Gopalji Resorts / Hotel Amritsar

The Golden Temple

The abode of Bliss and Blessings, Golden temple is holiest of the shrines of Sikh religion. Guru Arjun Dev requested the great contemporary Muslim saint Mian Meer to lay the foundation stone of this shrine in January 1589, thus the building was completed in 1601 and the Holy Scripture of Sikhs Adi Granth was installed in Temple in 1604. Invaded by Afghan invaders thrice in 1757,1762, and 1764,the temple was re-built in its present form in 1776. The Great Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) who is placed in the front rank of the statesmen of the century, guilded the temple with 165 Kg of gold valued at Rs. 65 lakhs in those days. The entire renovation and guilding work was completed in 25 years in 1830, hence its name Golden Temple. It is also known as Darbar Sahib the Court Divine.

Golden Temple

Surrounded by the pool which gave the town its name "Amritsar", GoldenTemple is open toall and is reached by a causeway.The temple beautifully reflected in stunning expanse of water, creates an atmosphere which isparticularly powerful from before dawn to early light. At this time the glistening white marble walk-way Parikarma which surrounds the temple is still cold under feet and the gold begins to shimmer in lightening water.The Holy Scripture is brought in a vivid procession from the Akal Takhat (The highest temporal seat of the sikhs) in the morning to theTemple, to be returned at night. Singing is central to Sikh worship and is a feast to the souls when hymns from the Holy Scripture are recited Kirtan on the waves of the Classical ragas, a sublime blend of voice and music spreads its wings and submerges in celestial atmosphere captivating the devotees.

Jallian Wala Memorial
(The Flame of Liberty)

"Terrible has been the slaughter,
            Loud have been the cries of innocent sufferers.
            Did not these awaken pity in thee, o Lord ?
            If a strong power attacks another strong power,
            No one would grieve,none would complain.
            But when fierce tiger preys on helpless cattle,
                  Thou herdsman must answer for it."

April 13,the day of Baisakhi festival, the day of celebrations marking the beginning of harvest, the birthday of Khalsa in 1699 founded by Guru Gobind Singh, was destined to be another historic day in 1919. The memorial at this site commemorates the 2000 Indians who were killed or wounded, shot indiscriminately by the British under the command of Gen Michael O"Dyer on April13,1919 while participating in a peaceful public meeting.

This was one of the major incidents of India's freedom struggle.The story of this appaling massacre is told in the Martyr's Gallery at the site. A section of wall with bullet marks still visible is preserved along with the memorial well, in which some people jumped to escape. "The impossible men of India shall rise and liberate their mother land", declared Mahatma Gandhi, after the Jallian Wala massacre. "This disproportionate severity of punishment inflicted upon the unfortunate people and method of carrying it out is without parallel in the history of civilized govt." wrote Rabindra Nath Tagore the noble laureate while returning knighthood.

Ram Bagh Garden

Ram Bagh a beautiful garden ,an accustomed listener to the Neighs of thousand horses, announcing the arrival of the statesman of the century Maharaja Ranjit Singh(1780-1839) the Lion of Punjab, has in its heart the summer Palace of this great ruler. Maintenance free inbuilt cooling system designed in the Palace exhibits the architectural excellence and invokes a keen interest. The king of his time brought local chieftains under his control and virtually finished any eventuality of possible attacks on the kingdom raised by him. To commemorate the memory of his valour Ram Bagh on its one end has a lively statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh saddled on a horse in a winsome posture.
The garden was named by the ruler himself as a tribute to Guru Ram Das, the founder of the city. Now the summer palace of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been converted into a museum which speaks volumes on his times.On display are weapons dating back to Mughal times, portraits of ruling houses of Punjab and a replica of diamond "Kohinoor". In those days the garden was approached by a huge fortified gate which still exists in its original form and is just on the periphery of the garden.

Hindu Temples

	Ram Tirath On the outskirts of Amritsar this is a significant historic place. The place gets a special mention in the great Hindu epic "Ramayana". On return, after great victory of Lanka when Lord Rama deserted Mata Sita on hearsay, she came to this place, the seat of great saint Maharishi Valmiki who gave her shelter and protection. It was at this place that Mata Sita gave birth to twins "Luv"and "Kush"the great sons of Lord Rama.Maharishi Valmiki conducted them to highest levels in education in the realms of religious and social life besides intricacies of warfare. A suitable temple is erected to commemorate the event.
	Durgiana Temple This Hindu temple also draws its share of visitors .The temple is dedicated to goddess Durga and dates back to 16th century. A large temple is dedicated to Hindu deities Laxmi ( The Goddess of wealth) and Narayan. ( The Preserver of Universe ). All dignitaries visiting Golden Temple make it a point to visit Durgiana Temple also.
	*Mata Mandir* A grand old pious lady developed this Hindu temple situated at Rani ka Bagh , on the lines of holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi at Katra(Jammu),the temple draws crowds of devotees from far and near. Festivals are celebrated with great pomp and show. An evening visit to the temple gives an opportunity to the visitors to observe the life styles of Hindu families.

Border Retreat Ceremony

When the sun decides to say goodbye to a peaceful day its time For the reunion, which transcends the boundaries, that man has laid. From Amritsar 35 Km on the road to Lahore(Pakistan), is India-Pakistan border,which is also known as "Attari(India)-"Wagah" (Pakistan) border. A visit to the border is an interesting experience, especially at sun-set, when the retreat ceremony takes place with the Border Security Force (B.S.F.) on the Indian side and The Sutlej Rangers on the Pakistan side putting up a well co-ordinated and spectacular display which compares very favorably with the changing of royal guard in London.The sound from the bugles blown together from both sides paints past on the canvas when India and Pakistan were one, simultaneously Flags of the two nations are ceremoniously retrieved and lights are switched on marking the end of the day amidst thunderous applause. Today this point is only land route to approach Pakistan and central Asia.

Border Retreat Ceremony