Amritsar

I've just lost my travel journal so now I'm writing what ever comes to my mind, or shall we say my "stream of consciousness" (sounds better).

The Golden Temple of Amritsar.

I came to Amritsar twice on this trip and I'm glad that I did. Off all the cities I visited in India, this is the most relaxed and manageable. The city is not a terrifying South Asian megalopolis, nor ot is a monolithic small town. It has its own complexity, the urban drama in the Old City is just as exciting as Delhi but its much less congested and there was almost no one who tried to overcharge me. Its a pleasant and friendly city (feels like a small town in some parts) where you are offered a smile wherever you go.

The city, or rather the Golden Temple, is a holy pilgrimage site for the Sikhs all over the world. Its holiness and sacredness is evident not just on the temple but the endless streams of people who flow in and out in total devotion. The area surrounding the temple has an air of piety that perhaps can be compared to Mecca (I've never been!).

The golden reflections made the temple look so divine. I love this effect.

Holy bath.

White marble building surrounds the Golden Temple.

The Golden Temple of Amritsar is a sight to behold. It does make your heart skip a beat. No amount of pictures can replace the first sight of the gleaming domes and walls, whose golden reflections fill the holy lake surrounding it. 

The Sikhs worship in calm and resolute meditation, I was drawn to the murmuring of the devotees, to the silent prayers. People come from all over the Sikh Nation and beyond to take a dip in the holy lake where large, and rather terrifying, koi fish swim in grace. Together it was all picture of colours and gentleness.

Precious and semi-precious stones inlays on the marble building.

Picturesque.

Again, I love the colours in the picture.

Gentleness however seem to be somewhat ephemeral over the course of the Temple's history. For centuries, until recent times, it has been the scene of bloody massacres and destruction as I've learned by going through the gory exhibits of the adjacent Sikh Museum.

History aside, love seeing Zen-like girls looking demure in shalwar kameez brandishing those dangerous-looking daggers. Some older ladies have it too! It's a pretty contradicting picture.

The food here is damn good. There's two restaurants that I went a couple of times - Brother's Dhaba and Kesar Da Dhaba. Especially good is the Parantha Thali, an Amritsari take on the South Indian dish. The ghee butter used to top the paratha was bliss.

Together with Mumbai, this is my favourite city in India so far.

From here, I took a local bus to Jammu, the southern city of the troubled region of Kashmir -an episode which I never forget.