Me again-
So as I wrote, in May, Shoko, Sandip and I went to Amritsar in the state of Punjab. It was truly one of the coolest, and most touching things I have done in India. Amritsar is famous for a couple of things: the golden temple, the 1919 massacre, and the Wagah border. I'll take all in turn.
The Golden Temple
The Golden Temple is the holy pilgrimage site for Sikhs. Traditional Sikhs wear turbans on their heads, and it is a recognizable trait. Prime Minister of India is a Sikh. Anyway, the Golden Temple is an outer white square building, with an inner courtyard that contains the temple-with gold leaf decor. there is a large kind of moat, kind of pond in the middle. Several miracles happened in the water, including a leper who was cured. (The leper was a man, and was to marry a woman as punishment since the woman kept obstinately telling her father that it was God, not her father, who put food on the table). So many people come here to bathe in the water and to drink the water. Doesn't sound that unlike some Christian traditions, right?
Inside the Golden Temple we could not take pictures, but it was basically the holy men singing the chants echoing throughout the temple complex, as well as a man reading from the big gigantic holy book.
Finally, lots and lots of pilgrims means lots of food, lots of people sleeping there. You'll see some of what makes the food possible.
All in all, it is hard to capture the raw emotion, the sheer feeling of devotion that surrounded, and the echos, smells of food, clanging of plates, smell of water at places where people took a dip (like wet gym clothes that had sat for days). It was just breathtaking to be around such heightened sense of spirituality, genuine humanity. I cannot really put it into words.
Massacre site
Many of you may remember this from the movie Gandhi. It was when the British massacred a bunch of Indians who were gathered for a Sikh holiday. British guy claimed he was attacked (not true), and most likely massacre was a retaliation for story circulating about an innocent British teacher being killed.
The Wagah-Atarri Border
This is the coolest thing! Seriously. It is one of the few places where Pakistan-India border is opened. I guess back in the day it used to be this intense thing where there was a lot of hate on both sides. Now, it is a huge tourist attraction in which the crowds on both sides, as well as the border guards, try to out do each other. We get there, and both sides are blaring music, louder than each other, escalating. Then there are these random auntie flag runs. Then, there is an announcer on each side that just yell aahhhhh at the top of their lungs, seeing who can last longer. The side that wins, the crowd goes NUTS. Then, the border guards do this uber-marching fast toward each other to the border, have a high-kick off, and then stare at each other. There is a flag ceremony, then it all is done and border closed. So freaking cool.
We tried to take video, but it isn't that great. Look here for video clip from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0ue-XGl9c
Golden Temple at Night
So as I wrote, in May, Shoko, Sandip and I went to Amritsar in the state of Punjab. It was truly one of the coolest, and most touching things I have done in India. Amritsar is famous for a couple of things: the golden temple, the 1919 massacre, and the Wagah border. I'll take all in turn.
The Golden Temple
The Golden Temple is the holy pilgrimage site for Sikhs. Traditional Sikhs wear turbans on their heads, and it is a recognizable trait. Prime Minister of India is a Sikh. Anyway, the Golden Temple is an outer white square building, with an inner courtyard that contains the temple-with gold leaf decor. there is a large kind of moat, kind of pond in the middle. Several miracles happened in the water, including a leper who was cured. (The leper was a man, and was to marry a woman as punishment since the woman kept obstinately telling her father that it was God, not her father, who put food on the table). So many people come here to bathe in the water and to drink the water. Doesn't sound that unlike some Christian traditions, right?
Inside the Golden Temple we could not take pictures, but it was basically the holy men singing the chants echoing throughout the temple complex, as well as a man reading from the big gigantic holy book.
Finally, lots and lots of pilgrims means lots of food, lots of people sleeping there. You'll see some of what makes the food possible.
All in all, it is hard to capture the raw emotion, the sheer feeling of devotion that surrounded, and the echos, smells of food, clanging of plates, smell of water at places where people took a dip (like wet gym clothes that had sat for days). It was just breathtaking to be around such heightened sense of spirituality, genuine humanity. I cannot really put it into words.
Just outside the temple.
Sandip and Shoko getting ready for our tour of the Golden Temple
View of one of the four enclosing walls. And some pilgrims.
Golden Temple feeds at least 80,000 people a day. Totally volunteer force doing all the work from cooking, to serving, to cleaning. Amazing to watch people come together.
On a busy day, could be up to 1/2 a million people.
The line to get the food.
some pots and pans
Volunteers preparing some of the vegetables.
Man giving out bread
One of the many dining halls.
part of our behind the scenes tour of how the bread is made automatically. These are bags of flour.
These volunteers are standing in front of a gigantic mixing bowl.
Flour used to "dust" the machine so it is not sticky.
Dough comes out like this, then goes through 2 sets of rollers to make it flat.
This is the bread coming out of the oven at the end. There are ladies at the end of this line waiting to put bread in the basket. Thank you Henry Ford!
Shoko inside the dining hall.
Shoko and Sandip in front of the archway from the dining facilities back into the temple area. Notice people behind them stepping through water. It is to clean before entering.
Pilgrims circling the site. In background is the golden temple.
Through that white gate is the dining area to give a sense of where we are.
Volunteers cleaning dishes using black sand.
Shot of the temple and the moat/lake thing.
Another shot that shows a sense of the number of people.
Me and a guard with a big huge sword.
Us with our gracious tour guide and host at the Golden Temple.
Ok, not part of the Golden Temple, but it is a political poster. What is up with the weightlifters?
Massacre site
Many of you may remember this from the movie Gandhi. It was when the British massacred a bunch of Indians who were gathered for a Sikh holiday. British guy claimed he was attacked (not true), and most likely massacre was a retaliation for story circulating about an innocent British teacher being killed.
Literally the only alley in and out of the park in which the Indians sat. Literally they were sitting ducks and had no escape.
The lead up to the garden.
Shoko checking out the bullet holes on the wall on one edge of the park.
Houses on another edge of the park-showing how enclosed it really was.
Martyrs' well. People jumped down this to escape the bullets, and most of them died.
The Wagah-Atarri Border
This is the coolest thing! Seriously. It is one of the few places where Pakistan-India border is opened. I guess back in the day it used to be this intense thing where there was a lot of hate on both sides. Now, it is a huge tourist attraction in which the crowds on both sides, as well as the border guards, try to out do each other. We get there, and both sides are blaring music, louder than each other, escalating. Then there are these random auntie flag runs. Then, there is an announcer on each side that just yell aahhhhh at the top of their lungs, seeing who can last longer. The side that wins, the crowd goes NUTS. Then, the border guards do this uber-marching fast toward each other to the border, have a high-kick off, and then stare at each other. There is a flag ceremony, then it all is done and border closed. So freaking cool.
We tried to take video, but it isn't that great. Look here for video clip from YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0ue-XGl9c
Shoko at the border.
Auntie flag running. The main crowd is behind them, we are up close near the actual border.
Pre-show dance event
This guy did a flip (he is hard to see) and landed on his face. it was pretty bad-they sat him by us, and he was bleeding out his nose the entire time.
The women lead it off.
Here come some men.
The Indian is in tan, the Pakistani in black. They are basically doing a dance off This was totally a battle of marching, high kicks, and theatricals. Straight out of Zoolander.
And now the stare-off.
Open border.
We took this photo and BOLTED to beat the crowds.
Golden Temple at Night
Pretty.
This is the big chariot thing that the holy book gets transported in and out of the Golden Temple
The room in which the book "sleeps" at night.
The book coming to its bed at night.
Lots of people are sleeping there at night.
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