Golden Temple of Amritsar highlights visit to Punjab

The day finally arrived when we would see one of the most well-known attractions in India and probably in all of the world, the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

Thousands and thousands of people of all faiths and of no faith come to this northern Indian city to see and experience this iconic landmark.

Cintra and I were exceptionally fortunate to be the guests of Baldev and Manjit Singh Kaur and their son Satbir. The Kaurs are devout Sikhs and visit the temple on an almost daily basis to pray and pay respects to their spiritual leaders and teachers.

We first experienced the Kaurs' hospitality when we arrived at the Amritsar Airport. We had not known the family before, but we are friends of their daughter, Prabjot, and son-in-law, Gagan, in Regina.

As we left the baggage area of the airport, there were our hosts with big wide smiles and a lovely bouquet of flowers. They received us as family and made us feel at home in their house. We met Manjit and their two and a half year old British granddaughter Japleen.

The Gaurs wasted no time the same afternoon in taking us to the Golden Temple, not far from their house. We were almost breathless seeing this holy place in the midst of a large lake. We relied on our hosts to guide us through the routine procedures of taking off our shoes, covering our heads, and entering the complex, first by walking through a shallow stream to wash our feet.

It boggles the mind that huge crowds frequent this temple 24 hours a day, year round. Hundreds sleep on the floors overnight. Not surprisingly, we joined a line about 10 deep as we inched our way to the temple.

Another small procedure is to purchase a small amount of "prashad" to present as an offering upon entering the temple.

It seemed to take about 30 to 45 minutes before we finally entered the Gurdwara and had a closer look at this gold plated centre of the Sikh faith. The temple itself occupies a small area in a massive complex consisting of the lake and a rectangle of buildings used for a variety of purposes.

While trying to concentrate on the beauty and majesty of the building, it is hard to miss the throngs of worshippers squatting or sleeping throughout the complex. Most were praying, some would walk and pause and hold their hands in the posture of prayer, some went into a special section of the lake for a holy dip, some would reach into the water and sprinkle themselves and whisper a prayer.

The complex was filled with the amplified sound of the spiritual leaders reading from the holy book. One could see worshippers following the chanting or reading from little books.

Worshippers pause to stop and kiss any of the many symbols that they consider holy. These include the many shrines in the complex, objects or places that were significant in the lives of the Gurus.

We entered the temple in silence and witnessed the reading and chanting as well as the holy book, the centre of the Gurdwara experience.

We walked through as many rooms as possible and everywhere there were worshippers praying or chanting. Copies of the holy book are in numerous rooms and worshippers walk past and pray or sing in front of them.

There was so much more to being in this most famous Sikh place of worship in its golden splendor. Our hosts decided we would need more than one visit, especially to see it in lights.

However, in the intense heat of this blazing sunny day, we took some time to visit other parts of the complex such as the kitchen and the museum.

The visit to the museum was as educational and interesting as it was disturbing. It effectively summarized the history of the Sikh religion in large graphic paintings. While many simply showed images of the 10 Gurus who played varying roles in Sikhism, it also portrayed the struggles Sikhs had at the hands of others who inflicted gruesome punishments on them.

Outside of the museum, we saw signs of military actions taken to destroy the Golden Temple.

It is hard to imagine more graphic examples of a faith community bearing up under such adversity.

The Golden Temple is one of many Gurdwaras in Amritsar and in all of Punjab. We had the opportunity on the second day of our visit to tour two other large temples. One of these was at Tarn Taran and was built on a large lake. However, rather than being in the middle like the Golden Temple it was situated on the side, and was only partially covered in gold plating. The lake is larger than at the Golden Temple and is effectively the largest body of holy water attached to a Sikh temple.

The second Gurdwara at Goindwal has many of the features of other temples plus a pool where worshippers bathe for cleansing and healing. The distinctive quality of this pool is it at the bottom of 84 flights of stairs. The 84 is significant in Sikhism. This pool and Gurdwara were built under the supervision of the fifth Guru. He used to run a home for leprosy patients in the temple.

This Gurdwara also has a stipulation laid down by the Guru that all visitors of any faith must partake in Langar, the Sikh communal meal. So, before leaving the temple, we joined in Langar and did a quick tour of the kitchen.

