This was one of the better hotels we stayed in during our 25 day trip. It had a nice room with a well working air-conditioning and an actual pub next door with cold draught beer, both a blessing with temperatures of almost 40 degrees Celsius. As such it is rightfully recommended by the Lonely Planet ... But, as often in India, there most be something wrong. In this case it was the training and efficiency of the staff. My travel companion needed a taxi back to Dharamsala and over the course of several hours the clerk recalculated the price several times for several reasons ('we forgot to include this', 'we forgot to include that'). The food in the pub was good but was served in such a chaotic way that some of our companions were still waiting for their food while the rest had finished long ago. Breakfast was even worse ... These people simply cannot deal with large groups of people. I had to wait for 45 minutes for a simple sandwich and getting a pot of coffee took 60 minutes and asking four times, after which I was so aggrevated I simply walked out. The most frustrating thing is seeing how you and several other companions are still waiting for your order for almost an hour while other people that just walked in get their stuff immediately. There is something seriously wrong with their first-in-first-out system ... So, you can stay here overnight and have a couple of beers, but make sure you eat elsewhere.

Sikhism, professed by 65 per cent of the population here, is one of the world's newer faiths. It was founded by one Guru Nanak, in the early years of the 16th century. After a lifetime of travel, he concluded from what he saw that 'God is to be found neither in the Koran or the Puranas' (the sacred Hindu texts). Unable to accept the Hindu caste system, or what he saw as the intolerance of Islam, Guru Nanak came up with an admirably pragmatic solution. One God for all, rich or poor, with no human hierarchies or priesthoods, idols or icons coming in between.

In a nod towards another religion, the Sikh gurus chose a pool visited by Lord Buddha around which to build their first temple. It was called Amrit Sovar (The Nectar Pool) and though the name was elided to Amritsar, the pool, much extended, still exists and the temple built around it is now one of the most famous shrines in the world.

Michael Palin - Himalaya

A hotel that's recommended in the Lonely Planet, a bar with cool draught beer, air-conditioning and fan in the room ... Surely there most be something wrong with this place otherwise it would be completely out of place with the other accommodations in this trip. And indeed we were to find out this morning. When we arrived for breakfast at 8:00 AM and ordered a very simple chicken sandwich and two pots of coffee ... 15 minutes past ... 30 minutes past ... 45 minutes past and we started to get impatient (mind you, waiting for so long is quite an accomplishment for me, even in Asia). After reminding one of the waiters (there were probably more than kitchen staff) we finally got our sandwiches, but no coffee. The coffee actually arrived after an hour when we were leaving, so I kindly told the waiter that we wouldn't be needing it anymore.

We took a couple of tuk-tuks to the Golden Temple of the Sikhs, Amritsar's main attraction and our reason for being here. Sikhims is a one of the most empathetic religions I have come across so far. It developed in the 18th century and blends Islam and Hinduism but it also developed out of a disapproval of the caste system and need to help the poor and helpless, regardless of stand and religion. As the first guru of this religion, Guru Narak said: "A person who makes an honest living and shares earnings with others recognizes the way to God'. There's a lot that people can learn from the Sikhs. With their beards, turbans and ritual daggers they might remind us of the Taliban, but we have found them to be (on average) very friendly, smiling and helpful people.

This whole feeling of hospitality just radiates from the Golden Temple. Everybody is welcome to come inside, as long as you leave your shoes outside, wash your feet, cover your hair and don't take any alcohol, drugs or tobacco inside. Already outside you are greeted by the singing from the Guru Gurath Sahib, the Sikh holy book, performed by four priests in the actual temple and broadcasted in and around the complex by loudspeakers. Unlike Islam chanting or Indian traditional songs this was actually very likeable music and added a lot to the spiritual atmosphere of the surroundings.

Entering this holiest of shrines of the Sikh is an experience in itself. In the middle of the Amrit Sarovar (the Pool of Nectar) where pilgrims come to bathe lies the two-story marble Hari Mandir Shabib temple, with its golden dome that is seemingly gilded with 750 kg of pure gold. Surrounding the large pond is the marble walkway, the Parkarma, which is connected with the main temple by the 'Guru Bridge'.

As mentioned the atmosphere is friendly and unlike certain Hindu temples nobody is eyeing you in a fashion like you don't belong. As a matter of fact, everybody is so welcome that you can even join in with the free food in the huge dining hall (the Guru-Ka-Langar). Everybody that feels like eating gets handed out a bowl and thali dish when entering and during the day meals are distributed to no less than 40.000 pilgrims! To feed these people there is a constant 'machine' of chapatti, rice and dhal production at work around the dining hall, an unbelievable sight and with efficiency that our hotel's kitchen staff could learn a lot from. Even in these working areas we were more than welcome to come in, watch and take pictures.

