If approved, IRCTC Takht Express would roll from Chandigarh as early as December 23, 2011. A total of 6 Sikh shrines located at different places in India from Amritsar to Patna would be covered over a course of 7 to 10 days. The luxury train tour would include boarding, lodging and meals. If the model for Mahaparinirvan Express carries over to Takht Express, passenger fares would also include road transport by AC coaches to and from Sikh gurdwaras, any entrance fees accessed, and travel insurance.

Booking for the special Sikh train tour package would begin as soon as final approval from the rail board is  secured.

Everyday, at the same time and place, a curious ritual takes place at the far Northwestern edge of Punjab, India.  Indian Border Security Force soldiers perform a flag lowering ceremony that attracts more than 1,000 tourists and locals at the Wagah Border. This is the primary crossing between India and Pakistan, two countries locked in a war of words over property and religious disputes. Eager visitors flock here in the pre-dusk hours to mingle near the surplus of tea/food stalls while vying for the best place in queue.

Bring your appetite for all the food available before the ceremony

Amritsar, home of the Golden Temple, is a short 30 kms away making it the logistical home base for foreign tourists. As the time nears, the roads fill with traffic moving west toward Wagah Border. On arrival, parking attendants jockey for your business promising spacious spots. If traveling by taxi you’ll easily avoid this hassle. Tourists traveling by car/driver should ensure their driver will direct them to the correct queue or arrange a guide to help navigate the seating process.

Men and women are sent to separate seating areas, however, there is a smaller section for mixed company specifically set aside for foreign tourists. Initially there appears to be no system in place as all visitors queue together. We were told multiple times we would be let in to the stadium seating sections closer to dusk. Then, as if a fire had been lit, men and women scrambled to separate queues on both sides of the road. The vantage point offered from the Men’s side versus the Women’s side is worthwhile. Because of the crowds and time of day, gauge your comfort level accordingly. My female travel partner was extremely happy that she sat with the Indian ladies, talking to and snapping pictures of her new found friends. On the men’s side, I blended in with my surroundings attracting little to no attention.

Male seating for ceremony

Border soldiers can be seen idling about in full regalia causing fits of applause and cheers to erupt from the watchful audience. Both bleachers, on angles for maximum viewing, face the large rod iron gate protecting a narrow neutral border zone. Beyond the neutral zone lies a near identical gate marking Pakistan. As the time to the ceremony nears, and your interest is beginning to wane, a “warm-up” performer steps out to pump up the crowd. “Hindustan!”, yells the man into his mic. On the opposite side a similar game is being played with cheers for Pakistan yelled our way. Unfortunately Pakistan’s turnout pales in comparison to India. All seats are taken here, and yet even more people line the stairs on down to the roadside. These folks take this ceremony seriously.

Female seating to the left, ceremony straight ahead

For what seems like too long, the performer goads the crowd into a frantic patriotic excitement. Finally the soldiers fan out to perform the ceremony. A hush flows through the crowd as soldiers take orders from their commander. The march of the Indian soldier is one of curiosity and amazement. Legs kick out in front rising to a even level with the ground, then repeated on the other side. As the audience remains captivated, the gates on both sides open. Soldiers of both country’s salute each other and begin the flag lowering. Once completed, the gates on both sides are closed with the Indian flag marched back into the border security building for safe keeping.

The “real” show begins as audience members scramble down the too narrow staircases to rejoin their families. Cars, taxis, tuk tuk’s and buses honk in unison for exiting superiority from the lots. So much traffic is now leaving for Amritsar at one time, dust and exhaust clouds darken the road more than the on-setting night skies. Pedestrians dart along the roadside next to peanut vendors, cows and bicycles.

Visitors to Amritsar would be foolish to miss this quirky but symbolic “pomp and circumstance” ritual. It’s free & colorful while providing a bird’s eye view of Indian passion at it’s fullest.

The infinite possibilities of life as well as the trials and tribulations are among the countless waves of thoughts that ran through my head upon my visit to the Golden Temple. Unlike Amritsar, a bustling, hap hazard city teaming with population and pollution located in the Northwestern corner of Punjab, the Golden Temple is clean, still, and pure to it’s core. “Like a clean Varanasi“, exclaimed by travel partner as we looked out onto the pool surrounding the main shrine.

