AMRITSAR AND THE PAKISTANI BORDER

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5-6 April. Our last days in India! We had another killer day of travel to get to Amritsar, home of the Sikh Golden Temple. It’s the center of the Sikh religion, is literally covered in real gold, and sits in the middle of a small manmade lake. Thousands of people come there to worship from all over the world, and the Amritsar Sikh community houses and feeds them - about 20-30 thousand people daily! There are four kitchens and three dining halls, all run by volunteers, serving lentils, rice, green vegetable, Indian bread and a sweet to anyone who comes and sits down to be fed. We were amazed by the controlled chaos of the place. We also saw the Lila Devi Temple, dedicated to a woman who lived for 74 years on only fruit and water. It’s a kid’s wonderland of mirrors, images and funny crawl-through caves. We also went to the Jalliawala Bagh (bagh means “garden”) where more than 2000 people were killed by British troops in 1919 as they were protesting a law that allowed warrantless arrest of Indians. It’s a sobering reminder of the dangers of uncontrolled colonial rule.

5 April. In the evening, we went to the Wagha border crossing between India and Pakistan for a flag lowering ceremony on the India/Pakistani border. It’s all carefully choreographed between the troops of the two countries, even though they’re not on good terms. At sunset, gates dividing the two countries, one for India and one for Pakistan, are opened, and border troops parade down their respective roads and “dare” their opposites to cross the border. There’s a lot of stomping and music, and the flags of both countries are slowly lowered EXACTLY at the same time. Huge grandstands give the citizens of both countries a chance to yell for their side, just like a football game. Children and women dance in the street and line up for a chance to run toward the border with an Indian flag. Hawkers sell popcorn and DVDs of the ceremony. It’s worth the heat and crowds, because nothing we Americans do is anything like it. One thing to remember though: the last terrorist attack happened about a week ago in Lahore, about 7 miles away, when 40 Pakistani police were killed and 200 were wounded. Border Security Forces and both Indian and Pakistani armies are on high alert, as tensions between the two countries are still high.

And - oh, by the way - after all the closed-border dramatics, you drive back into Amritsar past dozens of trucks full of Indian onions and potatoes that are lined up to cross into Pakistan the next day. Go figure …

6 April. We took another overnight train and are back in Delhi, waiting to fly out tomorrow to Egypt! The saga continues …

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Photos

Golden Temple, Amritsar
Center of the Sikh religion, which is an offshoot of the Hindu faith, but believes in one God.

Dancing at the Indian Border
At the Wagha border with Pakistan, a daily flag lowering ceremony is reason for dancing.

Cooking for a Crowd
Can you believe the size of the pot in one of the Temple's four kitchens?

Volunteer Chefs
Each day, volunteers feed 20-30,000 visitors to the Golden Temple.

At the Indian-Pakistani Border
Indian and Pakistani Border Security Forces stage an acrobatic military ceremony for their citizens.