to the 15th century but there are evidence that this city is related to ramayan yug so city's sacred heritage must be measured in terms of millenniums and not in centuries.

Amritsar lied at a distance of about 280 miles from Delhi and is only 16 miles from Wagha, the outpost of the Indo-Pakistan border.The city is an important regional market center for agricultural goods, woollens, spices and dry fruits and also the center for India's border security. Today it is India's important distribution centre of dry-fruits, tea (next only to Calcutta), of condiments and is a leading exporter of goods to the Middle East.

 

Woollen tweeds, suitings, blankets, shawls in traditional weaves, ivory (now plastic) inlay furniture, swords of all designs, oils, scents, jutties (traditional embroidered shoes), cut-glass crockery, selective musical instruments,

 

 carpets are manufactured here almost in every bazaar. Its pickles, murabbas (Indian jams) and papads and warian and sweetmeats are exported to far off places, right into Punjabi Diaspora abroad. With a population of about 4,00,000 and a number of educational institutions, business markets, industrial concerns, banks, hotels parks and restaurants, Amritsar still remains the most important, the largest and, perhaps, the most picturesque city in the Punjab. Amritsar is also characterised by the hard working and warm-hearted people.
 

Climate

Amritsar has an extreme climate with very hot summers and very cold winters. Monsoon hits the city around the first week of July and brings average rainfall. The best time to visit Amritsar is between October and March.The best clothing for summer is cotton and for winter is woollen. Temperature usually ranges between 30 to 46 °C in summers and between 0 to 17 °C in winters.

Distance From
New Delhi	450 Kms
Chandigarh	235 Kms
Jammu	216 kms
Ferozepur	160 kms
Wagah	29 kms

How To Reach :-

Air : Amritsar is connected by Indian Airlines flights to Delhi and Srinagar. There is a weekly flight to Birmingham and Kabul. Rajasansi airport is not far from the city and taxis are available for the transfers.

Rail : Amritsar is connected with direct trains to delhi , Calcutta , Mumbai , Puri, and other places. The important ones include the Frontier Mail to Mumbai, Shatabdi Express to Delhi and Utkal Express to Puri. There are twice-weekly runs by Lahore Express, the train to Pakistan. Amritsar Railway station provides amenities including Retiring room and refreshment rooms. Taxis are available outside the station.

Road : There is vast network of bus services of Punjab, Himachal , Delhi . Haryana, PEPSU, Chandigarh, U.P , J& K , Rajasthan state roadways, apart from private operators. Important destinations include Delhi, Shimla, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Rishikesh, Kullu, Manali and Jammu. Taxis are also available, but not everywhere. They stand outside the airport and railway station. There are autorickshaws and cycle rickshaws are also very common for local transfers.

Amritsar at a Glance
Area	5,075sq.km
Altitude	234 m
Population	25,03,165
Literacy	About Fifty percent
Languages	Hindi, Punjabi and English

Basic Information
Climate
Summer	30 to 46 °C
Winter	0 to 17 °C
Monsoons	July to September
Best Season	September to March
Rain Fall	59.2 cms.
Other Information
STD Code	0183
District	Amritsar
State	Punjab
Tehsils	Ajnala, Amritsar (2) Baba Bakala, Khadur Sahib, Patti,Tarn Taran
Sub-Tehsils	Goindwal Sahib, Jhabal, Khem Karan, Lopoke, Ramdas, Bhikhiwind, Chola Sahib, Majitha, Attari, Tarsikka
Development Blocks	Ajnala, Bhikhiwind, Chogawan, Chohla Sahib, Gandiwind Harsa Chhina, Jandiala Guru, Khadur Sahib, Majitha, Naushehra Pannuan Patti, Rayya, Tarn Taran, Tarsika, Valtoha, Verka
Crops	Wheat, Rice, Cotton, Sugarcane
Airport	Raja Sansi, International Airport

Places of Interest in Amritsar

Golden Temple, Jaliawal Bagh, Durgiana Mandir, Baba Atal Rai Tower, Khalsa College & Guru Nanak Dev University, Bazaars Around Amritsar Rambagh Garden, Ram Tirth, Wagah Border, Amanat Khan Serai, Baba Bakala, Dharamsala, Gobindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran, Harike Wetland, Dera Baba Jaimal Singh