Visitors reach the main gates to find donation boxes and head wraps for sale. It is mandatory practice to cover your head, men and women, for entry into the temple. Rs 10 buys what amounts to nothing more than a bandanna, yet earns you a pass into the city within a city. Drop your shoes off at the large shoe depot before making your way to the steps of the northern gateway known as Darshani Darwaza. Shallow recessed water pools vigorously carry fresh water past in which visitors walk down, through, and then back up. This process is meant to cleanse the feet before walking down the steps onto the Parikrama (marble pathway). The Parikrama encircles the Amrit Sarovar, or ‘pool of nectar’ as it is properly referred to and the source for the city’s name.

Our early morning arrival was just before the sun poked through the heavy haze of the morning sky. The temple was already teeming with followers including a lengthy queue for entry into the Hari Mandir. We were on a mission to see the first rays of sunshine bounce off the dome of Hair Mandir. Two hundred twenty pounds of gold were within minutes of a natural sun bath. Foot traffic coming off the main staircase invokes images of a packed escalator complete with the chance for a pile-up at the landing spot. Why? Followers instantly drop to their knees in prayer upon the sight of Hari Mandir forcing the incoming crowds to scramble left or right.

Having visited the Taj Mahal the previous year, one of the first differences noticed was how clean the complex is. Men with long handled brooms push fresh water around the stark white marble pathway throughout the complex. Regardless of the amount of traffic, these men don’t give dirt a chance to collect. I learned quickly to roll up my pant legs to avoid getting soaked as the water splashed by. The Parikrama runs in a clockwise pattern past several historical and holy sites. The Dukh Bhanjani Ber, a tree shrine said to have miraculous powers for healing diseases drew a large crowd.

While there are ragis (sung verses from the Holy Book) running over the loud speakers, and music emanating from various rooms, the overwhelming feeling is of peace and tranquility. Visitors speak quietly among themselves paying little mind to foreign tourists. We felt welcome throughout our visit, even being summoned over to the free kitchen (Guru ka Langar) where we were given a personalized tour. My travel partner and I viewed the daily process of feeding 25,000 people including what it takes to manufacture enough roti for everyone. A massive dining hall can seat 3,000 people in one sitting. The dishwashing stations alone were impressive. Forget the main shrine, I was amazed at the volume of stainless steel plates and cups sitting in gigantic wire bins air drying after a hot wash. A free offering of food was wished upon us after the tour that we turned down in order to line up for the ever growing Hari Mandir queue.

Most of the manual labor jobs are performed by a vast army of volunteers either as acts of worship or penance. From kitchen work, to sweeping the floors to manning the shoe depot, these workers keep the Golden Temple running smoothly.

Opposite the Hari Mandir lies the Akal Takht, the seat of the Sikh religious order. Completed in 1601, Alak Takhit plays a pivotal role in daily tradition. The Guru Granth Sahih, or Holy Book of Sikhs, is carried from here to the Hari Mandir at daybreak. Inside the mandir, the head priest opens the book for the vaq (message of the day). The book will sit here throughout the day for all visitors to view, non-sikhs included, until final prayers are concluded by 9:45 PM. The book is closed and carried on a silver palanquin back to Akal Takht where the ritual will repeat the following morning.

Photos are allowed throughout much of the complex except private prayer rooms accessed just off the Parikrama and of course, the Hari Mandir. This is the holiest site for Sikhs which sits jutting into the Amrit Sarovar. Pilgrims and tourists access the mandir by way of a 60 m long marble causeway flanked by nine gilded lamps on each side. Overhead fans run during high heat times to cool the waiting queue. Before entering the causeway you must first pass through the Darshani Deorhi. Here, final pictures can be had of the two spectacular silver doors granting passageway. Not to be missed are the sacred verses carved on the walls.

Sweet prasad is offered to all visitors before entering the mandir. Once inside we were shuttled through in a casual pace allowing ample time to view the marble walls with inlay. Every surface is covered in some beautiful fashion from floral to animal motifs. We moved past the Holy Book which lies in the Durbar Sahih (Court of the Lord) . Silence, but for the priest and musicians, oozes through your body. I watched the faces of those beside me marveling at the pure magnificence we all were taking part in. To even try to compare this to the Taj Mahal seems incomprehensible. Yet, once locals learn you have visited both sites the inevitable question presents itself. “Which one is better”?

Eighteen gateways, and offshoots of lanes, complete the Golden Temple’s complex where construction began in 1589, finishing in 1601. My travel partner and I walked for hours and still felt as if we had seen only a fraction of what lied before us. Pilgrims bathing in the pool, prayer ribbons tied near the holy tree, dal and roti dispensed at a frantic pace to any who come seeking a hot meal..to see, hear and smell the Golden Temple still coexisting several hundred years after the initial vision was laid down was an unforgettable experience. To understand it fully is to see it for oneself.