We continued among the marbles walkway, passing stalls were free waters was handed out to all thirsty and arriving at the Guru Bridge. Here the Sikhs bought little offers that they would take into the temple. These offerings would then be baked and handed out to the visitors when they left the temple. The inside of the Golden Temple was a magical experience as well, adorned with beautiful decoration and with the four musicians chanting the kirtan texts of Guru Nanak surrounded by pilgrims while upstairs more holy men guarded the holy book under a pink sheer. A true sense of togetherness hung in this place.

Before leaving this lovely place we visited the Sikh Museum in the clock tower. Made up of hundreds of paintings portraying both historical occurrences and characters and featuring rather heavy doses of torture, war and punishment of Sikhs this maybe wasn't the best atmosphere to leave the temple's feeling of compassion with. Another moment of amazement was finding out that the Coca Cola stall outside the temple only charged 5 rupee (7,5 Euro cents) per bottle (normally at least 15 rupee)!

After wandering through the small streets where (not unlike Hanoi) every street seemed to have its own specialist trade, and almost succumbing to the hell-hot day, we ended up at a dhaba close to the Golden Temple. We had an Indian vegetarian lunch (and lots of cola). We took some rickshaw’s back to the hotel (jumping out and helping the drivers push during the steep bits), tipped them well and fled into the air-conditioned Buttom's Up bar where multiple big glasses of cold beer were emptied before retiring to our rooms for an hour or two.

At seven we gathered back in the lobby. We had decided to have dinner at a different restaurant in order not to miss the end ceremony at the Golden Temple. We rented a tuk-tuk with two benches but still, trying to fit nine people in was almost like an attempt to get into the Guiness Book of Records. Only after a couple of hundreds of meters there was a loud clanging sound from below the tuk-tuk, of which the motor immediately stopped. 'No problem, no problem', the driver assured us, jumping out and pushing his vehicle including nine tourists the last stretch. Of course, I got out helping the poor guy push, arriving at the Crystal restaurant sweating like an ox. Confusion followed when there proved to be two Crystal restaurants next to each other, and both the doormen made severe efforts to get us in. Assuming that they were branches of the same restaurant we followed the tuk-tuk driver’s advice to take the left one, arriving at a rather classy place.

Dinner at the Crystal was good and plentiful; I wasn't able to finish tonight's sizzler. Regardless of the seemingly tight organization the staff had to run out and get some cold beers elsewhere and the air-conditioning was set to freezing, nearly giving me frost-bite. But besides this everything was fine and judging from the locals that had filled the place when we left this was a popular spot.

Only thing left to do today was visit the Golden Temple again to view the ritual of returning the holy book to its nightly resting place. Our previous tuk-tuk driver who had promised to pick us up at half past nine was nowhere to be seen. The damage to his machine was probably more substantial than he’d originally thought. Fortunately there are more than enough others willing to take nine people in their cart.

After going through the ritual of removing shoes, wearing a bandana and cleaning our feet we entered the temple a second time. The Golden Temple was beautifully illuminated and the chants and music were still all around. I decided to walk to the temple across the Guru Bridge one more time and arriving there I found myself in the middle of the evening ceremony. One of the Sikh chanters started reciting some lines, being answered by the crowd surrounding the central area. Then the book was hoisted in the air and carried away on a sort of sedan chair, followed by yours truly only mere meters behind, going with the flow of the Sikhs. When the sedan left the Guru Bridge it was placed on the ground while the locals continued to praise it and covered it with flowers and cloth. Then it was picked back up and locked securely in a chamber by the side of the bridge. Today's services at the temple were over, only to be continued again tomorrow at 4:30 AM. At that time tomorrow we needed to be at the train station for our return to Delhi, so after enjoying the serenity of this place a bit longer we grabbed a tuk-tuk back to the hotel where I was happy to take a cool shower after this hot and exhaustive day.

Twenty years ago this altruistic environment saw dreadful violence when a group of Sikhs demanding their own state barricaded themselves in the Akhal Takht, the second most sacred building on the site. The siege was lifted in the infamous Operation Bluestar, when the Indian army brought tanks into the temple and pulverized the building. It's estimated that several thousand died in the fighting. Such was the strength of feeling that a few months later Prime Minister Indira Ghandi, who authorized the attack, was assassinated by Sikh members of her own bodyguards. Such trauma seems almost inconceivable tonight as a setting sun burnishes the 500 kilograms of gold that sheath the marble walls of the Hari Mandir, hymns echo around the arcades and turbanned and bearded Sikh men and their families move slowly in through its doors to pay homage to the Holy Book, the most precious object in a religion that rejects idolatry.

