Introduction to Amritsar

Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhs, is located in the Punjab province of India. The name of the city is the combination of two words ‘Amrit’ the Holy Nectar and ‘Sarovar’ which means lake. The lake of holy nectar is situated in the Golden Temple, the holiest of holy Sikh shrine. The Sikh prayer exhorts every Sikh to have a dip in the holy pond. The city was also known as Ramdaspur in earlier times. The city is a border city of India and just 30 miles away from Lahore, Pakistan. The city assumes a major strategic importance for India. Industry. The walled city of Amritsar is a comparatively small old fashioned city with narrow roads and by lanes. The development on the outskirts of the city is well planned with wide roads, beautiful residential and commercial complexes. The commercial activity is mainly agriculture related; however carpet weaving, handicrafts, tourism and service industry do add to the local economy. The city was the hub of handlooms and shawl making industry during the British rule. Even today one can buy colorful, handmade and exquisitely designed shawls for less than $25 a piece. The city has some light engineering industry also. The proximity to Pakistan has somehow been responsible for the city not developing into a major industrial center in Punjab. The population of the city is close to 1.5 million, mainly comprising the two major groups Sikhs and Hindus. The large Muslim population migrated to Pakistan during the partition. The unprecedented carnage and loss of life during 1947 is a bitter chapter in the history of Amritsar and oft repeated in the literary works like a Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh, Remembering Partition by G Pande and many others. The city has some old educational institutes established during the British Raj; Zila School Amritsar, an English school, was the beginning of a great educational saga in 1851. The Khalsa College and Government Medical Colleges were setup prior to the Independence of India. The city is a major educational center with prestigious Guru Nanak Dev University and the DAV College. Punjabi is the official language of the state. Hindi, Urdu and English are also spoken and understood. The city with its convent educated English speaking youth is making a dent in the growing BPO and ITES sector. Climate. The city of Amritsar has the typical North Indian dry and extreme climate. The temperatures in summers reach up to 47 degree Centigrade or 116 degree Fahrenheit and winters see a drop to minus three degree Centigrade or 26 degree Fahrenheit. The monsoons during Jul-Sep are a hot and sweaty period. The best time to visit Amritsar is during mid September to the end of March. The city is well connected by rail, road and air to major destinations in India. The strategic importance of Amritsar has led to the development of extensive rail and road network. The world standard highway from Delhi to Amritsar is a pleasure to drive on. The lush green fields bear testimony to the hard working Punjabis. There are many fast trains from Delhi which will take you to your destination within seven hours. Direct international flights are also available from US and UK.