Within the first minute of walking away from our hotel in Amritsar it became abundantly clear that we were about to have a vastly different experience up here compared to in Kerala. Incessant honking, seemingly impossible-to-cross streets (crammed with cars, motorbikes, tuk-tuks, carts, cows, & people), persistent soliciting, piles of garbage, and the on-and-off whiffs of urine, our systems were sufficiently shocked. It was unclear if we should laugh or cry. The hate part of the love/hate relationship we’ve heard travelers have with India after visiting India was all too apparent. However, it only took about 10 minutes for the nervous system to settle in and be ready to embrace the love, too. We were reminded time and time again that the people and the food make this place so special.
The Partition
Amritsar sits right on the border with Pakistan. Of course, this wasn’t always the case. Quite a bit of our time here ended up being dedicated to gaining an understanding of the impact of the hasty border drawing between India and Pakistan following their succession from British rule. The Partition Museum shed light on the tensions leading to the creation of Pakistan and the devastating loss of lives and destruction that initially followed. On the first Independence Days for both India and Pakistan, many people living in this area did not even know which country their home was soon to be part of due to the hastily drawn border not being made public knowledge yet. Upon reveal, it’s estimated that 14-17 million people rapidly packed up their belongings and families in an attempt to make it across the border in both directions (Muslims trying to make it to Pakistan and Sikhs & Hindus trying to make it to India). Tragically, it’s estimated that potentially 2 million people would never make it at all or die shortly after due to communal violence.
With this dark and heavy part of history in mind, the daily Wagah Border Ceremony was created as a symbol of both respective patriotism and cooperation. Each afternoon hundreds of people flock to the border to witness this spectacle. We were disappointed to see the Pakistan bleachers under construction and only hosting a small crowd, but the Indian side was nothing short of a party. With dancing, chanting, guards high-kicking, and the closing symbolic handshake between the guards of both countries, it’s safe to say we had never experienced anything like this before. While at times it felt quite silly, you can’t help but be invested when everyone around you is (see a little glimpse https://youtu.be/Jstp2J2Vn9k?si=enBMuLD8LDC6Y9L0)
Religious Culture
We weren’t very familiar with the Sikh religion prior to visiting Amritsar. One of the core beliefs of this religion is that all humans are equal regardless of religious beliefs, gender, class, etc. & wow was that evident in the people we were fortunate enough to talk to. The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) is to Sikhs as The Vatican is to Catholics. Our first visit was so spectacular that we couldn’t help but visit again the next day.
It would have been easy to be treat us as if we didn’t belong, but that’s the opposite of how we were made to feel. We were shown such kindness from young children who showed us where to store our shoes and how to cover our heads, asked about where we come from and our experience in the city once inside with genuine warmth and curiosity, and given the chance to eat a meal alongside hundreds of others. Langar is the community kitchen at the Golden Temple where free meals are served to everyone regardless of background. On a typical day, around 100,000 meals are served by volunteers daily (https://youtu.be/TT-N5wl0l-s?si=1n2TV8FSlKfX2NYg) The people here made the absolutely stunning gold temple and pristine white marble surroundings feel wildly secondary to the whole experience.
While Amritsar has one of the highest populations of Sikhs in the whole world, 48% of people identify as Hindu. This meant we had the opportunity to experience Holi, the festival of colors, that happens in Northern India on an intimate and small scale. This celebrates the arrival of Spring and the victory of good over evil. Children of all ages joyfully ran and laughed in the streets together splattered in all different colors. In the most respectful and honoring way imaginable, children would ask if we were “playing Holi” and adults with our permission included us in on the tradition of putting colorful powders on each other.
Silly Little Stats
- # of beds slept in: 78
- # of countries visited: 11
- # of transportation modes: 14 (plane, train, bus, colectivo, tuk-tuk, ferry, motorbike, long tail boat, tricycle, car, bicycle, canoe, jeepny, cable car)
- Bus (non-local): 30
- Plane: 18
- Ferry: 11
- Train: 3
- # of days since leaving Colorado: 235
We learned that we would rarely make it anywhere quickly due to being stopped and asked for pictures. On a few occasions, Kim was abruptly handed babies and small children to hold. Jack became a local celebrity when asked to join in on an alley cricket game by a group of kids. Don’t worry, he represented the country well!