Amritsar
The legendary Golden Temple is actually just a small part of this huge gurdwara complex, known to Sikhs as Harmandir Sahib. Spiritually, the focus of…
Must-see attractions in Punjab (India)
-
Punjab (India)
Of all the ruined forts in Punjab, Bathinda’s Govindgarh is the mightiest and most impressive. It’s also the oldest, dating way back to the 7th century,…
-
Amritsar
At the southeast end of the Golden Temple Complex is the Guru-Ka-Langar, an enormous dining room where an estimated 100,000 pilgrims come to eat every day…
-
Punjab (India)
The ancestral home of the maharajas of Patiala, this richly ornamented 18th-century fort is an Arabian Nights fantasy of soaring buttresses and latticed…
-
Golden Temple Interpretation Centre
Amritsar
Hidden beneath the marble square outside the clock-tower entrance to the Golden Temple, this fascinating multimedia museum tells the story of Sikhism and…
-
Amritsar
Housed in the beautifully restored 19th-century Town Hall, this unique museum (the only one in the world dedicated to Partition) offers a poignant and…
-
Amritsar
Spiritually, the focus of attention within the Golden Temple Complex is the tank that surrounds the gleaming central shrine. Known as the Amrit Sarovar,…
-
Punjab (India)
Every afternoon Indian and Pakistani border guards meet at the border post between Attari and Wagah to engage in a 30-minute display of military…
-
Punjab (India)
Graced by two wedding-cake towers and an ornamental suspension bridge, Sheesh Mahal is one of Punjab's more striking buildings. Inside the lavishly…
-
Amritsar
Credited with fertility-improving powers, this fascinating labyrinthine Hindu temple commemorates the 20th-century female saint Lal Devi. From the main…
-
Amritsar
Reached through a narrow gatehouse leading to an enclosed courtyard, this poignant park commemorates the 1500 Indians killed or wounded when a British…
-
Amritsar
The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in the temple every morning and returned at night to the Akal Takhat, the temporal seat of the Khalsa brotherhood. The…
-
Amritsar
Ram Bagh was the former palace grounds of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839), who founded the Sikh empire. It now serves as a public park. At its heart,…
-
Punjab (India)
The largest and most dramatic gurdwara in Anandpur Sahib is the Kesgarh Sahib, set back from the main highway on the edge of the old town. An elegant…
-
Amritsar
Just outside the Golden Temple Complex, and with its own ceremonial tank, the octagonal Baba Atal Tower was constructed in 1784 to commemorate Atal Rai,…
-
Punjab (India)
Up to your right as you walk out the back of Kesgarh Sahib gurdwara, a broad paved path climbs the hillside to the small Kesgarh fort, which affords…
-
Punjab (India)
The striking five-petal form (inspired by the five warrior-saints in the Khalsa) of the Khalsa Heritage Complex, which opened in 2011, is one of India’s…
-
Amritsar
At the east end of the Amrit Sarovar tank is the Ramgarhia Bunga, a protective fortress topped by two Islamic-style minarets; inside is a stone slab once…
-
Amritsar
This vast, sprawling castle of a college, on your right as you head west of town along GT Rd, was founded in 1890 to educate the cream of Punjabi society…
-
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama
Amritsar
Located in the northwest corner of Ram Bagh, this museum is dedicated to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ‘Lion of Punjab’ (1780–1839), who founded the Sikh…
-
Amritsar
Dedicated to the goddess Durga, this modern Hindu temple was built in 1921 in the architectural style of the Golden Temple. Surrounded by a holy water…
-
Punjab (India)
One kilometre northwest of the bus stand (turn left out of the bus stand, walk past the train station and it's eventually on your right) stands this…
-
Amritsar
Around 13km west of Amritsar, it’s in the vicinity of this Hindu temple that the hermit Valmiki is believed to have worked on the Ramayana. It’s also said…
-
Amritsar
In the heart of Ram Bagh, you'll find the summer palace of the former maharaja, in commission between 1818 and 1837. It's a modest structure in comparison…
-
Amritsar
Inside the main entrance clock tower of the Golden Temple Complex, the Sikh Museum shows the persecution suffered by the Sikhs at the hands of Mughals,…
-
Amritsar
Close to the Golden Temple, this is where taxis often drop you. The crossroads are dominated by a giant wedding-cake sculpture that honours Sikh heroes.
-
Amritsar
This imposing red sandstone gate stands on the main approach into Amritsar's old city.
-
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports
Punjab (India)
The Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports occupies a wing of the vast Moti Bagh Palace, constructed by Maharaja Narendra Singh in 1847. The museum…
