Sights and sites of Amritsar...

       Maybe I am hyper-critical, unreasonable, too judgemental, but I have to admit that a large proportion of the tourist sights that I have visited over the years have under-awed me and left me with me with the empty

The Golden Temple, Amritsar.

question—“is that all there is my friend? If so, I‘ll keep on dancing!” Today, here in Amritsar, (population 1.25 million), the Golden Temple, home of Sikhism, well exceeded my expectations. Not the usual tourist trap that charges 15 times the going entry rate for foreigners, charges extra to take photographs or see the attached museum. All is free. I arrived earlier than most of the daily 80,000 pilgrims, checked in my shoes, day bag and donned the mandatory bright orange head covering, baseball caps not permitted, short trousers OK. The temple, configured as a covered square white marble walkway containing a deep square lake filled with oversize and very active goldfish. Many male visitors ritually immerse themselves in the lake, turning for prayer towards the Golden Temple. Architecturally sublime, the upper half of the temple is covered with a reported 247 kg of pure gold—hence the name. Under the intensely bright sun, the whole edifice shimmers, reflecting in the water that surrounds.

           In 1984, the Golden Temple was assaulted & seized by a band of out of state Hindu extremists. They claimed that under the Golden Temple, there was in fact, an ancient Hindu temple. The extremists subsequently barricaded themselves into the Temple and after an extended stand-off, the Indian Army

attacked with resultant great loss of life and the destruction of the Temple. Two years later, as a healing gesture towards Sikhism, the Indian government rebuilt at Federal expense, the Temple. However, Sikhs in the Punjab viewed this as too little too late, tore down the rebuilt structure and rebuilt it (petulantly) themselves. Religion is the ever-present fault line in this continent of so many beliefs.

             My second port of call and only about ½ km from the Golden Temple, was Jallianwalla Bagh an enclosed small park commemorating one of the worst massacres of the 20^th century. Today was a day that I was glad to be carrying my friendly Canadian passport. In 1918, Britain declared that India was soon to be come a self- governing entity within the Empire---many Indians, mistakenly believed that this meant independence. It did not and were furious when Britain instigated fierce laws relating to sedition. One day, in 1919 following shortly after the murder of 3 British bank employees, approx 5000 innocent & unarmed people gathered for festive pic-nics in the park. City governor General Dyer was alarmed and ordered 150 men to the park and at his command & without pre-warning, opened fire into the crowds, resulting in 450 deaths and 1500 wounded. Pictures exist of people diving into and drowning in the deep water well to escape. Others unsuccessfully tried to scale the

Murderous fire as depicted in cleverly trimmed bushes

7 foot walls that around the park. Today the bullet scars on the wall are intact and enshrined as part of the commemoration. For this massacre, Gen Dyer was never reprimanded although was heavily criticised by many, including Winston Churchill. It was the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre that gave serious traction to Gandhi’s battle to achieve eventual full Indian independence in 1947.
             In all, a memorable and evocative day that makes all those chaotic 5.00 am  Indian rail station departures seem worthwhile!