An Outlet: Part 5

6 December, 2018.

So here we are, at the final destination.

We had a really long day but it was probably one of the best days!

We reached Amritsar station at 5:30 in the morning and it was very cold! My dad knew that our hotel wasn't that far from the station which is why he got pissed at the rickshaw guy when he quoted us almost 100 times the actual price. I get that it was way too early in the morning and people do tend to hike their prices at that hour but it shouldn't be this unreasonable. It was almost like he was robbing us.

After much bargain, we came to an understanding and took the rick. Since it was still dark, I wasn't able to see that well. But I could realise that the area looked less city-like than Delhi or my city. Everything was extra quiet and obviously the air was super chilly. We reached the hotel and were greeted by an almost non-lit lobby. Maybe it's because I've never checked into a hotel this early in the morning but I didn't think hotels ever shut their lobby lights.

The hotel hadn't reserved a room for us inspite of prior notice so we had to wait for quite some time to get ourselves one. I took a round of their lobby and understood how much of a role lighting plays in changing the whole vibe of a room. They did have fancy lion statues and gold ornaments kept here and there but I'm sure everything would've looked so much more regal had I entered the place at a normal hour with all the lighting switched on.

Ultimately they provided us with one room and promised to give us another one as soon as the regular check in/check out begins. This is supposed to be a 4-5 star hotel but the rooms were very disatisfactory, especially when compared to our rooms at Agra.

The four of us took our turns with the shower and got ready for the day. I had decided to wear traditional clothes today because we were going to visit the Golden Temple and it's a must for women to wear a dupatta over their heads at all times inside the premises. By 8:30AM, we left to visit the temple, which was walking distance from our hotel. I was correct, the vibe in Amritsar is totally different than any place I have visited.

On our way to the temple, we came across the really well built Heritage Street which leads to the Golden Temple. It felt really nice walking through that area, especially because no vehicles were allowed beyond that point, even if the road was wide enough for a two way traffic. What I found really interesting about the area was that the sign board for each shop/restaurant/hotel/cafe was written in the same exact aesthetic way, even if it was a well known brand like Cafe Coffee Day. The uniformity was visually pleasing.

We reached the Golden Temple and my goodness the entire place looks so serene and holy! I felt a sense of peace as soon as I entered the area. The Golden Temple situated in the middle of the lake itself looks so beautiful! There was a queue to enter the temple so we had to wait for a long long time to enter. The inner work is intricate and beautiful too! We saw the other buildings and rituals taking place around the Golden Temple and it felt nice seeing all of it. I definitely recommend to visit this place, whether you believe in religion or not.

We had brunch at this local dhaba near the temple premises and had some really good food (mostly chole) there. Then we searched for the ice tea guy that Kristen had strongly recommended to have.

After that we walked back towards the Jallianwala Bagh that comes on the way to go to the Golden Temple. Out of all incidents that I had read in our school history text books, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre had shook me the most. So I was dreading entering the place. It is now a very well maintained garden/memorial but knowing how mercilessly people were murdered there, the place definitely gave me the chills. Especially that well.

They still had a couple of bullet marks maintained on some structures. There were grass cut in the shape of the rifle shooters which I found creepy/cool.