Amritsar
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Where is Amritsar located?
Amritsar is located in the northern Punjab state in northwestern India, approximately 15 miles (25 km) east of the border with Pakistan. It stands as Punjab's largest and most vital city and serves as a significant hub for commerce, culture, and transportation. Additionally, Amritsar is the epicenter of Sikhism and the site of the Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, which is the principal place of worship for Sikhs.
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What is Amritsar known for?
Amritsar, located in the state of Punjab, India, is the most important city in Punjab and a major commercial, cultural, and transportation center. It is a center of Sikhism and the site of the Sikhs’ principal place of worship, the Golden Temple. The city is named after the sacred tank, Amrita Saras, meaning “Pool of Nectar,” which was excavated by Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, in 1577. A major pilgrimage destination for Sikhs, the Golden Temple complex includes the Akal Takht, the chief center of authority of Sikhism. Amritsar is also known for the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, a turning point in India’s independence struggle, where British troops killed hundreds of unarmed protestors in 1919.
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What is the Golden Temple and why is it important?
The Golden Temple, also known as Harmandir Sahib, is the most important pilgrimage site and chief gurdwara (house of worship) of Sikhism. Located in Amritsar, Punjab, India, the temple sits in the center of a pool called the Amrita Saras ("Pool of Nectar"), which is the source of Amritsar's name.
The Golden Temple is important for several reasons: it is a spiritual center for Sikhs, open to all castes and creeds, and its architecture represents a blend of Mughal and Hindu styles. The temple has been rebuilt several times due to invasions, but it has always risen again, symbolizing the strength of its followers.
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Who are the Sikhs, and what is their connection to Amritsar?
Sikhism is a religion founded in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the late 15th century. The city of Amritsar is the most important city for Sikhs and the center of the Sikh faith.
Amritsar was founded in 1577 by Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, who ordered the excavation of the sacred pool from which the city's name is derived. The Golden Temple, the chief house of worship for Sikhs, is located in Amritsar and is the most important pilgrimage site for Sikhs.
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What was the Jallianwala Bagh incident that happened in Amritsar?
On April 13, 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occurred in Amritsar when British troops fired on a large, unarmed crowd of Indians, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. The crowd had gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh, a garden almost entirely enclosed by walls with only one exit, to protest the ban on public meetings and celebrate Baisakhi, a spring festival.
Brigadier General Reginald Dyer ordered his soldiers to fire into the crowd without warning, and they continued shooting until their ammunition was depleted. The event marked a turning point in India's independence movement, leading to Mahatma Gandhi's commitment to Indian nationalism and independence from British rule.
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How does Amritsar's history and culture influence modern India?
Amritsar's history and culture significantly influence modern India through its religious importance, historical events, and cultural expressions. As the holiest city for Sikhs and the home of the Golden Temple, Amritsar is a major pilgrimage destination that underscores the importance of Sikhism in India. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is a national monument symbolizing a pivotal moment in India's independence struggle. This event is a turning point in India’s independence. Cultural elements such as Punjabi literature, music, and dance contribute to India's diverse cultural life. Amritsar's complex past, including the Partition of India, informs contemporary issues of identity, communal harmony, and regional politics.
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Amritsar, city, northern Punjab state, northwestern India. It lies about 15 miles (25 km) east of the border with Pakistan. Amritsar is the largest and most important city in Punjab and is a major commercial, cultural, and transportation centre. It is also the centre of Sikhism and the site of the Sikhs’ principal place of worship—the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple.
Amritsar was founded in 1577 by Ram Das, fourth Guru of the Sikhs, on a site granted by the Mughal emperor Akbar. Ram Das ordered the excavation of the sacred tank, or pool, called the Amrita Saras (“Pool of Nectar”), from which the city’s name is derived. A temple was erected on an island in the tank’s centre by Arjan, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, which was then reached by a marble causeway. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1801–39), the upper part of the temple was decorated with a gold-foil-covered copper dome, and since then the building has been popularly known as the Golden Temple. Amritsar became the centre of the Sikh faith, and, as the focus of growing Sikh power, the city experienced a corresponding increase in trade. It was annexed to British India in 1849.
Amritsar not only is home to hundreds of thousands of Sikhs but also is the chief pilgrimage destination for Sikhs living elsewhere in India and abroad. The principal focus for those pilgrims is the Golden Temple and its complex of several adjacent buildings located around the tank. Situated on the west side, facing the causeway to the temple, is the Akal Takht, the chief centre of authority of Sikhism and the headquarters of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Supreme Akali Party), the main political party of the Sikhs in Punjab. On the north side is the Teja Singh Samundri Hall (Clock Tower), housing the main office of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (Supreme Committee of Temple Management), which oversees the main Sikh gurdwaras (places of worship). To the east of the temple are guest houses for pilgrims, a dining hall that provides thousands of meals daily for pilgrims and other visitors, and, on the southeast corner, the Assembly Hall.
A short distance away from the Golden Temple complex is a spacious park, Jallianwalla Bagh, where on April 13, 1919, British colonial government troops fired on a crowd of unarmed Indian protesters, killing 379 of them and wounding many more. The site of the Massacre of Amritsar—as that incident came to be called—is a national monument. Another violent political clash took place in Amritsar in 1984, when troops of the Indian army attacked hundreds of Sikh separatists who had taken up positions in, and heavily fortified, the Golden Temple complex. Conflicting reports indicated that between 450 and 1,200 people were killed before the Sikh extremists were evicted from the temple complex. The Akal Takht was heavily damaged in the fighting but was subsequently repaired.
Amritsar is a centre for the textile and chemical industries and also engages in food milling and processing, silk weaving, tanning, canning, and the manufacture of machinery. The city lies on the main highway from Delhi to Lahore, Pakistan, and is a major rail hub. An airport is nearby. Amritsar is home to Guru Nanak Dev University, which was founded in 1969 as the leading educational centre of the Sikhs. Medical, dental, arts, and technical colleges are also located in Amritsar, and Khalsa College (1899) lies just outside the city. In the newer, northern section of the city is the Ram Bagh, a large, well-maintained park that contains the summer palace of Ranjit Singh. Pop. (2001) 966,862; (2011) 1,132,383.