Michael Palin - Himalaya

Like in Keylong, Kirsten's request to the management to have simple breakfast available at 6:00 AM was to no avail. The dining hall was dark and desolate and only after some of us sat down something stirred and twenty minutes later we got hot water for tea. Tight scheduling is difficult here if it requires any deviation from the 'normal way of things'. Still, after the mini vans had brought us to the bus that was parked near the church, we were on our way to Amritsar shortly after seven.

Leaving Dharamsala the bus was soon besieged by a horde of hungry monkeys, some with their babies clinging to their bellies. Around nine o' clock we stopped for a tea break near a bridge where we all had to get out of the bus and walk across! Seemingly the bridge wasn't build for big tourist busses with 16 Dutchmen. The owner of the dhaba tried to charge us 25 rupees for a cup of black tea, until someone pointed out to him that the printed menu clearly said it was 15 rupees.

While we left the mountain region and entered the lowlands the temperature started rising dramatically and as soon as the bus slowed down and the cool breeze from the open window died out the interior turned into a mobile sauna. At 11:00 we had entered the state of Punjab under the scorching sun. At times the road was so dreadfully bad that it seemed the square meters of holes actually outnumbered those with asphalt. The scenery was also often spoiled by big heaps of trash and litter along the road, showing India at its ugliest.

Shortly before three o’ clock we arrived at the Grand Hotel in Amritsar, a nice hotel for a change. Actually, this hotel is the Lonely Planet's pick and has a nice pub like bar where we ate something after dropping off our stuff in our room. After all, we hadn't stopped for lunch since we did not come across a suitable place. What was even more welcome than the food was the cold draught Kingfisher beer. The temperature outside was 38 degrees Celsius, so an air-conditioned bar with cold beer was the closest thing one could get to heaven.

At half past four we were picked up by a couple of taxis for a visit to the India-Pakistani border at Attari/Wagan. Thirty kilometres west of Amritsar, this is the place where a hilarious border-closing ceremony takes place every day. Having seen it in a documentary by Michael Palin, I wouldn't want to miss it. When you're dropped off one or two kilometres from the actual border you're immediately besieged by kids selling water, popcorn, little Indian plastic flags and DVDs of the ceremony. If you make it past this first obstacle and walk towards Pakistan you arrive at the VIP stand for tourists, a separate stand next to the two stands for Indian men and women. This VIP stand is closest to the border, beyond which you can see a smaller stand at the Pakistan side.

As mentioned the whole ceremony is hilarious to say the least. Loudspeakers on both sides blare out Indian and Pakistani music, probably with a rather nationalist touch. Indian people are invited to come down from their stand and parade to the Pakistani border and back holding an Indian flag. Then the music changes into more danceable stuff and people are invited to come down and dance, men and women well separated. All of this took about an hour, quite a long time when you're slowly getting drenched by the scorching heat.

Then the actual ceremony began. It's hard to describe in words, you'd have to see it. Imagine that both sides bring out a group of military acrobats that parade up and down the last stretch of their country speed-walking, stomping and throwing their legs up so high that their shins can easily touch their noses. Several people have already described this as something very similar to Monthy Python's Ministry of Silly Walks and I can only agree. While all of this military choreography is going on at both sides there are two 'masters of ceremony' that stir up the crowd to yell nationalist slogans like 'Hindustan Zindabad!' (long live Hindustan/India) only to be answered seconds later by 'Pakistan Zinbabad!' from the other side. The gate of the border is opened and the stomping soldiers of both sides perform something that could easily be mistaken for a mating dance on steroids. The flags of both countries are lowered and taken away, after which the gates are slammed shut and the ritual is over.

Regardless of the silliness, nationalist touch and machismo of it all it is remarkable how well organized and choreographed the whole thing is, with both countries following a tight script and knowing exactly what to do when and who's supposed to do what. The uneasy relationship between the two countries makes such a display of harmony all the more special.

Back at the hotel we quickly freshened up and went down to the hotel's Bottom's Up bar for food and more very, very necessary cold beer. Judith and I both ordered a Chicken Tikka Masala and after washing it down with a couple of cold Kingfishers we went to bed. Tomorrow we would further explore Amritsar.

(...) both sides, now eyeball to eyeball, contrive to present a quite surreal display of precision nastiness, raising their forearms like weapons, pawing the ground, baring their teeth and snarling at one another like turkey-cocks.

Even the lowering of the flag is conducted with a tight-lipped, carefully choreographed, competitive swagger, the final flourish of which is the controlled slamming of the gates between the two countries.

