No one knows what is in store for us; it proved to be true when one of my friends called me up in the morning and asked me to get ready by the evening. She along with some others planned a small trip to Amritsar. I was so overwhelmed because my long cherished dream of visiting the Golden Temple would come true. I always planned to go there but I could move far from planning. I was really happy that it happened so suddenly and really it was worth visiting.
We were a group of five people. Since it was sudden trip, we travelled by road. The journey itself was so fun and exciting that we didn’t realized how easily we passed several hours. Starting our journey from Delhi, we reached Amritsar at night. We relished the food of a roadside dhaba on our way. It was a little difficult to find a good hotel as it was already late and none of us had ever visited the place. Most of the hotel rooms being full, we finally got a hotel of our budget. As the Manager of the hotel became aware of the reason behind our trip, he suggested us to visit the temple early in the morning to avoid the rush.
The next morning, when we wake up, it was already 10 am, that means we were late. Since we were going to spend the day in the vicinity of the temple, it was not a matter of concern for us. We reached the temple around 11 am and were surprised to see the massive crowd. It was full of people from various parts of India and other countries as well. The Hotel Manger actually gave us a good suggestion. We deposited our shoes in the allotted area and reached the entrance of the temple. It is mandatory to cover your head and wash your feet in a small pool of water in front of the entry gate. I just could not believe my eyes, I was standing in the place which I was so long been dreaming. Felt so blessed to be there. The Golden Temple really gives a mesmerizing effect; the structure is so beautiful which is a sight to behold.
The next thing was to go inside the temple. The long queue gave us an idea that we have to wait for hours to reach the temple inside. Almost after standing in the queue for three hours or so, we finally reached inside. The crowd was good and there were several people who offer you water while you were standing in the long lines. The intricate designs in the interiors and exteriors are too good. It was a totally different kind of feeling when I entered the temple. Due to the large crowd, we could not spend much time inside the temple. But I was feeling peace of mind. Spending some time sitting on the area, three of us took the holy bath and ate the Prasad.
Since we were all hungry, we decided to eat our lunch though it was already late. Then we decided to visit the Jallianwala Bagh in a rickshaw ride. It took only a few minute to reach the place. It also attracts a lot of people from the entire world as it stands witness of a bad history of India. Lots of people died in the massacre. Now it has beautiful garden, museums, the well which turned to be the martyrs’ well and other things. After doing some shopping in the nearby market area, we again reached the temple. This time to experience the total golden view of the temple which reflects in the water as well. I could not explain in words how beautiful it looks. I was unable to move my eyes from the glittering view of the temple. Finally, we came back to the hotel and left the city early in the morning. The moments I spend in the Golden Temple, I am still cherishing it. If you have not visited the place, do visit it at least once. You will definitely love and enjoy it. It is not that too far from Delhi and will be a topping to your Delhi trip.
