Blogs from Punjab, India, Asia - page 2

What a full on day of contrast yesterday was. There are many monuments and statues around Amritsar, to various important people but also just because, like the ones depicting dancers we saw on the way to the Golden Temple, the primary site for Sikhism. Apart from being a stunning complex with pristine, hurt-your-eyes white marble buildings and paving surrounding the rich golden temple which sits in the middle of a lake, the whole atmosphere is quite special. People calmly go about their devotions, praying, purifying themselves in the water amongst the large crowd. No one is bothered by anyone else or by tourists taking photos. It is a very peaceful and tolerant environment. The kitchens provide thousands of free meals 24 hours a day and there are permanent and volunteer staff. We get a tour through ... read more

We started our day with a trip to the Jawlianwalla Bagh Massacre Memorial garden. situated outside the Golden Temple. The gardens were the site of an atrocity carried out by the British troops in 1919. Under the leadership of General R Dyer, the British troops opened fire on a group of unarmed peaceful demonstrators, killing over 350 men women and children and injurying many hundreds of others leaving them with life changing disability. The gardens are sombre, and dominated with the eternal flame monuments to those who lost their lives. There is also a martyr's well which is preserved as the site where many lost their lives trying to escape from the bullets. The garden also pays homage to national hero Udnam Singh, who avenged the murder of thee innocent people by the assassination of Dyer ... read more

Vor dem Betreten des Goldenen Tempels muss man die Schuhe ausziehen und abgeben. Heimlich in der Tasche mit rein schmuggeln gilt nicht, es wird sogar kontrolliert..... Nun kommt man an Waschbecken vorbei, wo man sich mit Seife die Hände waschen kann/soll. Dann kommen die Füße dran, man geht durch ein flaches Wasserbecken. Offenbar ist dieses Wasser schon heilig, denn ich sah mehrere Leute, wie sie daraus Wasser geschöpft haben und getrunken haben. Den Heiligen See umrundet man im Uhrzeigersinn. Es gibt ausgewiesene Badestellen, natürlich getrennt nach Geschlechtern. Die Frauen haben ein abgetrenntes Badehaus, ungefähr so, wie früher die Badekabinen an englischen Stränden. Der Vorplatz vor dem Tempel ist erst seit einem Jahr mit Marmor ausgelegt worden, dort legen sich die Pilger nachts zum Schlafen hin, die sich kein Hotel leisten können. Und wenn sie hungrig sind ... read more

Today I went in the region of Punjab, in the city of Amritsar to see the famous golden temple and it was awesome it is literally a temple made of gold! Of course its real name isn't gold temple but "Harmandir Sahib" meaning the abode of God. We can definitely say that it is one of the most sacred places in India. I remember a sentence of a guide saying that this temple commemorates a lot of Sikh event and that it is a bringer of peace. As you know, i love drawing the places that i visit so i drew this one! Today was a good day!... read more

16 Flight delayed a further 3 hours so land in New Delhi at midday, begin walking then hitch a free lift into the city to moustache hostel in Greater Kailash, hot shower, finally tuktuks for a very fair price! Secure a train ticket to Amritsar for 2pm next day, wander Delhi, get my flops fixed for the fourth time ha, (Ghana fix on flop 1 holding strong) truffle pig some street treats before returning to GK1. 10/01/16 Much needed sleep and a quick whip around the lotus temple, India gate & red fort via the metro and Tuks, relieved after arriving late at station to find out watch was set 20 mins fast!; quite liking Delhi but choose to take common advice and move on fast, 2nd class window seat / few hours on the person ... read more