TRAVEL DIARY - CHANDIGARH & AMRITSAR
I was eagerly awaiting the Thursday morning for the long pending Chandigarh - Amritsar trip. The Independance day long weekend and my parents presence in Delhi meant that I had to make the trip this time. I finalised the plans for Delhi - Kurukshetra - Chandigarh - Jalandhar - Amritsar - Wagah Border - Ludhiana - Delhi to be covered in a little over four days . I had the choice of either taking the Shatabdi from Delhi or renting a Car and preferred the later for the Time I would be saving and the ability to cover far more places.
We started off on the Thursday Morning around 7 am from Delhi in a Tata Indica and reached Kurukshetra by around 9.30 am .
KURUKSHETRA : One of the most Visited places in Haryana , the venue of the Mythical Mahabharata battle and Gitopadesha , Kurukshetra lies 150 Kms to the west of Delhi . Kurukshetra was the Venue for the 18 Day war between Pandavas & Kauravas which the former won .There is a friendly helpful Tourism office at the entrance where you can grab free pamplets of the places to visit there . If you drive ahead for around 6 Kms , you will reach "Jyotisar" the venue of Gitopadesha . A small temple has been constructed there and the Linga & tree there are supposed to be thousands of years old . 2 Kms Back on the Track is Bheeshma Kund , the place where Bheeshma had lain in a bed of arrows awaiting Dakshinayana . There is a Huge Hanuman statue (around 40 Feet) and a small pond ( According to Myth when Bheeshma asked for water to quench his thirst Arjuna shot an arrow on the ground and Ganga , the Mother of Bheeshma quenched his thirst ) . There is a nice Krishna Museum down the Road which has wonderful intricate paintings / Sculptures ( particularly from Orissa & Tamil Nadu ) . We then headed towards Chandigarh .
CHANDIGARH : Chandigarh (Its called City Beautiful) is located 245 Kms from Delhi & we reached there by around 4 pm . We directly headed to the Pinjore Gardens which is located 20 kms to the east of Chandigarh on the Shimla Highway . The Pinjore Gardens were constructed in the 17th Century by Fidai Khan ,foster brother of Aurangazeb and resembles a typical Moghul Garden . Its a seven layered garden with ample trees & fountains . We then headed back to the City and checked into to the Yatri Niwas Hotel ( a rather pricey one , a Double room + extra cot cost us around Rs.800 ) . We then headed to Sector -17 which is the upmarket area of Chandigarh . You get a feeling as if you are in Europe ( Though I have never been there!!), with huge shopping area and a sprawling chowk . For the South Indians Sec-17 offers couple of good restaurants viz . Sagar & Indian Coffee House , where you get some
nice Idlis , Dosas & Veg Thalis .
We started the next day with a visit to the Rose Garden . Its a sprwaling park with around 5000 varieties of Roses and is reputed to be one of the largest in Asia ( My thoughts went back to a Similar Rose Garden I had seen in Portland , Oregon a few years earlier ) . Its a nice place for Morning / evening walks and lies quite close to Sec-17. We then headed to the Rock Garden , the epitome of struggle & success of One man - Nek Chand . Nek Chand was a Road Inspector with the Govt in the 50's and had built a small garden with waste materials like broken Porcelian , Bangles , Sacks etc .It was about to be demolished in the 70's but good sense prevailed and now its renowned throughtout the World and Nek Chand gained International fame. Its an amazing place where you could see the Creative genius of a man with unbridled passion. We then Headed to the Sukhna lake where amidst the drizzle we went for paddle boating . Its a fairly huge lake and nice place to spend the evenings . Just down the road is the Vidhan Soudha & secretariat and we shot a couple of photos there before heading to Jalandhar .
Afterthoughts : Chandigarh is easily one of the most beautiful cities in India . A very well planned city ( by French Architect Le Corbusier) , its full of parks & greenery .
JALANDHAR : It lies 100 Kms to the west of Chandigarh . Its very famous for its Sporting goods ( Most of the Cricket Bats & other sporting gear are manufactured here ). "Basti Bawa Khel"is the sports market which lies 5 kms away from the city Centre. Since We were there on the I-Day most of the shops were closed and we just ended up spending the night in the city. Next morning we started for Amritsar .
AMRITSAR : Amritsar lies around 120 kms to the west of Jalandhar & is one of the Holiest places for Sikhs . The world Famous Golden Temple is situated here & so also the Jalian Waala Bagh memorial . We checked into a hotel right beside the Golden Temple . Words fail me in describing the beautry of the Golden temple . It lies majestically perched in the centre of the pond with the 1000 kg Gold roof shimmering in the Sun.You have to cover your head before entering the temple ( they provide free scarfs at the entrance or your handkarchief would do ) and wash your feet . The Golden Temple was constructed by the fourth Guru of Sikhs , Guru Ram Das who also founded the city of Amritsar . The inner sanctum is called the Har Mandir and there is a long queue to get into it . The Langar ( Sikh Kitchen) provides delicious free food inside the temple to thousands of devotees everyday .There is continuous recitation of Guru Granth Sahib and the holy text is housed here .Thousand of Sikhs take a holy dip in the pond everyday which is supposed to cure all
ailments.
