Amritsar is a district located in the northern part of the Indian state of Punjab along the international border with the neighbouring Pakistan. The city of Amritsar is renowned for its world famous Sikh shrine called the Golden Temple or Harimander Sahib (the temple of God). With an area of 5,075 square kilometres, it is the second largest district in the state. The district is home to more than three million people and this makes Amritsar the most populous district in Punjab.
The district is divided, for the purposes of administration, into four tehesils (divisions): Amritsar 1, Amritsar 2, Baba Bakala and Ajnala; five sub-tehesils (sub-divisions): Attari, Lopoke, Majitha, Ramdas and Tarsika; eight blocks: Ajnala, Chogawan, Harsha China, Jandiala, Majitha, Rayya, Tarsika and Verka. There are also eleven constituent assemblies in the district.
The most important city in the district, Amritsar, was founded in the late 16th century by the fifth Sikh guru, Ram Das. The climate of the district is hot and dry with generally light winds. The Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar is among the three most reputed universities in the state. Raja Sansi Airport in Amritsar is the only international airport in the state. The district has also produced famous Punjabi authors including Dhani Ram Chatrik and Kirpa Ram Nazim.
Etymology and History
Amritsar city is the administrative capital of the district and it was founded by the fifth Sikh guru, Ram Das, in 1574 on a piece of land which was either bought or donated (historians differs on this issue) by/to the gurus. The Guru envisaged that the new city would develop around the sarovar (holy water tank) whose construction then began in 1574. The place was then famous as Guru da Chakk, it was later changed to Chakk Ram Das and finally to its modern name Amritsar. The construction on the tank was completed in 1588 and then a market was established near the tank. With the passage of time, a number of merchants and artists settled down there and Amritsar became a major centre for horse trading.
This association of Amritsar with Sikhism and especially the Sikh gurus is a relatively recent phenomenon because there is credible evidence that the people dwelled in the district even during the times of the Indus Valley civilisation. Later the Aryans invaded India and a lot of them settled down in an area what is today known as the district of Amritsar. Legend has it that the cottage of a Hindu saint, Rishi Balmiki, was also located in Amritsar.
Amritsar also became a part of the Mauryan Empire during the rule of Emperor Chandragupta. It also came under the influence of Shahi Dynasty during the 10th century. Attacks from the Afghan and Persian invaders began after the 11th century and it was only in the 16th century that the Sikh gurus took interest in developing the area. Since then, the district holds a special relationship with Sikhism.
Geography and climate
The district has a flat topography in general with an average elevation of 200 meters from the sea level. The district is bounded between the River Beas to the east and River Ravi to the west and it is virtually flat. Depending upon the type of the land, Amritsar can be divided into three parts:
(1) The upland plains; covering 88% of the area of the district.
(2) The bluff along the east: it accounts for the 8% land mass of the district.
(3) The floodplain of the River Ravi: being immune to the floods, the area has its own agricultural importance and covers 8% of the district’s area.
The climate of the district is hot and dry and there are 30 rainy days. Both the winters and the summers are extreme and the district witnesses four seasons: summers, winters, monsoon and post-monsoon period.
Demographics and language
As per the 2001 census, the population of the district was 2,152,182 of with a third dwells in the cities. Sikhism is the main religion in the district as the Sikhs make up 74% of the total inhabitants; the Hindus are the largest minority, accounting for 26% of the population. Males constitute 55% of the population.
Punjabi is spoken and understood throughout the district and the dialect spoken here is considered as the standard Punjabi. Hindi is also widely understood whereas the knowledge of English is practically limited to the educated upper class. Because of its proximity to Pakistan, there is no dearth of people who can understand good Urdu.
Economy
Almost a third of the district’s population lives in the Amritsar city where tourism plays a major part in the local economy. The Golden Temple is also located in the city and it attracts 100,000 visitors on an average day; that is more than the number of tourists visiting the famous Taj Mahal in Agra. The number of people increases considerable during the Sikh religious festivals. This influx of people is the major source of income for the local people. Agriculture also plays a major role in the economy of the district and efforts are underway to bring more industry to this border district.
