Los Angeles, Feb. 28, 2008
Gary Singh,
Amritsar is known for its tourist and pilgrimage land mark, the
Golden Temple. We believed that as a place of religious devotion
it would be a smooth transition to the more bustle full and notoriously
noisy Indian cities.
Tourists are being Mugged every week, what a Disgrace. Amritsar
used to be one of the cleanest and most beautiful cities of India.
It was a well-planned city with gardens, orchards and drains all
around the walled city and proper places for the dumping of garbage.
The Govt. meant for providing civic amenities and maintenance
of law and order are hardly paying any attention towards the needs
of the citizens. Roadsides, lands, parks are being encroached
upon recklessly and municipal bye-laws exist only on paper.
The electrical and sanitary fittings are broken, polythene bags
and garbage are spread all over and wild grass growth is rampant.The
residents alleged that trolleys belonging to the corporation were
throwing garbage everyday in the area, instead of dumping the
garbage in the dumping ground. It is also said that the suspended
particulate matter (SPM) in Ludhiana is about 250 to 300 mg per
cubic metre and Amritsar it ranges from 350 to 400 mg per cubic
metre cube against the acceptable upper limit of 200 mg per cubic
metre.
The Golden Temple is the Sikh's most holy site and as soon as
you enter the compound you realise why. Entrance is through a
huge white marble pillared building/palace, into a massive 'courtyard'
of white marble walkways centred around a holy lake which surrounds
the Golden Temple. Such a contrast to the dirty city outside -
was a sensory delight walking barefoot (no shoes allowed, headscarves
needed) onto the clean, cool marble floors with a cool breeze
floating off the lake and the temple glowing gold against the
rising sun.
Voluntary service is an integral part of the Sikh religion. A
prominent aspect of this service is seen in Gurudwara kitchens,
where Sikhs serve food to all, removing destinations between caste,
colour or creed. Sikhs are not evangelical about their religion,
they let it talk for itself.
The golden temple feels special. Unlike the impersonal, cold
and dark cathedrals of Christianity that are more spooky than
spiritual, there is a celestial atmosphere, an aura of peace on
the Golden Temple; it's the sort of place God would chill out
in. Surrounding the Sarowar, the 'pool of nectar' is a marble
walkway. Pilgrims generally walk clockwise around it (although
this does not seem to be as rigid as with the Tibet circumbulation
of their stupas). In the central of the Sarowar is the Hari Mandir,
the Golden Temple itself. The bottom is constructed with inlaid
marble, whilst the top is covered with gold, reflected in the
pool below.
It was easy to find peace, sitting by the pool, staring at the
Hari Mandir, listening to the Kirtan.
Read Below:
No safety at ‘Sifti da Ghar’
Amritsar. February 25, 2008
By Dharmendra Rataul
ExpressIndia
A Mumbai-based couple, Daya Shankar and his wife Feroza, was
coming out of the Golden Temple after paying obeisance when they
were robbed of their cash and gold.
* February 2008: An NRI couple went out to dine at a local restaurant
after visiting the Golden Temple when miscreants tried to snatch
woman’s gold chain. She fell from the rickshaw and died.
* January 2008: When a Jalandhar-based family protested overcharging
at a parking lot at Dharam Singh Market, a group of goons thrashed
its men.
These unholy happenings have shocked the visitors to the Holy
City, which is anything but safe for thousands of tourists and
pilgrims.
So pathetic is the situation that taxi drivers, parking lot contractors,
beggars and anti-social elements do not miss an opportunity to
fleece the pilgrims. The Tourists’ Centre, to be developed
by the state government near Railway Station to provide information
on site-seeing in and around the city, is just a dirty make-shift
room, which doubles up as a public lavatory. There is no place
from where tourists can get help for hiring taxis or avail vital
information for tourist destinations.
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) local head Gunbir Singh
said the Golden Temple attracts more visitors than Taj Mahal daily.
“And then there is Jallianwala Bagh, Durgiana Temple, Ram
Tirath Temple and the much-loved Attari border post, where the
daily Retreat Ceremony, jointly by the Pakistan Rangers and Border
Security Force is a rare treat,” he said, adding that the
facilities for the tourists were zilch, and they often fall prey
to the touts of hoteliers.
Traffic congestion, absence of public transport and piles of
dirt and garbage in every nook and corner of the city make it
unwelcoming for the tourists, whose number had seen a surge following
the start of international flights from Rajasansi International
Airport.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach)
state convener Dr Sukhdev Singh said Amritsar should be developed
as a major tourist destination and tourism circuits linked with
Faridkot, Bathinda and Patiala, which have rich cultural heritage,
should be promoted. “But there seems no political will.
We had often taken up the matter of providing basic facilities
to the tourists with the government, but to no avail,” he
said.
He added that the district administration has also failed to
completely acquire the Gobindgarh Fort, which can be developed
as a major tourist attraction as it showcases the rich history
of the times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Dr Harkanwaljit Singh, a Guru Nanak Dev University professor
and member of Intach, narrating a story, said when he was travelling
to Delhi by a train recently, his co-passenger, a Korean who had
entered India through Attari, said he wanted to visit some tourists
places, but there was no information centre here. “He had
heard about the Golden Temple and even Jallianwala Bagh and had
one full day to spare for sight-seeing, but as there was no help,
he spent the day sitting at the railway platform and took an evening
train to Delhi,” he said.
However, the Tourism Police concept, an initiative by SSP Kunwar
Vijay Partap Singh, is the only redeeming factor. “The concept
is seen as a positive step,” said Gunbir Singh.
Amritsar DC KS Pannu said apart from the Tourism Police, they
had various other projects in mind, which would see light of the
day as soon as funds were released. “The state government
is serious about making the Holy City a major tourist destination,”
he said.
