District- Amritsar, the Center of Sikhism

Amritsar is the largest and most important city in Punjab and is a major commercial, cultural, and transportation center. It is also the center of Sikhism and the site of the Sikhs' principal place of worship—the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple. Amritsar was founded by Sri Guru Ramdas ji, the fourth guru of the Sikhs in about 1574 A.D. Before the city was founded, the area was covered with thick forests and had several lakes. To start the city the Guru invited 52 traders from different sectors belongings to nearby places like Patti and Kasur to settle here. These families started the first 32 shops in the city which still stand in the street called Batisi Hatta (32 shops). The Guru himself shifted to live among them in the city which came to be called Ramdaspur and has been eulogised in the Guru Granth Sahib. The construction of Amrit Sarovar from which the city gets its present name was also stared by Sri Guru Ramdass. His successor, Sri Guru Arjan Dev, completed the project and located the Harmandir Sahib in its midst. Later, when Guru Arjan Dev completed the writing of Holy Granth sahib, a copy of Guru Granth Sahib was ceremonially installed in Harmandir Sahib. Baba Buddha Sahib was appointed the First Granthi. After the last Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Baba Banda Bahadur, a Sikh from Nanded came to Punjab and inflicted several crushing defeats on the imperial Mughal forces. This led to the rise of Sikh power and the rise of several “jathas or bands” called Misls. 12 Misls of the Sikh confederacy controlled Punjab and from time to time attempted to expand their territory and resources. 4 of these misls, namely; the Ahluwalia Misl, Ramgarhia Misl, Kanhiya Misl, and Bhangi Misl controlled Amritsar from time to time. Each of them contributed to the city of Amritsar. Before Maharaja Ranjit Singh, outer Amritsar was controlled by the Bhangi misl who built the Gobindgarh Fort. They were crushed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, early in his career. Part of Amritsar was controlled by The Khanhiya Misl with whom Maharaja Ranjit Singh formed a matrimonial alliance by marrying Jai Singh's infant granddaughter Mahtab Kaur when he was six years old himself.

The Ahluwalia Misl Controlled a large part of the city. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was its most prominent leader. He defeated Afgan Ahmad Shah Abdali in the battle of Amritsar in 1765. He was at one time the richest and the most powerful misaldars. The Misl built a fort in the city and had full control, till Maharaja Ranjit Singh forced them to accept his leadership.  The Ramgaria Misl controlled the rest of Amritsar and was the most powerful misls. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was the first to fortify the Amritsar, He surrounded the place with a Huge mud wall calling it Ram Navami or fort of God. It was attacked by the imperial Mughal forces but it was rebuilt by Jassa Singh who renamed the place Ramgarh from which his misl took its name Ramgarhia. He was the ferocious military leader and even accepted the red fort in New Delhi and made away with four guns and the endowment slab on which the Mughals were crowned and placed it within the Golden Temple Complex. During the Misal period Barracks, Bunga's, Forts, and Havelis were constructed as required around the Golden Temple for use of the Sikh Army. Maharaja Ranjit Singh brought all the Misls under his control and took over full control of Amritsar by 1802 A.D. It was who fortified the Gobind Garh Fort on the modern lines. He also built the Ram bag Palace and the garden of Mughal Lines and covered the Harmandir Sahib in Gold and made it look as we see it today. Maharaja Ranjit Singh also built a huge wall with 12 gates around the city of Amritsar. Only one gate “The Ram Bagh Gate” stands till day. 

The British took over Amritsar in 1840 A.D. The years under British rule saw the demolition of the outer walls of the city and rebuilding of gates, the construction of the Town Hall from where they administered the city of Amritsar. The British also renamed the Ram Bagh Garden Company Bagh. The current building of the Railway Station, the post office, and the Saragarhi Gurdwara Memorial were all erected during the British era. The best example of Indo-British architecture, however, is the Khalsa College, designed by the famous architect Ram Singh, a resident of Cheel Mandi, Amritsar. His works include the Darbar Hall of Queen Victoria at Osborne House, UK the Darbar Hall of Mysore and Kapurthala, Chiefs College at Lahore, and several other outstanding examples of Indo-British Architecture. He was the pioneer in taking the exquisite Pinjara Woodwork and wooden carvings of Amritsar and making them popular all over the world. The Heritage Walk showcases some exquisite woodwork and traditional architecture. The city is the cultural capital of Punjab today.

The city of Amritsar a dazzling showcase of composite culture and secular heritage. It has a proud past, a glorious present and a promising future. This most important city of Majha has rightly been called the mukut-mani (Jewel of the crown)of Punjab. A rich repository of spiritual and national heritage, it has been hailed as the home of all virtues’(sifti da ghar). While praying, every devout Sikh longs to be blessed with a pilgrimage to Amritsar and a holy bath at the Golden Temple (Amritsar ke darshan isnan). A visit to Amritsar is believed to wash off all the sins. A focal point of the Sikh faith, a pivot of Punjab politics, a gateway to the Middle East, a nursery of defense pool, and an alert sentinel at the Indo-Pak border, Amritsar is the place where the first Sikh Army was raised by the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind. The city saw the fierce onslaughts of the invading armies of Ahmad Shah Abdali and a reckless carnage at the Jallianwala Bagh. An epicenter of the Kooka and Akali movements and a symbol of resistance against British tyranny, Amritsar had been a favorite place of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It was in Amritsar that the clarion call for the liberation of India sounded louder and clearer. In recent times, they have at regular intervals borne the brunt of Indo-Pak conflicts. The city is also known as the “Guru Nagri”. The city is considered the second most populous city in Punjab.

Amritsar is like a diamond with many facets. The essential spirit of the city is found not only in its gurudwaras & temples, mosques & churches, takias & khankahs but also in its theatres & galleries, parks & gardens, archives & libraries, art & architecture, museums & memorials, Havelis & forts, fairs & festivals, vibrant folk dances & scintillating taans, narrow lanes & winding alleys, parlors & boutiques, clubs & pubs, traditional bustling markets & lip-smacking cuisine. The most dominating asset, however, is its people who are friendly, God-fearing, hospitable, hard-working informal, robust, and with a tremendous zest for living. They are fond of good food, good dress, and all the external symbols of life.

Amritsar is the heart-beat of the Majha region which has provided Punjabi literature with its standard language. A launching pad of several renowned artists, authors, and poets, the city has been a home of the hand-loom and carpet industry for more than a century. The city is proud to have the second largest Milk plant in the country.

Amritsar is not just bhangra or giddha, Sarson ka saag and Makki ki roti, it is an attitude and a way of life, despite the modern winds blowing, the city still enshrines and exudes its essential cultural identity. Being the only land-route opening to Pakistan the city has become a favorite rendezvous of Track-II diplomacy.