Applause and cheers follow the two flag parties as they march rabidly back towards their respective arches.

Michel Palin - Himalaya

Leaving Bhubaneswar was surprisingly emotional.  I don’t know why I was surprised; after all, I spent nearly four months there.  I think it was a combination of saying goodbye to people I’ve grown to care about -- whom I may never see again -- and the normal anxiety that comes with embarking on something new.  I’ve definitely had a few “Why am I doing this (traveling) again?” moments, but I’m riding them out.

Tanushree and Sabita accompanied me to the airport, and we had a tearful goodbye.  I flew to Delhi and met up with Anna, and on Friday morning we took the train up to Amritsar.  It was my first train ride in India, so I was very glad to be going with a friend who's done it before.  There are what seem like a zillion different "classes" on the trains, and even though I've read about them (more than once), I can't seem to get my head around the whole thing yet.  Anyway, the ride was very easy and even included breakfast, coffee, and a juice box!  

We arrived in Amritsar, dropped off our stuff at our hotel, and headed over to the bus station, so I could get a ticket for my trip to McLeod Ganj on Sunday.  Turns out there's only one bus per day to McLeod Ganj, tickets aren't sold in advance, and although the station was actually quite nice by Indian standards, I felt the sense of confusion to which I've become accustomed in India.  Still, it was good to go there as a dry run for Sunday.

We made our way over to the Golden Temple, the Sikh mecca of the world.  It was quite chaotic (shocker!), but we managed to check our shoes downstairs and then make our way over to the entrance.  The temple is located in the center of a huge marble square, and it's just beautiful.  Unfortunately it was also wicked hot, so there were jute rugs covering the too-hot marble, and we ran from one to the next and made our way around the square.  Many temples in India don't allow people of other faiths inside, but thankfully this wasn't one of them.  It was beautiful inside.  One of the things my photos and words can't capture is the sounds: There's someone chanting in the temple 24 hours a day, and it's broadcast on speakers throughout the temple complex, so there's no escaping it.  From outside it wasn't bothersome exactly, but once inside I appreciated the difference of hearing a live voice vs. a tinny one over a loudspeaker.  We hung out long enough to watch the sunset, and the temple looked different as the light changed -- just spectacular.  I'd read that the Golden Temple is something not to be missed in India, and it didn't disappoint.

The next day we went back to the temple and partook in the food offered by the temple.  They feed up to 40,000 people per day, and ask for no money!  It was quite an operation -- cleaning trays at breakneck speed, herding people in and out of the dining hall in huge groups.  The food was very simple and we sat on the floor, but it was very cool to experience it.

Next we hired a car and driver to go to the daily India/Pakistan border ceremony.  Our driver was a real character, but he definitely knew what he was doing and maneuvered the car through insane traffic without a scratch.  We were at the front of the crowd to get into the ceremony grounds, but once the entrance was opened all hell broke loose.  By the time we got to the stadium it was full -- we have no idea how so many people got ahead of us.  Thankfully a white girl saw us and clued us into a special entrance and seating area for foreigners.  I'm not clear on why this exists, but I wasn't about to argue; we had pretty primo seats, closer to the ceremony than the rest of the crowd.  We could see over to the Pakistan side: Men and women were seated separately, and the women's section was fairly empty.  Each side sang cheers of national pride, and while the Indians were much more exuberant, the Pakistanis did their share of dancing and celebrating. 

The ceremony itself consists of the border gate being opened for about 20 minutes, to symbolize the relationship (not sure what the right word to describe it is -- friendly? cordial? diplomatic?) between the two sides.  Soldiers from each side march and stamp their feet, in an attempt to display aggression without using a weapon or harming each other in any way.  (A friend just clued me into a documentary by Michael Palin -- of Monty Hall fame -- that includes footage of the ceremony.  If you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeSX6AZ5xEI.)  At the end, each country symbolically lowers its flag on a slanted rope, so that the flags cross one another.  The crowd went mad. 

We drove back to Amritsar, had dinner, and collapsed in our air-conditioned hotel room.  Anna took a super early train back to Delhi, and I headed over to the bus station to head to McLeod Ganj.  Amritsar was too hot (quite a shock, I'm sure, if you've read my previous blog entries), but I'm very glad I saw it.  And Anna and I are easy travel companions and can talk for hours, so that part was fun.  Next stop: The Himalayas!

The Golden Temple at Amritar was absolutely brilliant. 

As far as temples go, it wasn’t the most impressive.  Beautiful and grand, but on its own it wouldn’t have been the most memorable place I visited in India.