Our next stop in Punjab was a most interesting and unexpected treat. We drove to the India-Pakistan border to witness the famed changing of the guards.

We were caught up in a massive frenzied crowd jostling to enter the gates to see this daily display. For Cintra and me it was slightly helpful that we had to join a much smaller queue for foreigners.

By the time we made it inside, we were seated in a less crowded section, but were separated from Baldev, Manjit, Satbir and Jableen.

We waited almost two hours in the blazing sun, while being entertained to loud Indian music. About an hour before the border ceremonies, young women carried the Indian flag in front of spectators. Then young women were invited to the front to dance to the music.

Shortly after 6 p.m. a most amazing ceremony, also called Beating the Retreat, took place where guards from both nations marched in various orders to the common gate. There they performed some symbolic acts of military strength, marched on both sides of the gate and then at sundown in a simultaneous action they lowered the flags of India and Pakistan. After the lowering of the flags, the iron gates are shut. The pre-ceremony shows were similar for Pakistan spectators as the were for the Indians, with boisterous cheering from both sides.

Following the ceremony, Satbir met us on the way out and suggested we see the small post that symbolizes the border. He actually persuaded two different guards to allow us to take the shorter but wrong route to this spot. He pleaded with them to let us through because "we were from the West Indies." I asked him why didn't he tell them we were from Canada. He said they connect better with West Indies because of their love for cricket.

So there we were just a few feet away from a throng of Pakistini visitors on the other side of a railing. And across from them was an equally large crowd of Indians. This for me was the most memorable and touching part as the Pakistinis were frantically waving in friendship to the Indians. (See 3rd photo above).

That made for a full and fascinating day of touring in Punjab. We made it home exhausted by the day's activities but energized especially by the exuberance of the guards and the spectators.

We immediately made plans to attend the early morning procession of the holy book at the Golden a Temple. After a few hours rest, I was up and joined Baldev and Satbir to see the procession.

We arrived just a few minutes late to see the holy book delivered to its holy place, but we saw the carriage being brought back.

On arrival at the complex around 4 a.m., I was able to see the temple in the glow of lights and reflected in the water. It was a sight I was anxious to see and it was worth it. Here it is at dawn.

My hosts then took me on their walk through the various holy places as they paused to pray and sing. We had the opportunity also to visit the Sri Durgiana Hindu Mandir that was built with a similar appearance as the Golden Temple.

On our last night in Amritsar, we returned to the temple around 10 p.m. to witness the closing procession of the holy book and to see the temple as it looks lit up. Here it is at night.

After a special Punjabi lunch and a bit of shopping, Baldev and Satbir surprised us with a brief tour of Jallianwalla Bagh, a location known to anyone familiar with the fight for Indian independence. This is the garden where in 1919 Brig. Gen. Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to shoot a group of unarmed civilians who were meeting to protest British policies. It is believed close to 400 were killed and thousands wounded. This marked the start of the non-co-operation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Another surprise was when the father of a friend, Kulbir, from Regina dropped in to say hello after I called him to say hello rom his daughter. It turns out he was the Deputy Chief of the Punjab Police, who invited us to his home on our way to the airport for our flight to Delhi.

The thought keeps running through our minds that there just isn't enough time to see the many more things we want to see in this country. All our hosts have said, "Next time you come..."

Thanks for joining us on this last leg of our visit to the Indian subcontinent. I apologize for the length of this blog, but hope you found it informative.

We hope to have a final chapter when we return to Regina, unless something very exciting happens before that.

Visits to four landmarks in India's most beautiful city

Having spent a bit of time enjoying an overview of Delhi, we took a few hours to explore some popular attractions in the capital city of India. These included the homes of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Jawarharlal Nehru, the Qutb Minar complex and the Lotus Baha’i Temple.

These barely scratched the surface of the many beautiful faces of this the most attractive of all Indian cities.

These were also deeply spiritual and inspiring sites in their own way. Visiting the homes of Indira Gandhi and her father Pandit Nehru may at first seem like an opportunity to see two towering historical figures, both nationally and internationally.

However, viewing the physical articles that were part of their lives and reading bits of their speeches, letters, news coverage was a moving experience. One only had to recall the legacy of the father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, to make a connection with how these two leaders strove to live the values by which Gandhi lived and died.

