Mᴀɴᴍᴀʀᴢɪʏᴀᴀɴ | #RoadTripSeries ✓

c h a p t e r - t w e n t y t w o

Day - 17

The four hours journey which started in the early morning drove the squad to Amritsar. Aayrah was behind the steering wheel while Chirag got seated beside her. He showed her the way by reading the map as Aayrah said she doesn't want to hear Google auntie's voice. The first stop was the mesmerizing Golden temple. 

One of the most spiritual places in India, the Golden Temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, is the holiest shrine in all of Sikhism, also a symbol of human brotherhood and equality. Located right in the heart of Amritsar and is easily reachable from any part of the city. The stunning golden architecture of the temple and the daily Langar (community kitchen) attract a large number of visitors and devotees each day. The temple is open to devotees of all faiths and serves over 100,000 people free food from all walks of life.

The squad kept their belongings inside the car and made their way inside the temple by removing their shoes outside on stands. They already borrowed the scarves with them to cover their heads which is a sign of respect in the gurudwara. It is mandatory to cover your whole body so they all were dressed accordingly. It was the first time since the trip started that Aayrah wore a kurta suit and was covering her head with the chunni. She purposely brought one set along while leaving Mumbai as she already had plans to visit Golden temple if time permits and finally she was looking that spectacular temple in front of her eyes without blinking her eyes. The peaceful surroundings and the continuous chanting felt blissful as if all her worries have vanished into a thin air. The positivity surrounded her and she felt happier. Aayrah smiled and started walking from one side of Amrit Sarovar. The tank, Amrit Sarovar, surrounds the glistening central shrine. They were all walking silently looking in the surrounding, feeling mesmerized. There was no need for any words here.

They paid their respect by going inside the temple and sat beside the tank, Amrit Sarovar, cross-legged just looking around. It was about to get past noon when they finally thought of getting to their next stop which was Jalianwala Bagh.

Jallianwala Bagh is a historic garden and memorial of national importance, preserved in the memory of those wounded and killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre that occurred on the site on the festival of Baisakhi, 13 April 1919. It houses a museum, gallery and a number of memorial structures. It marks one of the major heinous political crimes committed by the Britishers during the twentieth century. The garden is stretched over an area of 7 acres, with walls covering all of its sides.

All of the four people scarred around that historic garden as they looked at the memorial. The signs of bullet were still in the walls and were marked. The well still having the water where many along with their children jumped to save themselves from burning bullets. Aayrah took a deep sigh as she remembered that exact incident from her history book. She remembered she got emotional when Ahana was reading and explained that very incident to her and now looking at this, in reality, seemed to be even tougher. She held her head low and got seated silently engrossed by so many thoughts as so many emotions surpassed her. She felt a lump inside her throat which she passed through and wiped her face with her dupatta. She still remembers Ahana reading her the chapter like it was yesterday...

On 13 April 1919, thousands of people were gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab. This day marks the beginning of New Year for the Sikhs and is also celebrated as Baisakhi all over Punjab. People travelled days to reach Punjab on this auspicious day to celebrate Baisakhi with their family and loved ones. This was the reason for Jallianwala Bagh meeting. By mid-day, thousands of people were gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh including the devotees at Harmandir Sahib. Jallianwala Bagh was covered on all sides by walls reaching up to 10 feet. It is equipped with narrow entrances, most of which were locked. Sensing the number of people present there and the secret meeting that was going to take place, General arrived there with armed troops.