After visiting the Golden Temple, it is time to check out the rest of Amritsar’s sites.

Jallianwala Bagh is a large park area near our hotel and is accessed by a narrow lane off the Heritage Walk pedestrian street. Jallianwala Bagh is the location where the British General Reginald Dyer ordered his soldiers to fire on thousands of unarmed civilians who had gathered in the park for a protest resulting in the slaughter of hundreds, maybe thousands. The park is currently under much renovation but you can still visit the memorial commemorating this tragedy and see bullet holes in the walls left from that dreadful day.

The Partition Museum is a close walk away from Jallianwala Bagh just off the traffic circle with the Ambedkar statue. 

This museum gives a good review of the events leading up to Partition and the impact of Partition which resulted in the migration of millions of people. It is well worth a visit. Admission for foreigners is 250 Rs.

Wagah Border Crossing Ceremony and the Gobingarh Fort

On the way there we drive through Amritsar which is a busy mixture of car, bike, scooter, motorcycle, tuktuk and horse traffic. Pedestrians, cows, goats, pigs and stray dogs walk through the traffic while mostly men sell their produce on the edge of the road.

At the border there is a festival vibe. A three sided stadium is built in each country with the border fence and gates in the middle of the stadiums. Each country has a huge flag flying lazily in the breeze. For some reason, foreigners get preferential seating closer to the border gate. People are selling chips, popcorn, non-alcoholic drinks, ice cream and chocolate bars. Music blares from loudspeakers from both sides of the border as each country tries to outdo the other with the loudness of their music.

On the India side the crowd goes crazy cheering as selected people take turns running down the centre with large India flags. The border guards work up the crowd to cheer even louder. The Pakistan side of the border is also filling with spectators though there are more people on the India side. 

Not to be outdone, a one legged Pakastani border guard does a whirling dervish dance. The Indian side retaliates with a large group dancing  Bollywood style. The one legged man jumps high in the air and whirls while waving the flag. Crowds on both sides go WILD! How crazy! What fun!

While all this is happening, a few regular people cross the border, in both directions.

Another guard on the Pakistani side riles up their crowds. More guards join him. Now Indian guards come out also waving flags. Even the Indian border dogs come out…and bow!

This is all just a lead-up to the main event, the official closing of gates and lowering of both countries flags. Horns on both sides start to blow. Elaborately uniformed guards on both sides parade up to the now opened gates and two shake hands. On each side a man chants into the loudspeaker trying to outlast his counterpart before his breath gives out. Not sure of the meaning of this but it’s repeated over and over again. On each side guards are putting on a show of “I’m better than you” with leg stomping, high kicks, chest thumping, muscle flexing and moustache twirling. I don’t know where to look!

Too soon, the flags lower, one more hand shake and the gates close for the night.

Our taxi driver is waiting when we exit the border closing ceremony. From the border he takes us to Gobingarh Fort back in Amritsar. 

We arrive at the fort at dusk and there are not many people here. We pay 375 Rs each for the entrance fee and Sound & Light Show. Inside the fort we walk the grounds and check out two small museums. Walking towards a couple of camel statues, I’m startled when they move and turn out to be the real thing.

The sun has set and we order some food, just as the electricity goes out. We eat in the dark. The Sound & Light Show in Punjabi goes first and then we take our seats for the English show. Not many people are at the English show which lasts 20 minutes. The show is presented onto the walls of a large bunker and the visuals are quite stunning with the narration providing an interesting history of the Punjab region.

Tuckered out from a long day, we head back to the hotel.

Tuk Tuk Ride to Maharaja Radjit Singh Panorama and Durianga Temple

Some beautiful Alexendrine parakeets are the first sight of the day when we open our curtains.

My clothing today looks suspiciously like yesterday’s and the day before’s. Since yesterday was so jam-packed, we have a more relaxed morning today.

There are a few more sites we want to see, and ask the hotel the cost for a driver. They quote 1200Rs…which we think is too much so we go down the street and are quoted 400Rs for the same route by a tuk tuk driver.

We follow him down a narrow alley to his tuk tuk and wildly take off into the chaotic traffic. In my mind I compare the taxi cab and tuk tuk rides;

Are there more fumes in a tuk tuk? Yeah.

Am I more tossed and bumped?
Yep. Ladies don your support gear.

Is it louder?
Yep. No windows between me and the honking. They even honk at cows and goats.

Is it more fun?
Hell yeah! Sign me up for the next one!

We stop at the Maharaj Ramjit Singh Panorama which has some dioramas, portraits and a large panorama room depicting the well loved Maharaja’s life. Not a must see attraction but the entrance fee is only 10Rs. 

Back in the tuk tuk, we head to the Durianga Temple. The doors on this small Hindu temple are exquisite. The temple is similar to the a Golden Temple in layout but on a much less impressive scale.