Soul Sikhing

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Our drive up to Amritsar with Joseph and Arnaud was great - awesome to be able to just sit back and relax and watch the world go by. The scenery wasn't all that inspiring - lots of green fields and many wedding venues all done up in sparkly lights, but the fun came in just being able to travel with friends.

We left the guys in Amritsar and found ourselves some sweet digs. Then after dinner we set off to the Golden Temple. Having heard a lot about the temple, and seen it in various movies and TV Shows I was quite looking forward to it, and it did not disappoint. As we entered the moon hung above the temple itself, lending a storybook picturesqueness to the golden splendour and the shimmering reflection in the pond below.

Being a Sikh temple it is open to people of all faiths and there are no charges involved. It has a kind of calm and peaceful air despite the numbers of worshippers and the calls of prayer eminating from inside the temple. Inside the decoration is even more elaborate than the Golden exterior - beautiful carvings and paintings cover every wall, ornate chandeleirs hang down over the chanting gurus, and from the roof the view over the temple complex is beautiful.

We met a nice Sikh guy and his family and he showed us around the complex, explaining a little about Sikhism and the history of Amritsar. Sadly he was very focused on the 1984 massacre, which although a tragedy, seems to have left a very bitter taste in the mouth of many Sikhs, who still call for a separate state.

Nevertheless we had a great time, and returned once more in the morning to see the temple in the sunlight. It was just as beautiful as the night before, this time with locals bathing in the sacred waters that surround the temple.

A great end to India, but it was on to more adventures and so we set off for Attari and the Pakistan border.

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