The love of country, commitment to equality of religions, struggle for rights of women and children, all were reflected in the lives of these leaders as well as to Mrs. Gandhi’s son, Ragiv Gandhi.

These are some images of the homes of Pandit Nehru and Mrs. Gandhi. Photo 1: glass square on ground is spot where Mrs. Gandhi was shot by her own bodyguards; Photo 2. Mrs. Gandhi's living room; Photo 3. Mr. Nehru's living room; Photo 4. Eternal flames, or "jyothi," in memory the three former prime ministers.

I had never known about Qutb-Minar before, so it first appeared looked like an ancient tower in the middle of the city. But it is much more than that – enough in fact to be designated a world heritage monument.

The foundations of this world famous tower were laid by Qutuddin Akbar in the 12th century. It is in three stories, the last two having to be finished by successive rulers. The 72.5 m structure is the tallest stone tower in India. It was built as a tower of victory attached to Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque.

The Qutb Complex includes the Qutb Minar, built as a victory tower and place to call the people to prayer; Quwwat-ul-Islam, the first mosque built in Delhi in 1193 CE by Qutubbin to mark his victory over Rajputs; Alain Darwaza, main gateway to the mosque and first building in India to use Islamic architectural styles; and Imam Zamin's Tomb.

Here are some images of this impressive landmark.

Finally, we had the most pleasant experience to see the Lotus Temple, the Baha’i House of Worship. As the name implies, the building design is inspired by the lotus flower. The domed-shaped building is surrounded by nine large pools of water that blend in with the structure as well as the expansive beautifully maintained lawn.

The building is nine-sided, a sacred number to Baha’is, and is made totally of marble and white concrete. The inside is a giant circular hall filled with marble benches, where visitors and worshippers are welcome to enter in silence and pray or meditate. No lectures or rituals are performed; only Baha’i readings from Holy Scriptures are read.

The lotus temple sits on almost 27 acres, is almost 35 m tall and can accommodate 1300 people. There are 27 lotus petals made of white concrete; the outside petal are clad in white Greek marble petals.

These are some photos of this impressive structure.

Please come back to our blog for our impressions and images of Amritsar and the famous Golden Temple, our last stop in our visit to the Indian sub-continent..

Pink City offers historic sites and exquisite beauty

This past week in Agra and Jaipur, India, have given me a whole new perspective on history. I discovered an excitement and curiosity that could only come from personally witnessing the places where some of the greatest rulers walked, wielded power, resided, played and governed.

That of course is not unique to South Asia. But somehow it takes on a special dimension here because of how powerfully interwoven India's history is with the social and political and religious landscape today.

We saw that in Sri Lanka also and it was even clearer and sometimes more dramatic in India. It is to the credit of the people who preserved these great edifices of Indian history that UNESCO has designated some of them World Heritage Sites. I think I have lost count of how many World Heritage Sites we have seen in the past five weeks.

One of the most interesting of these sites is the city of Fatehpur Sitri, founded in 1569 by the Mughal emperor Akbar. It served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585. It got its name for two main reasons. First, Fateh is loosely translated victory and Pur is city. Second, Sitri represents the tomb of a Soufi saint who was said to have granted the wish of the Mogul to have a son and heir. The victory part is the King's desire to build a monument to celebrate a great military victory that saved his massive kingdom.

Akbar planned the complex on principles of his native Persia but wanted to include Indian embellishments to reflect the influences of his adopted land. For example, he used Indian red sandstone that was readily available in the area.

I invite you, if you are interested, in researching some more about this important Indian monument. Meanwhile, here are a few images and lasting memories we have of Fatehpur Sitri.

Of all the forts we have seen in India, there was none more impressive, more dramatic than Amber Fort, in Jaipur.

We cannot adequately describe this majestic World Heritage Site. Its very location atop a mountain invokes an air of wonder. And once you climb to the fort, you can't help gasping in utter amazement at the architectural features on the inside and the breathing panorama on the outside.

This historic fort was built over the course of the reigns of three mighty Rulers or Rajas: Raja Man Singh, Raja Jai Singh 1 and Raja Jai Singh 2. The first Raja had 12 wives, so he built a fort large enough with all the comforts for all of them. The second and third had two wives each.

