Blown Away by Amritsar and The Golden Temple

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We had a great deal of difficulty leaving Dharamsala after only three nights, so we extended our stay there by one day, which meant only one day available for Amritsar. As the bus ride from Dharamsala was reputed to be a ten hour nightmare, we found ourselves once again hiring a taxi to get us to our destination in half the time. The trip was not specifically eventful, but there was a noticeable difference in atmosphere once we entered the territory of Punjab.

For one, the language spoken here is Punjabi, not Hindi, which of course, doesn't make a whole lot of difference to us, as we understand neither, but the closer we got to Amritsar, the more prevalent the Sik population became, as it is the city which houses The Golden Temple, sacred destination point for all Siks. Most interesting to observe, however, was the variety of animals sharing the streets with the motor vehicles, including horse and ox driven carts, and camels, as well as a large number of people-powered rickshaws, often with the solo driver carrying a massive load of cargo. Amritsar was one crazy, noisy, chaotic bustle, with a mix of ancient and contemporary life that left me, at least, feeling like I had finally arrived in the stereotypical India of the movie sets.

Before heading to The Golden Temple - the real reason we were drawn to this city - we were enticed by our hotel manager to take a short trip to the Pakistan India border to watch the daily flag lowering ceremony, promising that it was a "must see event, unlike anything you have ever seen before." On the way we would also make a short stop at an unusual "children oriented" Hindu temple. So we hopped in a van with four other travellers and drove to the Pakistan border, where thousands of people gather every night to watch the flamboyant display of national pride as each country's soldiers parade around, openly displaying their dislike for each other in very dramatic, exaggerated fashion. Unfortunately, from where we were sitting in the India grandstands, we could only catch glimpses of the show that the Pakistan soldiers were putting on, but the Pakistan crowd responses told us they were also strutting their stuff. The atmosphere in the crowd - cheers, jeers, flag waving, energy and spirit - was a little like that of the Rider fans at a playoff game against their biggest adversary, when they are totally pumped. It was not life changing, nor something we would necessarily do again, but it did meet the promise of an experience you will not likely find anywhere else.

But then we arrived at The Golden Temple, and it was instantly magical; certainly an entire universe away from the superficial pomp and valour border ceremonies we had just witnessed.

First of all, there is the sheer beauty of the temple itself, its pure gold-laden exterior glistening in the sun, and reflected in the gigantic moat that surrounds it. Also beautiful are the gigantic white marble temples which border the moat and temple on all four sides. It is difficult to grasp the immensity of the temple and its surrounding grounds, but suffice it to say that it is enormous, with large open areas for people to pray or sleep, and numerous annexes that house countless chambers. The most intriguing aspect of The Golden Temple, however, was not its size or splendour, but witnessing in action the fundamental Sik philosophy of generosity. Prior to visiting this temple we had been informed that it provides the largest free food service in the world, where 60,000 people on average are fed every weekday, and 180,00 each day of the weekend.

This we had to see to believe, and so we lined up with about five hundred others and moved along with the crowd until we were able to find a spot on the designated floor mats to sit and be served, very methodically, a full four course meal until we, along with the five hundred others, finished eating and made our way out of the gigantic mess hall, making room for the next five hundred dinner guests lined up at the entrance. All of this took place in less than thirty minutes, at which time the cycle repeated itself again. Throughout the meal, where we were the only foreigners in attendance, people kept sneaking peeks at us, but when we sent them a smile they always returned the gesture, often with a Namaste greating as well. It was wonderful.

I was not yet ready to leave without being a little more involved than just getting a free meal, so when I noticed - or rather, heard - the deafening clatter of literally hundreds of tin plates being collected / tossed around and cleaned in a totally organized assembly line format, I threw myself into the mix of people washing dishes, joining the women's side and "gettin' down and dirty in the dishwater" for a half hour or so, all the while thinking in amazement that this massive assembly line food catering and clean up production goes on twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, all on a volunteer basis, fueled by donations, with not a penny asked of anyone for meals. This would have to be the single most, largest, most impressive display of communal generosity I have ever had the privilege of witnessing. Simply amazing.

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Photos

The Glorious Golden Temple
So beautiful, on so many levels.

Bev playing with the Temple Goddess
In addition to being Kiddie Land, this temple was a little like a "House of Mirrors" as well.

Indian Soldiers Marching
These guys were strutting their stuff, in full adornment, greatly admired by the crowds.

Stan and the Temple Snakes
Like I said, more like Kiddie Land than a temple.

Bev in the Lion's Mouth
Yes, this did feel a lot more like a trip to Kiddie Land than it did a visit to a temple.

Flag Ceremony Crowds
Like I said, thousands show up for this ceremony every day. Before the show began, there was Hindi music playing, and a small group of people on the road dancing away, practicing the latest dance moves from the videos.

Bev with Soldier after the Border Ceremony
He is a big guy, and that is one big fancy hat.

Stan and Bev at The Golden Temple
I can see why Stan isn't smiling. He does look pretty ridiculous in that headgear, don't cha think? No option to be in the temple without some sort of head cover - men or women.

Dish Washing at the Temple
Those are all rows of dishwashing tubs, at which both men and women work together to keep ahead of the demand for clean plates. The clatter when a worker comes along and dumps another hundred metal plates in the wash basin is deafening.

Dirty Plate Collection
In spite of the ear breaking noise, this was actually hilarious to watch, as these workers tossed the plates coming in around like pancakes, sorting them into their various cleaning destination piles.

The Golden Temple Meeting Halls and Chambers
This was not the only one such area, there were many. The Temple is huge, and hugely accommodating.

Old World Horse and Cart
Yes, it is a step back in time, but not an unusual site in this part of the world.

Rickshaw Driver
In this world, I don't believe the concept of a pension plan exists. This man caught our attention as he is somewhat iconic, and again, not an unusual sight.

Heavy Bike Load
Nor was this an usual sight.

Three on a Bike
Three, four, maybe five. There is no limit to the number of people who can fit on a bike in Asia. Anything goes, and often in crazy rush hour traffic as well. Helmets, what are helmets?

Doggie on a Motorbike
Yes, anything goes. Including doggies - big ones - on motorbikes. And this was on a main highway.

Flowing Saris on Motorbike
This will remain a favorite sight in India: women's colorful saris flowing by as they pass on their motorbikes.

Bull Pulling Cart
Welcome to Amritsar, India, where old meets new.

Recycling in Progress
More old meets new.

Bus Approaching - Yikes
I still cannot figure out with confidence which side of the road cars are supposed to be driving on, because it seems the rules change all the time. Red lights, for example, simply mean "maybe" in India, as no one really takes them all that seriously. The good news is that the speed limit here is less than half of what it is in Canada, so it somehow works. And notice the wicked pink multi-colored bus. Not unusual in this wildly vibrant country. This is India.