What made visiting the Golden Temple so memorable were the experiences I had during my short stay. 

I slept in one of the large dormitory blocks set aside for Sikh pilgrims and ate in the large communal dining halls for those same pilgrims.  ALL FOR FREE.  Of course I made donations to the dorm and to the kitchen, but the whole concept of free food and lodgings for all, not just Sikhs, was such a back-flip from the rest of my experiences in India.

The whole idea for the free bed and unlimited meals is that Sikhs believe that all people are equal regardless of caste, creed, religion, or nationality.  This is celebrated through the communal meals and lodgings.  All were welcome.

The dining hall on its own was an unforgettable experience.  Leaving my shoes outside of the temple complex and covering my head with a shawl (as all visitors to the temple were asked to do) I joined the throngs of people receiving their stainless steel thali plates, bowls, and spoons before heading to one of the two huge communal halls. 

The hall had no furniture, just long rows of burlap placed on the floor for the pilgrims to sit on.  There must have been over a hundred people there when I took my place on the floor and I soon realized that I was the only foreigner present.  But many just gave me welcoming smiles and I really felt like these Sikhs really practiced what their beliefs preached.  I wasn’t in Delhi anymore.

Men moved up and down the rows with large buckets of dhal slopping giant spoonfuls on each plate.  Seconds and thirds were given to any who asked.  Then the boys with the baskets full of fresh chapattis made their rounds as well as men with pails of filtered drinking water to fill our bowls. 

For free food made in massive quantities, it was surprisingly good.

I found out that chai tastes the best when you’re sitting on the floor drinking it from a bowl with about a hundred smiling pilgrims.

This is really a top 10 site. White marmer, water and a temple covered with gold. Add the people in the most colourful sari's and turbans and you've got one of the most beautiful sites in the world.

This place is really away from all the hussle. Though just a short Rickshaw ride away from the Golden temple

I arrived in Amritsar late on Saturday night - the train journey from Delhi wasn't too bad, but I prefer to take a sleeper class train - it's hard work sitting in chair for 6 hours with the family from hell kicking the back of your chair, spilling ice cream all over you etc lol.

Getting to the Golden Temple is a 20 rupee (cycle rickshaw) trip away, and I decided to stay in one of the Gudwaras - it's free and they accept donations for up to three nights. All I can say is WOW! What a set up! The Temple comlex itself is so beautiful - dazzling in the sunlight, bewitching in the moonlight, and open 24 hours a day. The kitchen is operated by volunteers round the clock, providing free food to the temple goers all day and night also.

On Sunday I spent more time there, looking around, the museum is really interesting. I had a walk around some parts of Amritsar but didn't go too far as I arranged to go the the Pakistan Border for the closing of the gates at 3.30pm.

A group of us took a private bus to the border to watch the closing of the gate spectacle - it was amazing (slightly humerous). What a wonderful atmosphere from both sides of the border - and from the military (both the Indian and Pakistan army). We got back about 8pm, when I went on operation Holy Water - basically involving a request from a firiend in UK to bring back holy water for her. So I spent an hour queing to get into the Golden Temple to collect the water, make a prayer and a wish, and get back in time to make my way to the train station to catch the 11.30pm train to Jammu :)

This border is between Pakistan and India. A ceremony happens every day when the flags of both the nations are lowered in the evening time. This is very special and it happens in only this place across India Pakistan border.    

1. Puri
2. Lassi

The Puri is made from Maida and spices. The dough is flattened and it is oil fried. The taste is unique to Amritsar.

Amritsar Lassi is really filling. It is a from of sweetened buttermilk.

Hot water bottles on arrival were a wonderful welcome. The 3 rooms occupied by our group were colourfully fitted out, with not too comfortable beds and lukewarm water (despite the geyser). The guesthouse itself is on the older side which meant you could feel the cold somewhat (thank god for those water bottles). There is a children's playground and nice grassy areas for camping. Breakfast was outside in the sun with an ingenious ordering system: simply tick off your preferred dishes (eggs, toast, fruit, coffee) on a pre-printed stack of paper menus. It certainly avoided much of the confusion that can arise with ordering food when language is a barrier! I can't comment on how this compares with other accommodation in Amritsar; on the pricier side for India but probably good value and nicely tucked away from the hussle of the main streets.

