I visited Amritsar on the way to Kashmir during my solo motorcycling trip in 2012.


Harmandir Sahib or the “Golden Temple” is the spiritual and cultural centre for the Sikh religion and it attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal in India. The fourth Sikh Guru Ram Das founded Amritsar in 1574 AD although the history of the city goes back a few thousand years and the Hindus consider Amritsar the place where the twin sons of King Rama — Luv and Kush, along with their mother Sita spent their early childhood.

Amritsar’s central walled city has narrow streets mostly developed in the 17th and 18th century. The city is a peculiar example of an introverted planning system with unique areas called Katras. The Katras are self-styled residential units that provided unique defense system during attacks on the city.
The city has been witness to a lot of blood shed over the last century, from the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 AD, during the partition between India and Pakistan in 1947, during subsequent wars between India and Pakistan, more recently during operation Bluestar in 1984, when the Indian army entered and bombed within the Golden Temple.


Evening chai time in Amritsar


Golden Temple, 1875 AD
Images Source: James Kerr


Amritsar and Golden Temple from above, 1900s
Images Source: potatosandwich.wordpress.com


Golden Temple. Circa 1910 AD
Images Source: Flickr/richardasplen

The best way to discover Amritsar is by taking a 3-hour heritage walk through the city. The one organised by Punjab Tourism is very good.
More details:-
Punjab Tourism Website
www.sid-thewanderer.com