AMRITSAR

Apart frombeing the home of the world's largest Gurudwara (the Golden Temple), Amritsar is also known for its Sikh history and culture. Amritsar was founded by the 4th Sikh Guru - Guru Ram Das and in the earlier days, it was called as Rāmdāspur. A visit to Amritsar would be incomplete if you don’t stop at the local shops selling hot, fresh and rich versions of some of the mouth wateringcuisines like the famous stuffed paranthas topped with extra butter, popular vegetable cuisine called ‘Sarson da saag’ served with ‘makki di roti’, delicious desserts like Jalebi&Halwa. The food journey in Amritsar is incomplete without the traditional drink called ‘Lassi’. It is made of yogurt, water, sugar and sometimes flavored with saffron or cumin. It is the traditional welcome drink of Punjab. The most popular festival celebrated in Amritsar is Baisakhi which is celebrated on 13th or 14th April every year. This historical festival is celebrated mainly for 2 reasons; first it reminds the people of the devotion &dedication of 10th Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singh, who had conferred the title of ‘Singh’ to 5 of his most beloved disciples. The other reason is that the fields are harvested during this month and the farmers celebrates this occasion with ‘Bhangra’ dance and folk music. Other important festivals celebrated in this city are BasantPanchami at Chheharta Sahib, Guru Purab, HolaMohalla& Ram Tirath Fair.