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We took the early morning train, the Shane Punjab from New Delhi to Amritsar departing 6:35 in the morning.
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Early morning departure for Amritsar
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Waiting for the train on a chilly morning
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All sorts of cargo go on the trains
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Snack vendor
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Golden Temple
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Amritsar is the home of the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s holiest shrine. We walked around the huge reflecting pool, observing and photographing the many pilgrims and worshipers. The temple sits in the middle of the sacred pool and is connected to the shore by a causeway. The marble temple, sheathed in gold, is reflected in the water and glows in the sun. All visitors to the temple must remove their shoes, wash their feet and wear a head covering.
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Ted with mandatory head covering
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Steely-eyed guard
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Man praying
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Soul-cleansing bath
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Young warrior Sikh
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Reading from Sikh holy book
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Newlywed
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Studying scriptures
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Crossing the causeway to the Golden Temple
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Determined to make it into the temple
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Visitor in pink
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Faces of faith
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Well-armed guard
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Many of the people that work at the temple, in the huge kitchens or preparing offerings of halwah sweets or working in the restrooms and hostel are volunteers, and they are very efficient and proud of their good works. The temple and grounds are open to all and are kept meticulously clean. |
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Kitchen volunteers handle the dishes
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Cleaning dishes in ashes
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When we got home and were going through our photographs, Ted noticed that one elderly gentleman looked very familiar...this is the same man he photographed at the Golden Temple 25 years ago! |
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1983
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2008
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When we weren’t at the Golden Temple, we were prowling the alleys and markets of the old city of Amritsar. The colorful displays of clothing, spices, fruits, vegetables, pickles and other goods, the lively preparations of street food and sweets and, finally, the incredible variety of shopkeepers and passers-by, kept our cameras busy. |
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The people we met were, without exception, good humored, friendly and glad to meet Americans. Many wanted to find out our names and where we were from and to please take a picture of them. There were very few panhandlers or high pressure sales tactics to buy anything. One very old man asked us to wait while he went into his house and came out with four tangerines for us; a vegetable vendor gave Anne a carrot (they are red, not orange, in India); we were invited to an elementary school principal’s home for tea; and one gentleman walked with us for almost a mile to show us a restaurant he recommended. These were just people we started talking to on the street. We were impressed by the people of Amritsar. |
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We would have enjoyed spending more time in Amritsar but we took our scheduled train back to Delhi. The Swarna Shatabdi Express, a fast and very comfortable luxury train, provided us with a several-course meal, bottled water and chai. |
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Dispensing with the silverware
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Delicious meal served aboard the train
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