Amritsar, India - January 2026

 

Land of the turban, tash and long beard

After a six hour train ride from Delhi, we arrived at the northwestern town city of Amritsar. 

We initially got on the wrong carriage
and couldn't figure our why our seats
were double booked!

People are working on or next to the
tracks the whole way

Meals were included.  Quite nice too!

Amritsar is on the Pakistan border and is the second largest city of the Punjab region.  It is considered the Sikh capital of the world.  It has a much more ordered touristy feel about it than Delhi and although the main square is always busy, day and night, it still doesn't feel quite as crowded as Delhi.  Although everytime we stepped out our door people wanted to sell us something ... temple tat, a ride somewhere, a food item.

It turns out our hotel was right around the corner of a hustling, bustling, vibrant city centre - centered around the Golden Temple - Harmindir Sahib Gurdwara - which is a major reason tourists and Sikhs alike visit Amritsar.  It is considered the religious and cultural heart of the Sikh faith.

Everyone must cover their head to visit the temple.
Head scarves are provided.

It is free to enter the temple but no footware or bags allowed.  You must hand these in to the cloak room.  Lots of people just leave their shoes under the seats outside.  You then have to walk through a pond of water to wash your feet.  Everyday there were so many people visiting the temple but we very rarely saw any other western tourists.

The outside of the temple is nearly as startling as the inside!

But not quite ....

You can see the crowds lined up to get inside

The water surrounding the temple is considered holy and an honour for Sikhs to bath in.  The women have an enclosure to use for this purpose.

On the day that we visited there were SO MANY people lined up the go inside that we thought better of it.  A few nights later we went to take some night-time pictures.  There were way less people so we lined up the go in.  No pics allowed, but trust us, it was every bit worth the wait!  Visiting the temple really did feel like visiting one of the wonders of the world.  Gives ya goosebumps for sure.

In the line to go inside

The town square itself, where the temple is located, was so busy providing something new to discover every day.

We visited Jallianwala Bagh, a memorial site of the day in 1919 that British troops opened fire on a peaceful protest, marking a turning point in India's freedom struggle.  Thousands were wounded and up to 1000 deaths were reported.

Atmospheric

Next up was a visit to the Gobindgarh Fort.  There's always a fort somewhere.

We were treated to some traditional song and dance

There are lots of other temples in Amritsar that we mostly discoverd just from walking around.

Including .... this 'poor mans' Hindu temple - Durgiana-  a mere reflection (no pun intended) of the Golden Temple.

And then a sacred pond without at temple!

The Sikhs are really good at feeding the poor, and at this 'pond without a temple' we saw this first hand.  They invited us to join in but it just didn't feel right when we can afford to feed ourselves.

Cooking the roti

Making the roti

Other cool temples we discovered ....

One of the main reasons visitors come to Amritsar is to visit the India/Pakistan Wagu border where every evening at 4pm there is a Closing of the Gates ceremony. We got a tuktuk ride out there, being relegated to the luggage compartment on the way there but managing to get a proper seat on the way back. It was all highly amusing .... especially for the locals watching our spectical.  

 The ceremony itself is the most fascinating display of nationalism on both sides of the border.  They basically mirror the pomp and ceremony on each side of the gate.  However, the gate has been closed since May 2025 when some unrest broke out between the two countries which has not yet been healed.

This high step is what they are 
most famous for

Dog brigade

Pakistan side

India side

The next day we took another tuktuk to the border in the hopes of crossing over to spend a week or two in Pakistan.  We couldn't find out prior to this if the border was open or not.  There was no reliable information on line and it really depends who you speak to in person whether you get a yes or a no!  Anyway, we decided the only way to really find out was to go there.  We got turned away and ended up spending another few days in Amritsar.  No disappointment there!

We enjoyed trying a myriad of food and drinks available.

Almond (badam) milk - , hot and cold

Fresh lassi ... including curds and whey

Lassi from the square, yummy but
not quite as authentic

A chaiwala specialising on the spectical
of it all

Everyone wanted a photo with us

Thali

Potato (Aloo) cakes, one of favs

Absolute favourite pudding -
hot Gulab jamun

Amritsar is know for these stuffed 
flat breads - kulcha

James was particularly pleased to discover fish corner.  It was nice to have some animal protein after so long of being 'reluctant' vegetarians.

Other food curiosities of the streets of Amritsar ....

Raw sugar

Dates

Achar - pickles

Random 'other' curiosities ....

It was winter and there was a definite cold snap.
People light fires in the street burning all sorts of
rubbish, including matresses, to keep warm.

This guy, who was meant to be controlling the traffic, offered to pay for our chai at the stall we stopped at but we had already paid.  We sat and watched him not ever understanding the reasoning of who he was letting in and who not.  A lot of this goes on in India.  Don't bother trying to figure it out or you'll lose your mind.

The quintessential tash