Trip To 'The Land Of Five Rivers' - Punjab And Chandigarh
'Punjab', literally meaning the 'Land of five rivers'. The name comes from the rivers flowing here. Only Sutlej, Beas and Ravi flow in today's Punjab, India while, Chenab and Jhelum flow in the state of Punjab, Pakistan. It is known for it's fighters and great saints along with it's delicious cuisine.
Our trip started with our arrival at 'The Golden Temple '(Sri Harmandir Sahib). With four entrances, the Golden Temple Amritsar features distinctive Sikh architecture. We arrived at the golden temple and were asked to cover our heads and wash our legs with water before entering. The "Amrita Saras- The Pool of Nectar" has The Golden temple in the center.
There are carp fish, as well as black and golden fish. After circumnavigating the temple, we joined the line. While there was a big line, nobody was pushing or shoving; instead, everyone stood peacefully. As soon as I walked into the temple, people were seated inside and praying. We also stayed there. It was one of the most tranquil places I have ever been. Nobody asks you to leave right away, and nobody was making commotion inside the shrine either. We had kada prashad and departed from the opposite end. We then walked to the langar, which is provided to everyone equally. We also did some dishwashing as part of our service.
At a little distance, our next destination was 'The Jallianwala Bagh Memorial'. The area had small stores there selling souvenirs. The temple and the memorial are located in the same area at a little distance.
Hundreds of unarmed Indian men, women, and children were cruelly murdered by the British Army in 1919, a tragedy is known as the "Jallianwala Bagh Massacre". A vast garden area was there, with flowers and beautiful green plants all around. There was a little museum with a collection of images and coins from our nation and the Jallianwala Bagh atrocity. The crimson monument known as "The flame of liberty" was inaugurated by our President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, in 1961 and is located at the end. It is shaped like a flame.
As we got to the monument, there was a glass-enclosed wall with bullet marks from the Jallianwala Bagh incident on it. The well-known "Marty's well," where individuals drowned themselves to avoid being slain by Britishers, was located in a little shrine nearby. It has a historical alley, which is the sole entry and exit to the park's confined space. The same route was taken by General Dyer and his forces. To record the occurrence, a new light and sound display was set up. We headed towards our next stop which was the 'Wagah Border'.
Attari- Wagah Border, which separates India and Pakistan along the Grand Trunk Road, is situated 22 kilometers from Lahore, Pakistan, and 28 kilometers from Amritsar, India. At the Wagah boundary, there was a huge crowd. The international gates are shut during this event, and both national flags are lowered during the evening. Since 1959, the Indian Border Security Force and Pakistan Army have conducted the flag ceremony.
A truly endearing spectacle is created by the pomp and ceremony of the Beating Retreat and the Changing of Guard within touching distance of the Indian and Pakistani armies. There was patriotic music performed, and the military dogs put up a display. The tourists are then permitted to dance to tunes performed for entertainment close to the border.
The entire performance gave me goosebumps. I felt most proud to be there when our national anthem began to play. On our return, we had delicious local cuisine in Amristar along with the region's signature sweet Lassi.
We headed to Chandigarh, a Union Territory that borders Punjab. We visited the rock garden in Chandigarh. There were sculptures constructed of rocks and other trash, including bangles, tiles, and debris from the cities. The idea of the vanished kingdom is evident. The magnificent palace complex, minars, waterfalls, an outdoor theatre, a hamlet, mountains, overbridges, pavilions, and spaces for royal pleasures are all part of the garden'.
We also went to the international doll museum, which had a collection of dolls from about 32 different nations. It was remarkable to see dolls decked up in the same nation's traditional attire.
The Japanese garden was the next place we went, and it was a little garden with a lot of lush greenery. Japanese-style architecture and sculptures with a Zen theme are featured. Due to lack of time we could not visit other attractions in Chandigarh.
Our trip ended with a bag full of memories.