One of the great religious sites on earth, the Golden Temple at Amritsar in Punjab, India, is the preeminent spiritual site of Sikhism and it’s unmissable.
If you’re short of time, but want a day trip from Delhi, why not visit the Golden Temple on a hour long flight. It’s a wonderful place and even you are not a Sikh you will find the place calming, very welcoming, well organised, without tourist hassle and rich in spiritualism and heritage .
Here then are the top 10 travel tips for a day trip to Amritsar …
1. Get to Amritsar early.
There are early flights lasting just one hour direct from Delhi. Amritsar Airport is quite small and quick to get through, and then you can take a taxi from the airport for a 15km ride to Amritsar.
2. Shop for a headscarf, dress modestly.
As you walk through the streets towards the temple, there are some lovely shops. Here you can buy trinkets, spices but crucially, you can buy a headscarf which is compulsory to enter the Golden Temple Complex in Amritsar). Make sure you dress modestly too, covering arms and knees and avoid revealing clothes.
3. Remove shoes and socks and wash hands.
Before entering the Golden Temple Complex in Amritsar don’t forget to wash your hands and leave your shoes and socks at one of the counters (it’s free of charge and you’ll get a disc that must be presented on collection).
4. Walk clockwise around the pool
5. If you need any help go to the enquiry counter
6. Take a dip in the holy water, don’t face your feet towards the Golden Temple
Wet clothes can be deposited at the Wet-clothes Room. By the way if you’re sitting in the temple complex, don’t face your feet towards the Golden Temple.
7. Get ready for a long queue if you wish to enter the Golden Temple
If you wish to enter the temple, you may have to wait 2 hours to enter the sanctum which is on 2 floors. It’s quite an orderly queue (for India), segmented with barriers to prevent crushes. Inside the temple the Sikh Scripture the Guru Granth Sahib is seated on the lower square floor for about 20 hours every day. Photography, chewing gum and sunglasses are not allowed.
8. See the Central Sikh Museum
This museum is free of charge and tucked in a corner of the complex, close to one of the main entrances to the temple complex. The museum depicts the important events in Sikh history and houses ancient arms and manuscripts. It takes about 30 minutes to 45 minutes to see.
9. Volunteer in the kitchens
There’s no better way to make friends and learn more in the world’s largest free community kitchen over 3 floors. There are all sorts of jobs you can help with. Stirring the daal. Serving the food (langar), making chapatis and peeling the peas. Just go there and ask to join!
There are other volunteering tasks (called sevas) you might like to do as well and are a good way to show your gratitude for all the kindness you will see here at Amritsar
10. Make some time to see the Partition Museum and Jalianwala Bagh
A short walk from the temple complex are two places worth seeing if you have time before your return flight.
- The Partition Museum explains how India was divided at independence in 1947. The line of partition went right through the Sikh heartland. This caused severe hardship and cruelty.
- Jalianwala Bagh is a beautiful park today, but it 1919 it was the scene of a terrible massacre perpetrated by the British on peaceful Indians. Up to 1,000 people died.
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