Dallying in dial-up Dalhousie

8^th September. It is rather like Sidmouth, in the hills - only more sedate. No young travellers, rather retired brigadiers. No broadband, only dial -up, hence this entry comes from Amritsar. It is beautifully situated, 6000ft up, and retains some Raj era qualities. Pre -war hotels, like ours, Aroma n' Claire (!!!), genteelly shabby, but with fantastic views, friendly staff, and crested dinner plates. The hotel decoration was very varied, and included a "Treasures of Lancashire" teatowel. A pedestrian mall links the two parts of the town. There are upmarket boarding schools. Dalhousie Hill Top aspires to"Unity and Discipline" and "Leaders in the Making." Dalhousie Public School (DPS to those in the know, and more prestigious) is "In Pursuit of Excellence". It advertises the Indian equivalent of the CCF, and provides the local road safety reminders. The Sacred Heart Catholic Church is at one end of town (Mass 10.00am every Sunday) and the Anglican (well, Church of North India) St Andrew's at the other. Sunday morning service, 9.30. The English cemetery is overgrown and in the middle. The army cantonment proclaims it was founded in 1867.

We went for some drives through stunning hill country, with distant views of snowy mountains. The Pir Pinjal and Mount Kailash. The latter has a September pilgrimage including a 35km trek from the roadhead. We saw many barefoot sadhus making their way there, and young men on motor bikes with yellow flags, signifying pilgrimage, returning already. There are villages on every hillside, growing maize at the higher levels and rice lower down. Clearly some villages are several hours walk from a road.

We drove to the remote town of Chamba with its ancient temples. We went to Kalatop Nature Reserve, where our 3km walk through the woods failed to give us glimpses of black bear or barking deer - the park's signature animals. But we did find 6 cows.

So Dalhousie was a delightful place to rest up before the rigours of busy, hot Amritsar. Just as well, as the taxi journey to Amritsar involved two near misses and one VERY near miss - and ours was a good driver.

Amazing Amritsar

We celebrated Mike's birthday on the 9th, with 2 bottles of beer at dinner. First beer for 3 weeks - amazing!!

Then on 10th, we set out after breakfast for the Golden Temple. We braved a cycle rickshaw through the extremely busy city. We're frighteningly close to the traffic, vulnerable on this little bench seat. Mixed feelings as this guy toiled along with us behind, but it's a common form of transport here, and he gets a good tip from us...

The Golden Temple is in a maze of streets in the old city. We deposit our shoes, cover our heads, wash our feet, and walk in barefooted with hundreds of worshippers. Words are not enough. This golden edifice, the Harmandir, shimmers in the middle of the sacred lake, the Amrit Sarvar - Pool of immortality-giving nectar. The lake is surrounded by a huge marble walkway and colonnade. Men bathe in the pool, the sacred book is continually chanted and relayed over (Bose) loudspeakers. We queued on the causeway to enter the Harmandir. Despite the crowds, it was serene inside, as the sikh pilgrims bowed and prostrated before the Adi Granth, the original holy book. We found the stairs that led to the roof and surveyed the throngs. Many families, many young men in groups, many portly men, a sort of joyful reverence around. A few men in deep blue robes and saffron turbans - Nihangs - devotees of the 10th Guru, Gobind Singh, walked around. The Museum recounted the bloody history of the siks, under the Moghuls, the British and Indira Gandhi.

We left after about 3 hours, retrieved our shoes (very efficiently) and had a drink and went to Jallianwalla Bagh, site of the infamous 1919 Amritsar Massacre. It's now a memorial park with the dreadful event pointed up to support the narrative of the Indian independence struggle.

In the evening we returned to the Golden Temple. A storm had cleared the air, and it was fresh and pleasant. Again throngs headed in the same direction to be there at the time the holy book was "put to bed." Hundreds, if not thousands, were ready to sleep on mats in the colonnades, or even at the pool side. The Harmandir glistened and sparkled under the lights. The huge kitchen was still feeding hundeds of pilgrims with dal soup and chapattis. Around 10.15 they prepared the gold palanquin and took it over the causeway to collect the book. A loud large curved horn announced its arrival back on dry land, and the book was carried up to its nightly resting place. Once again, despite the crowds, there was a feeling of serenity, calm, reverence and belief.

We drove home through streets lined with sleeping people.

11 August. In the morning, we wandered through Ram Bagh, to a museum the summer palace of Ranjit Singh, the "One eyed lion of the Punjab" and the last ruler before the Brits took over in the mid 19th century. He had the Koh-i-nor before we took it for Queen Vic. Huge bats hung from the trees, and a group of girls came to do family washing in the dribbly fountain.

Then in the afternoon, off in a shared jeep to Wagah, the border with Pakistan for the Closing of the Gates ceremony. We had seen it on UK television (Michael Palin??). Nevertheless, in the flesh, what a spectacle! Thousands of Indians in stands this side of the border, being led by a cheerleader in nationalist chants. A 100 yds away, seemingly slightly fewer Pakistanis responded in kind. Zindabad Hindustan...Zindabad Pakistan..