Open daily, free admission. Camera allowed unless otherwise posted including Hari Mandir.

Martyr's Well at Jallianwala Bagh Memorial

April marks the anniversary of the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab. A group of unarmed men, women and children were fired on April 13, 1919, for more than 10 minutes by 50 British Indian Army soldiers. The number of fatalities varies greatly from 379 to more than 1500 as political backlash kept accurate facts and figures from coming forth. Firing would have continued had it not been for the shortage of ammunition.

It started a few months after the end of the first world war when an Englishwoman, a missionary, reported that she had been molested on a street in the Punjab city of Amritsar. The Raj’s local commander, Brigadier General Reginald Dyer, issued an order requiring all Indians using that street to crawl its length on their hands and knees. He also authorized the indiscriminate, public whipping of natives who came within lathi length of British policemen.

On April 13, 1919, a multitude of Punjabis  gathered in Amritsar’s Jallian wala Bagh as part of the Sikh Festival “Baisakhi fair” and to protest at these extraordinary measures. The throng, penned in a narrow space smaller than Trafalgar Square, had been peacefully listening to the testimony of victims when Dyer appeared at the head of a contingent of British troops. Giving no word of warning, he ordered 50 soldiers to fire into the gathering, and for 10 to 15 minutes 1,650 rounds of ammunition were unloaded into the screaming, terrified crowd, some of whom were trampled by those desperately trying to escape.

Dyer then marched away, leaving 379 dead and over 1,500 wounded.

Back in his headquarters, he reported to his superiors that he had been ‘confronted by a revolutionary army,’ and had been obliged ‘to teach a moral lesson to the Punjab.’ In the storm of outrage which followed, the brigadier was promoted to major general, retired, and placed on the inactive list.

General Dyer said he would have used his machine guns if he could have got them into the enclosure, but these were mounted on armoured cars. He said he did not stop firing when the crowd began to disperse because he thought it was his duty to keep firing until the crowd dispersed, and that a little firing would do no good.

He confessed he did not take any steps to attend to the wounded after the firing. ”Certainly not. It was not my job. Hospitals were open and they could have gone there,” came his pathetic response.

However, the misery suffered by the people was reflected in Rattan Devi’s account. She was forced to keep a nightlong vigil, armed with a bamboo stick to protect her husband’s body from jackals and vultures. Curfew with shoot-at-sight orders had been imposed from 2000 hours that night.

Rattan Devi stated, ”I saw three men writhing in great pain and a boy of about 12. I could not leave the place. The boy asked me for water but there was no water in that place. At 2 am, a Jat who was lying entangled on the wall asked me to raise his leg. I went up to him and took hold of his clothes drenched in blood and raised him up. Heaps of bodies lay there, a number of them innocent children. I shall never forget the sight. I spent the night crying and watching…”

General Dyer admitted before the commission that he came to know about the meeting at Jallianwala Bagh at 1240 hours that day, but took no steps to prevent it. He also admitted in his deposition that the gathering at the Bagh was not a concentration only of rebels, but people who had covered long distances to participate in the Baisakhi fair.

This incredibly, made him a martyr to millions of Englishmen. Senior British officers applauded his suppression of ‘another Indian Mutiny.’ The Guardians of the Golden Temple enrolled him in the Brotherhood of Sikhs. The House of Lords passed a measure commending him. The Conservatives presented him with a jewelled sword inscribed “Saviour of the Punjab.” Source- Jallianwala Bagh Amritsar

At the sight today is a memorial for those lost which sits nearby the Golden Temple. Visitors can stroll through beautifully maintained gardens while reading many informative plaques about the massacre. The incident has been documented in the Mini-Series The Jewel in the Crown as well as the movie Gandhi.

Enter through the glass doors to find a rather odd shaped reception desk. A wonderfully polite clerk greeted us, I believe the owner. Her initial mannerisms seemed to question why two foreigners were looking to stay at her place versus at the more luxurious properties closer to the Golden Temple. My driver, Rakesh, and I looked over the available rooms and negotiated a reduced rate for two rooms.