There is also a Museum at the upper floor of the Clock tower which traces the Sikh history & the sacrfices / valour during the Mughal period. The paintings depict the gruesome horror inflicted on the sikhs by Mughals ( Mughals wanted the Sikhs to convert to Islam ) and the Martyrdom of Sikhs .
A five minute walk from the temple brings you to the Jaalian Waala Bagh Memorial . A peaceful crowd of indians had gathered in this Ground on April 13th , 1919. General Dyer ordered indiscrimnate shooting of the innocent crowd which left around 357 dead and 1500 injured .General Dyer died 8 years later from a fall & Micheal O'dwyer (The Lt. Governer) was assasinated by Udham Singh in London in 1940 . The Memorial contans a small photo gallery of the martyrs & a tall structure erected to commemorate their martyrdom . The walls still contain the bullet marks and this place definitely evokes a strong patriotism .
WAGAH BORDER : Wagah border is the only arterial Roadway Post which Connects India & Pakistan. It lies 30 kms to the West of Amritsar . Everyday the Indian & Pakistan troops involve in a Harmless Charade of patriotic act . The Flags are hoisted and downed at the Dawn & Dusk
on either side. There is a huge gallery constructed on either side of the Border where the Indian & paki crowds throng to watch this spectacle ( which has
become quite famous thanks to the Television ) . Patriotic Songs boom across the Speakers & the Indians enjoy a upper hand since their gallery can accomodate around 5000 people as against the 1000 capacity of the pakis .
LUDHIANA : We started for Ludhiana on Sunday Morning . Ludhiana lies on the NH-1 ( G.T.Road) on the way back to Delhi around 150 kms from Amritsar . Its the garment Capital of India , where you could get very good Shirts , T-Shirts , Trousers for throwaway prices ( I got T-shirts for Rs.60 , which would cost close to Rs.200-250 in metros). We spent a few hours shopping here and reached Delhi back on Sunday Night .
We had covered a Total Distance of 1200 kms and had thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
TRAVEL TIPS : The Ideal time to make this trip is September / October , post the monsoon season and just before the onset of Winter .If Travelled as a Group per head expenses would come to Rs.2500 . Make sure you carry a Road map of North India and a Travel Guide with you always.
I was eagerly awaiting the Thursday morning for the long pending Chandigarh - Amritsar trip. The Independance day long weekend and my parents presence in Delhi meant that I had to make the trip this time. I finalised the plans for Delhi - Kurukshetra - Chandigarh - Jalandhar - Amritsar - Wagah Border - Ludhiana - Delhi to be covered in a little over four days . I had the choice of either taking the Shatabdi from Delhi or renting a Car and preferred the later for the Time I would be saving and the ability to cover far more places.
We started off on the Thursday Morning around 7 am from Delhi in a Tata Indica and reached Kurukshetra by around 9.30 am .
KURUKSHETRA : One of the most Visited places in Haryana , the venue of the Mythical Mahabharata battle and Gitopadesha , Kurukshetra lies 150 Kms to the west of Delhi . Kurukshetra was the Venue for the 18 Day war between Pandavas & Kauravas which the former won .There is a friendly helpful Tourism office at the entrance where you can grab free pamplets of the places to visit there . If you drive ahead for around 6 Kms , you will reach "Jyotisar" the venue of Gitopadesha . A small temple has been constructed there and the Linga & tree there are supposed to be thousands of years old . 2 Kms Back on the Track is Bheeshma Kund , the place where Bheeshma had lain in a bed of arrows awaiting Dakshinayana . There is a Huge Hanuman statue (around 40 Feet) and a small pond ( According to Myth when Bheeshma asked for water to quench his thirst Arjuna shot an arrow on the ground and Ganga , the Mother of Bheeshma quenched his thirst ) . There is a nice Krishna Museum down the Road which has wonderful intricate paintings / Sculptures ( particularly from Orissa & Tamil Nadu ) . We then headed towards Chandigarh .
CHANDIGARH : Chandigarh (Its called City Beautiful) is located 245 Kms from Delhi & we reached there by around 4 pm . We directly headed to the Pinjore Gardens which is located 20 kms to the east of Chandigarh on the Shimla Highway . The Pinjore Gardens were constructed in the 17th Century by Fidai Khan ,foster brother of Aurangazeb and resembles a typical Moghul Garden . Its a seven layered garden with ample trees & fountains . We then headed back to the City and checked into to the Yatri Niwas Hotel ( a rather pricey one , a Double room + extra cot cost us around Rs.800 ) . We then headed to Sector -17 which is the upmarket area of Chandigarh . You get a feeling as if you are in Europe ( Though I have never been there!!), with huge shopping area and a sprawling chowk . For the South Indians Sec-17 offers couple of good restaurants viz . Sagar & Indian Coffee House , where you get some
nice Idlis , Dosas & Veg Thalis .