Other highlights of Amber Fort is its use of architectural devices that used the surrounding water and wind and sun to create warm and cool conditions in summer and winter. It also skillfully blends design elements from Hindu and Muslim traditions.

Inside the fort, are three palaces, each with its own exquisite designs to suit the wives of the three Rajas.

For vast distances around the fort, covering nearby mountains, there is a walled protection that is reminiscent of the Great Wall of China, and below the fort is a man-made lake to provide irrigation for a royal garden.

It will take too much space to say all that can be said about Amber Fort, so I suggest you read some more from the internet. Here are some photos to illustrate some of what we saw of this amazing monument.

Rulers were known to build special palaces for specific purposes, in addition to those for making big decisions or receiving guests or courting their wives. In Jaipur there is a large, impressive palace in a lake and is a popular attraction called Water Palace. This can only be viewed from the highway as it is not in use. This was built by one of the Rulers for his own entertainment and features five stories, two above and three below the water.

Another palace known as City Palace was for governing the kingdom and is now a museum of interesting costumes and artifacts used by the Maharajas and their Maharanis. Today this palace also includes an art studio, with descendants of the early artist creating and selling art pieces on site. The Raja himself was a lover and supporter of art.

Nearby City Palace is one of the most unusual and probably the most interesting of all palaces, the Jantar Mantar Palace. I call it the Technology Palace, but the name actually means instruments and calculation.

And that is where the world's first observatory is located. The Raja himself was a bit of a scientist, cum astronomer cum astrologer.

It is almost beyond description the many massive instruments, like sun dials, that can be seen to tell climate conditions or the time of day in all seasons. It boggles the mind that these instruments could be built with such detail and precision in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Here are some of what we saw at Jantar Mantar.

To cap off a long day of palace hopping, we stopped for an external shoot of Wind Palace in downtown Jaipur. The most notable feature of this palace, in addition to its architectural beauty is that it has 365 windows. This made it breezy and was named Wind Palace.

A couple of final notes about Jaipur. It is the capital of Rajasthan State and is also known as the Pink City. The great Raja that created it actually pre-planned it, the first ever pre-planned city. This included the street design and the exact number of shops he wanted on each street. Each shop is actually numbered, although many are no longer in use.

Yes, much of the city is painted pink, a color that denotes welcoming, to welcome the visit of British Prince Albert.

Thanks for taking the time to read this prolonged "summary" of our Jaipur visit. We hope it gives an idea of our experience of Indian history, culture and beauty. Please revisit our blog in the next few days.

A world attraction that goes beyond great architecture

It has been an almost surreal experience knowing we were witnessing one of the world's most cherished and well-known attractions - the Taj Mahal, in Agra, India. We had long wished for this day abd couldn't believe it had finally arrived.

Our driver, Shyram, drove us from Delhi to Agra, in Uttar Pradesh State, and we were met by our guide, Sharma.

We went directly to this wonder of the world and World Heritage Site and stood there in utter amazement.

We were fortunate that Sharma was a veritable encyclopedia of everything Taj. He knew every spot on the complex for the best photo and even offered to take photos so we could be in them.

The Taj Mahal was built by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. IIt is one of the finest pieces of architecture in history. I will leave it to you to learn more about the story of this architectural phenomenon, but it did not take long for us to find out that no photo, movie, or work of art could do justice to this symbol of love for a great Mogul and his deceased wife.

Every inch of this massive marble masterpiece built in the 16th century can tell a story. From every corner there are optical illusions. The symmetry and precision and intricate marble inlays are breathtaking. The sight lines are in perfect coordination with the structures surrounding the mausoleum.

I could go on, but instead I will share a sampling through these photos.

Far across the river from the Taj Mahal is another architectural wonder and World Heritage site called teh Red Fort. Unlike the white marble Taj, this is a huge palace build from red Indian sandstone as a home for the Mogul's daughters and Hindu wife who bore him a son (after 19 daughters by other wives), and a place from where the Mogul could gaze upon the resting place of his beloved third wife. The structure is also rich in history, which I commend to you to pursue on your own.

Meanwhile here are a few images of this popular landmark in the city of love.

Our tour will take us next to Fatehpuri Sitri fort between Agra and Jaipur and other attractions in Jaipur.

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