Amritsar

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Right, first off, I've put some photos from the last blog on here - of McLeod, Norbulingka etc.

This weekend we headed off to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple and the border crossing. So, after taking some sleeping pills and therefore being unconcious for a day.... we went to see the Temple first thing in the morning.

then headed to Jalianwallah Bagh - this was where there was a massacre - basic background, the British recruited lots of Indians to fight in WW1 - most of these were from Punjab (there are lots and lots of Sikhs, and the British thought they were fearsome and therefore wanted them for the army). Obviously this leads to tensions etc. Then an act is passed allowing the British to imprison anyone suspected of sedition without trial. A peaceful demonstration was called against this, but General Dwyer took a load of British soldiers and opened fire, killing about 300people and injuring at least 1000 more. It was a major turning point in the long road to independance, and majorlly influenced Gandhi. Felt very strange to go there as a British person.

We also went to the border closing ceremony - very surreal display of aggression by the Indian and Pakistani border guards, lots of marching and aggressive flag-lowering....

After that we headed back to the Golden temple - theres a ceremony every morning and evening where the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book) is brought from its night-time resting place into the temple, and then back in the eveing. We went to see it being put to bed - much helped by an amazingly cool old Sikh guy showing where best to stand to see it coming out of the temple, then opening a back gate for us, and making us leg it up a set of stairs, so as to reach the room it rests in before the rest of the crowd. Amazing atmosphere, I've got a couple of videos of everyone chanting.

We're leaving Palampur on Saturday - off to Agra! Then Varansai, Bodh Gaya and Kolkata before Chennai. Just got to go back to camp and pray that my train tickets have actually been booked.....

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Photos

Flag being lowered at the border
the stand full of people behind the flags is in Pakistan

Comments

[jenstanley]

Where is the rest?
Loved the photos. Where is the rest of the entry? seems to end mid sentence. see you in 11 days Jen