We started the next day with a visit to the Rose Garden . Its a sprwaling park with around 5000 varieties of Roses and is reputed to be one of the largest in Asia ( My thoughts went back to a Similar Rose Garden I had seen in Portland , Oregon a few years earlier ) . Its a nice place for Morning / evening walks and lies quite close to Sec-17. We then headed to the Rock Garden , the epitome of struggle & success of One man - Nek Chand . Nek Chand was a Road Inspector with the Govt in the 50's and had built a small garden with waste materials like broken Porcelian , Bangles , Sacks etc .It was about to be demolished in the 70's but good sense prevailed and now its renowned throughtout the World and Nek Chand gained International fame. Its an amazing place where you could see the Creative genius of a man with unbridled passion. We then Headed to the Sukhna lake where amidst the drizzle we went for paddle boating . Its a fairly huge lake and nice place to spend the evenings . Just down the road is the Vidhan Soudha & secretariat and we shot a couple of photos there before heading to Jalandhar .
Afterthoughts : Chandigarh is easily one of the most beautiful cities in India . A very well planned city ( by French Architect Le Corbusier) , its full of parks & greenery .
JALANDHAR : It lies 100 Kms to the west of Chandigarh . Its very famous for its Sporting goods ( Most of the Cricket Bats & other sporting gear are manufactured here ). "Basti Bawa Khel"is the sports market which lies 5 kms away from the city Centre. Since We were there on the I-Day most of the shops were closed and we just ended up spending the night in the city. Next morning we started for Amritsar .
AMRITSAR : Amritsar lies around 120 kms to the west of Jalandhar & is one of the Holiest places for Sikhs . The world Famous Golden Temple is situated here & so also the Jalian Waala Bagh memorial . We checked into a hotel right beside the Golden Temple . Words fail me in describing the beautry of the Golden temple . It lies majestically perched in the centre of the pond with the 1000 kg Gold roof shimmering in the Sun.You have to cover your head before entering the temple ( they provide free scarfs at the entrance or your handkarchief would do ) and wash your feet . The Golden Temple was constructed by the fourth Guru of Sikhs , Guru Ram Das who also founded the city of Amritsar . The inner sanctum is called the Har Mandir and there is a long queue to get into it . The Langar ( Sikh Kitchen) provides delicious free food inside the temple to thousands of devotees everyday .There is continuous recitation of Guru Granth Sahib and the holy text is housed here .Thousand of Sikhs take a holy dip in the pond everyday which is supposed to cure all
ailments.
There is also a Museum at the upper floor of the Clock tower which traces the Sikh history & the sacrfices / valour during the Mughal period. The paintings depict the gruesome horror inflicted on the sikhs by Mughals ( Mughals wanted the Sikhs to convert to Islam ) and the Martyrdom of Sikhs .
A five minute walk from the temple brings you to the Jaalian Waala Bagh Memorial . A peaceful crowd of indians had gathered in this Ground on April 13th , 1919. General Dyer ordered indiscrimnate shooting of the innocent crowd which left around 357 dead and 1500 injured .General Dyer died 8 years later from a fall & Micheal O'dwyer (The Lt. Governer) was assasinated by Udham Singh in London in 1940 . The Memorial contans a small photo gallery of the martyrs & a tall structure erected to commemorate their martyrdom . The walls still contain the bullet marks and this place definitely evokes a strong patriotism .
WAGAH BORDER : Wagah border is the only arterial Roadway Post which Connects India & Pakistan. It lies 30 kms to the West of Amritsar . Everyday the Indian & Pakistan troops involve in a Harmless Charade of patriotic act . The Flags are hoisted and downed at the Dawn & Dusk
on either side. There is a huge gallery constructed on either side of the Border where the Indian & paki crowds throng to watch this spectacle ( which has
become quite famous thanks to the Television ) . Patriotic Songs boom across the Speakers & the Indians enjoy a upper hand since their gallery can accomodate around 5000 people as against the 1000 capacity of the pakis .
LUDHIANA : We started for Ludhiana on Sunday Morning . Ludhiana lies on the NH-1 ( G.T.Road) on the way back to Delhi around 150 kms from Amritsar . Its the garment Capital of India , where you could get very good Shirts , T-Shirts , Trousers for throwaway prices ( I got T-shirts for Rs.60 , which would cost close to Rs.200-250 in metros). We spent a few hours shopping here and reached Delhi back on Sunday Night .
We had covered a Total Distance of 1200 kms and had thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
TRAVEL TIPS : The Ideal time to make this trip is September / October , post the monsoon season and just before the onset of Winter .If Travelled as a Group per head expenses would come to Rs.2500 . Make sure you carry a Road map of North India and a Travel Guide with you always.
posted by Cogito at
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
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