Both rooms looked out over Queen’s Road from the second floor. Large, clean and with A/C, the room was priced within reason (Single Rs 1100, Double Rs 1350). The bathrooms had full time running water with hot water tanks and showers. Also, the hotel provided 24 hour room service with a kitchen on site. TIP: Skip the food, tea and water here as it can be found cheaper in the markets. Tea cost Rs 17, an outrageous amount compared to Rs 5-7 in the market. Water ran Rs 20 which you can find for as low as Rs 12 and dishes cost on average Rs 90, a good Rs 30 higher than most restaurants.

The real stand out of this hotel was their help in recommending a doctor after my rickshaw accident the night we check in. Unfortunately the travel insurance company we were contracted with offered no help, so without the recommendation, we would have been pounding the pavement ourselves.

City:

Amritsar, Punjab, North India

Location:

Main Market

Situation:

Bicycle rickshaw accident

My travel partner and I were seated side by side upfront, our driver Rakesh, was seated behind us facing toward traffic. The rickshaw driver peddled us up and over the main hill which leads down into the market. As we coasted down the hill and gained speed, I mentioned to my travel buddy that we should be braking instead of gaining speed. No sooner had my words been muttered than traffic came to a virtual standstill. With the weight of 4 people on 3 tires and one well worn brake, our rickshaw went head first into a stopped car. Rakesh avoided injury from a van that ran into the right rear wheel near where he was sitting. My travel partner was fine. And then there was me, thrown from the rickshaw onto the ground.

I had landed on my right hand and although the pain was immediate, I didn’t say anything. Our 4 week trip in the fall of 2006 had just begun a few days earlier and the thought of having to cut it short was disheartening.

The next day while touring the Golden Temple, the pain was worse and unavoidable. Although my travel companions had asked how my visibly scraped hand was, I fibbed thinking I could suffer through the situation in silence. As soon as the temple visit was over the truth came out. The three of us went back to the Hotel Sun City Towers to make some phone calls.

My travel partner purchased travel health insurance which promised to help find local doctors regardless of where you were in the world. This claim turned out to be rather presumptuous as two hours later and with no return phone call, we were none the wiser on where to go. Overhearing our situation while working the phones at the front desk, the hotel owner referred us to a Doctor in town that she claimed was her cousin. The thought of taking her recommendation somehow seemed odd to me. Add in that she waited two hours to mention this association and then factor in he was her supposed cousin…this was shaping up to be a classic Indian scam right?

Once we agreed this was the best course, the owner phoned ahead to inform the Doctor’s office we were on our way. We arrived at the address to find a very nice looking home surrounded by a tall gate. A large clinic sign hung on the exterior showing us the way to the main level offices. We walked inside the waiting area to find a large framed, but soft spoken Sikh male receptionist. Without any waiting we were whisked into the Doctor’s office, clearly given preference over the multiple people left waiting in the entry.

The Doctor’s office was a square, high ceiling room, perfect 4 walls. On walking in, a large desk greeted us flanked by 2 benches on each side. To my shock there were two other patients in the office already. And once again our wait time was nil. The Doctor shifted his focus from the existing patients directly to my aching hand, specifically my right thumb. Also a Sikh man, no surprise given we were in Punjab, the short, round figured Doctor examined my hand and thumb.

Having salve applied to my bum thumb

Based on the exposed skim scrapes he suggested a tetanus shot. Before he would go further, he wanted an x-ray of the hand to ensure there was no fracture.

We were guided to the local hospital by the receptionist we had met briefly only minutes earlier. He had hopped on his scooter to ensure we found our way. Yet again as I walked into the overcrowded emergency room, filled with local residents with real health issues, I was whisked into the x-ray room. With virtually no waiting my hand was photographed and I was sent back to the hotel to wait. Rakesh, my driver, was instructed to return in one hour to pick up the x-ray at which time we would return to the Doctor’s office.

As promised, right on schedule, Rakesh appeared from the emergency room with my x-ray in hand. Only in India would this be allowed and thank goodness. Back to the Doctor’s office where yes, you guessed it, no waiting. My x-ray showed no fracture leaving the Doctor confident it was a bad bruising from the fall. He ordered some salve, a bandage to keep me from using the thumb for 7 days and some pain pills. By now I was beginning to mentally calculate the cost of this crash course in Indian health care . Before moving on to the nurse who would apply my first salve treatment, the doctor pulled out his receipt book.

• Doctor’s Office Visit Fee
• X-Ray
• Tetanus Shot
• Pain Pills (7 days)
• Salve
• Bandages

Grand total: Rs 400 ($8.33)

Oh, by the way, the insurance company that advertised services anywhere in the world? They never returned our call for help.