Amritsar Gateway

"All places I have seen .......... none can compare to thee."
-Guru Arjan Dev Ji (5th Guru of the Sikhs)

Amritsar is the most sacred city for the world's 16 million Sikhs. It lies in the state of Punjab in North-west India. The city rests on a large, flat plain which reaches across into Pakistan to the north, where it rises into the Himalaya and Karakoram mountains.

The most striking image of Amritsar is its enormous pool, with the magnificent Harimandir Sahib - Golden Temple adorning its center. The name Amritsar itself, means "pool of nectar" and its waters are said to bring relief from illnesses to those who bathe in them (with complete faith and devotion)

Founded by Guru Ram Das Ji (4th Guru of the Sikhs), it was completed by his successor Guru Arjan Dev Ji during the 1570's. It was in 1803 that this town was incorporated into the dominion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The cultural, economic and political development of Amritsar was largely the work of this monarch who took great pains to make it the spiritual capital, as well as the main commercial and cultural center of his kingdom.

Amritsar has since undergone many changes and has been demolished and rebuilt several times. Today it still stands in all its replendant glory as the nucleus of the sikh faith.