Imperious soldiers on both sides, given added height by huge cockades, several times quick marched to the gates, stomped at each other, and then appeared to do a Cleese silly walk before quick marching back again. At precisely 6.30 the 2 countries flags were lowered in unison, and the border gated clanged shut. We all stood and cheered. The soldiers were incredibly smart and were carefully orchestrated. But overall, it was a carnival. Women and men - separately - had danced in the road. Youngsters had run up to the gate with Indian flags. the crowd had chanted and raised arms to the cheerleader's calls. Good naturedly the crowd dispersed through touts selling postcards and dvds, to buses, autorickshaws, taxis and cars for the dash back to Amritsar.

Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple, (on account of its scenic beauty and golden coating for English speaking world), is named after Hari(God) the temple of God. The Sikhs all over the world, daily wish to pay visit to Sri Amritsar and to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib in their Ardas. Guru Arjan Sahib, the Fifth Nanak, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Earlier the planning to excavate the holy tank (Amritsar or Amrit Sarovar ) was chalked out by Guru Amardas Sahib, the Third Nanak, but it was executed by Guru Ramdas Sahib under the supervision of Baba Budha ji. The land for the site was acquired by the earlier Guru Sahibs on payment or free of cost from the Zamindars (landlords) of native villages. The plan to establish a town settlement was also made. Therefore, the construction work on the Sarovar(the tank) and the town started simultaneously in 1570. The work on both projects completed in 1577 A.D. Guru Arjan Sahib got its foundation laid by a muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir ji of Lahore on 1st of Magh, 1645 Bikrmi Samvat(December,1588). The construction work was directly supervised by Guru Arjan Sahib himself and he was assisted by the prominent Sikh personalities like Baba Budha ji, Bhai Gurdas ji, Bhai Sahlo ji and many other devoted Sikhs. Unlike erecting the structure on the higher level(a tradition in Hindu Temple architecture), Guru Arjan Sahib got it built on the lower level and unlike Hindu Temples having only one gate for the entrance and exit, Guru Sahib got it open from four sides. Thus he created a symbol of new faith, Sikhism. Guru Sahib made it accessible to every person without any distinction of Caste, creed, sex and religion. The building work completed in 1601 A.D. on Bhadoon Sudi 1st, 1661 Bikrmi Samvat (August/September,1604). Guru Arjan Sahib installed newly created Guru Granth Sahib, in Sri Harmandir Sahib and appointed Baba Budha ji as its first Granthi i.e. the reader of Guru Granth Sahib. After this event it attained the status of ‘Ath Sath Tirath’. Now the Sikh Nation had their own Tirath, a pilgrimage center Sri Harmandir Sahib, is built on a 67ft. square platform in the centre of the Sarovar(tank). The temple itself is 40.5ft. square. It has a door each on the East, West, North and South. The Darshani Deori (an arch) stands at the shore end of the causeway. The door frame of the arch is about 10ft in height and 8ft 6inches in breath. The door panes are decorated with artistic style. It opens on to the causeway or bridge that leads to the main building of Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is 202 feet in length and 21 feet in width. The bridge is connected with the 13 feet wide ‘Pardakshna’ (circumambulatory path). It runs round the main shrine and it leads to the ‘Har ki Paure’ (steps of God). On the first floor of ‘Har ki Paure’, there is continuous reading of Guru Granth Sahib. The main structure of Sri Harmandir Sahib, functionally as well as technically is a three-storied one. The front, which faces the bridge, is decorated with repeated cusped arches and the roof of the first floor is at the height of the 26 feet and 9 inches. At the top of the first floor 4 feet high parapet rises on all the sides which has also four ‘Mamtees’ on the four corners and exactly on the top of the central hall of the main sanctuary rises the third story. It is a small square room and have three gates. A regular recitation of Guru Granth Sahib is also held there. On the top of this room stands the low fluted ‘Gumbaz’(dome) having lotus petal motif in relief at the base inverted lotus at the top which supports the ‘Kalash’ having a beautiful ‘Chhatri’ at the end. Its architecture represents a unique harmony between the Muslims and the Hindus way of construction work and this is considered the best architectural specimens of the world. It is often quoted that this architecture has created an independent Sikh school of architecture in the history of art in India.

We arrived quite late in Amritsar and slipped gratefully into our waiting beds (with hot water bottles) at Mrs Bhandari’s Guesthouse. (I might add here that I was now officially on my boyfriend’s family holiday, staying, for the most part, in places with character – a fair cut above the backpacker digs we would normally stay in).

