Heritage walk around Amritsar

I slept well again. I woke up just before my 8.30am alarm. I had coffee and a banana for breakfast in my room, before venturing out to do a pre-booked heritage walk. The meeting point was outside the Partition Museum, where I was yesterday. The only other guest was a Canadian guy. I guess he was a similar age to me. He retired at 31 and takes four trips a year, four to six weeks at a time, all over the world. It's his first time in India. He only arrived a few days ago. We found a lot to talk about as we walked. Our guide was on time. He proved to be very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Amritsar. 

After a general introduction to the city, we had a choice between continuing with the history of the city and its links to and disputes with the British, or discovering more about the architecture and culture of Amritsar. We chose the latter. So, our guide took us through narrow lanes and hidden streets that we probably would never have ventured down alone. It was fascinating to see the different styles of architecture, everything from Indo-Saracen style to Art Deco and Greek influence. Sadly, almost all of Amritsar's heritage buildings are in a sorry state. Our guide told us that none of them have been renovated, nor are there any plans to renovate in the future. Not only are these beautiful buildings falling down, but they are also covered in a mass of electric and internet cables, making it very difficult to see their grandeur in detail. It was sad to see. As my Canadian companion commented, it's as if we were seeing the city 100 years too late!Read more