The Golden Temple: This holiest shrine of the Sikhs was founded by the fourth guru Ram Das in the 14th century. It is built in a pool of water; the locals call this sacred tank Amrit Sarovar, which means the Pool of the Nectar or the Pool of Immortality. About 200 years ago, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a Sikh ruler got the temple plated with gold. Although religious in nature, this doesn’t stop the shrine from becoming one of the most-visited tourist places in India.
The Jalianwala Bagh: This park has deep associations with the Indian freedom struggle. It is located adjacent to the Golden Temple. Around 2,000 people were killed or wounded on 13 April 1919 when an English general, General O’Dyer, ordered his troops to open fire on the Indian nationalists holding a mass meeting there.
The Durgiana Temple: Founded in the 16th century, this temple follows the architectural designs of the Golden Temple and but houses a Hindu deity Durga. It is also only five minutes taxi ride from the Golden Temple.
The Wagah Border: The border falls in the village of Wagah which was divided between India and Pakistan after the partition of 1947. The road link at the Wagah border used to be the only road link between the two countries until 1999. The flag-lowering ceremony performed by the paramilitary guards from both the sides each evening at Wagah attracst more than 8,000 tourists just on the Indian side.
The Ram Bagh: The garden was build by the first Sikh ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, to pay his tributes to the Sikh guru Ram Das. The excellent architectural design invokes an interest in the persons visiting the place. The Ram Bagh palace is also famous for having a maintenance-free air cooling system.
The Ram Tirath Ashram: It is an ashram (hermitage) surrounded by several temples and a reservoir. It is said that the ashram belongs to the famous author of Vedic times, Rishi Valmiki. Ram Tirath is 11 km from the city of Amritsar and it is also associated with the Hindu Queen Sita of a well known Indian epic ‘the Ramayana’.
Pul Kanjari: Located about 35 km from the Amritsar city, this is a garden situated near the Wagah border. The garden was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and it was used as a place to have a rest by the Ranjit Singh. The garden also has a temple, a gurudwara and a mosque.
Tomb of Guru Angad Dev: The tomb was also built by the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is approximately 30 km from Amritsar city and is about 200 years old.
The Jama Masjid: The mosque is a fine example of the architectural traditions of the area around the last years of the 19th century. The Jama Masjid also holds a special position in the Indian freedom struggle and it was built by the Mohemmed Khairuddin in 1876.
Dera Baba Nanak: Situated around 35 km from the city of Gurdaspur, the Dera Baba Nanak is the place where the first Sikh guru spent the last 12 years of his life. Several items used by him, including his attire, have been preserved here.
Gurudwara Ber Sahib: This Sikh temple is about 60 km from Amritsar city and it is believed that this is the place where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, received enlightenment.
Tarn Taran: It is also an imposing gurudwara (a Sikh temple) with a gold-plated dome and a sacred pool. The gurudwara was founded by the 5th guru Arjan Dev. The gurudwara once served as a ‘Leper’s Home’ and it is about 12 km from Amritsar.
Goindwal Sahib: Established by the third Sikh guru, Amar Das, the gurudwara is famous for a deep well or bauli. There are 84 steps to reach the bauli and the place has a religious significance for the Sikhs.