Amritsar is well known for being home to the Golden Temple, a holy Sikh shrine, and it was here I started to learn a lot more about this religion. We caught cycle rickshaws to the temple, a good way to see the city, which is less chaotic than its bigger counterparts. At the temple, we took off our shoes and covered our heads with scarves (Anton got away with a bucket hat), before walking through the cleansing shallow water to enter the temple. The Golden Temple itself is in the middle of a large pool, surrounded by marble building and walkway, and we made our way slowly clockwise around it. All day, priests chant and sing Sikh hymns inside the temple (they take it in shifts) and this is projected across the water. There was also a talk being held on the side, so we sat down in the sun and listened, of course not understanding a word.

One prevalent aspect of Sikh religion is their non-belief in the caste system that is so entrenched in Hindu society. A practical experience of this was had in their massive communal kitchen hall (I believe there are two), where anyone and everyone can eat lunch sitting next to each other on the floor. We were guided past volunteers to collect our plates, spoon and cup, then ushered into the hall and sat down on thin hessian strips on the floor in long rows. More volunteers came by spooning dal, pickled veg, excellent chapati and water for drinking. The chapati man hovered around to dole out seconds; we noticed one rather ragged looking fellow collect several chapatis which he stashed in his bag. I remember thinking what a good system this could be for feeding homeless people, if only people could be so committed to something other than religion...

Once finished and everyone exited the hall, they used a giant rubber-edged mop to clean away any curry or water on the floor ready for the next session. Outside there were more volunteers collecting the dirty plates and washing them by hand. We saw more people peeling vegies and decided to join in, so for the next 30 minutes, Anton and I shelled peas (I didn’t want to tackle the ginger or anything involving a knife for fear of revealing my dependence on good potato peelers). It was meditative, and there was an atmosphere of approval and acceptance although no one spoke to me (later, a young man started a conversation in English and told me we were setting a good example for others).

Then we had to leave, because we wanted to drive out to the India-Pakistan border to watch the border closing ceremony. What a spectacle – it was like being at a sporting event. There was an MC who revved up the crowd – he would shout “Hindustan!” and the crowd would respond “Zindabad!” which meant “long live India” or similar. The Pakistani side was noticeably more subdued, but we realised it was a Muslim festival day (Bakr Id – where they slaughter goats). Eventually, the Indian guards, dressed in khaki with perky red fan-like headpieces (matching the Pakistani’s black ones), took their turns marching up to the gate and doing a “march-off” with the Pakistani guards. Their movements were totally exaggerated and almost ridiculous, and we agreed that there had to be some choreography between the two countries. The flags were lowered at the same time, then carried ceremoniously to its nightly resting place, and that was the end of it.

After a nice, but particularly oily dinner in a Punjabi restaurant that apparently wasn’t really Punjabi at all, we returned to the Golden Temple to see the Holy Book being put to bed. The music coming from the temple was more subdued, and accompanied by tablas, was almost reggae-like. I found it all very relaxing, until the book’s palanquin emerged, which caused a frenzy. It was laden with flower garlands and not one but three mattresses, then carried up the causeway to the temple, where it collected the book. People crowded around to touch or even just glimpse the book as it was carried back to the palace, where it its laid to rest every night. Quite an impressive ritual (which occurs daily) for a book!

I knew nothing about Amritsar and very little about Sikh religion before this, and took away lots - and I must say that the Golden Temple was the most peaceful religious place I have had the pleasure of visiting.

Definitely one of the highlights of our time in India, the Golden Temple was a great place to have visited. It's such a peaceful place, where you can really feel comfortable and unhassled; the place has a really spiritual feel.

The temple is the holiest shrine of Sikhism. You have to remove your shoes and cover your head. However, unlike some of the Hindu temples and the mosques which we've visited, they've laid a lovely smooth marble floor with nice carpets and matting to walk on, so it's a much more relaxing experience that the hot gravelly ground we've experienced in the past. There is continuous reading from the holy book, which is broadcast over speakers around the lake area. The golden temple in the lake is beatifully adorned. If you want to see the interior (which is more ornately detailed than the exterior) then you'll have to go for yourself, as photography is not allowed inside the inner temple.

In the evening we came back to the temple for food; as part of the Sikh religion they hand out food to anyone who turns up. We got some chapatis and dhal, and made a small contribution to the temple in return. We also visited the little museum, which contains a collection of paintings of Sikh heroism, with a good few pictures of people being cut in half, etc!

The town of Amritsar has more of a laidback feel than other places we've been in India. We've thoroughly enjoyed our time here; I'd recommend a visit to anyone coming to India, because you get to see another side of the country.