THE DECISION TO TAKE A TRAIN
I am fond of trains. I like cars. I sometimes enjoy a walk. If pushed (and if no witnesses are near), I can even find pleasure in a bicycle ride. And, yes, I like flying, too. But I am tired of being harassed by airport security personnel, some of whom obviously adore their power and temporary supremacy. I don’t like to be ogled contemptuously by armed gunmen just because I carry hand luggage. And I find it generally annoying to be at the mercy of Indian soldiers, who fail to understand that a combination of security and politeness is actually possible.
So, since it’s too far to walk on foot (more than 500 Km), too hot to ride a bicycle and clearly suicidal to go by car, I decided to take the train to Amritsar and contacted Malayanil Singh at TCI (Travel Corporation India) who quickly put together my trip.
Go with style – Executive Class, of course!
OK, it can be done cheaper, but I wanted to travel best class. The name of that is EC (Executive Class), which costs 1335 each way. It is really a pleasant ride, with only a couple of short (few minutes’ long) stops underway. The treatment is excellent, good food, all the coffee (or for weaker souls, something odd and steamy called “tea”) you can drink and free (and obligatory) music through the loudspeakers.
THE DEPARTURE
I only had a weekend available, and therefore took the Statabdi Express (the fastest solution) from New Delhi Train Station at 07.20 a.m on Saturday 13 April. Be there at least twenty minutes before departure – the train leaves on time, and it can take you five-ten minutes to get to your compartment.
Well, there I was, I had found my seat and thought “what now”. And indeed, the train took off at 07.20. Soon after, the crew welcomed us onboard and started serving biscuits and coffee (and for some loonies, this odd brew called “tea”). After a couple of hours, menus were handed out to the passengers – you see, when you travel Executive Class, you get to choose your menu (just like a plane, this is what democracy is all about).
The food was excellent, one of the female attendants definitely had a crush on me (or was it something I dreamt while leaning back in the comfy seat??), and I was convinced – nothing beats the train! Maybe, in some of our home countries, quality in first class is higher than in India. But then again – it’s by far more expensive, too. I have only compliments to Shatabdi, it’s great value for money.
THE ARRIVAL
I arrived at Amritsar Railway Station at around 13.20 p.m. From there, you can take a bicycle rickshaw to the M & K Hotel (around 3 km from the train station), which will cost you around 20 rupees. Alternatively, take a normal rickshaw for around 50 rupees.
THE ACCOMMODATION: M & K Hotel
TCI had booked a room for me in M & K Hotel, which is the newest and best hotel in town. One night in a nice and comfortable room costs 2200 rupees, including breakfast. The hotel has a small swimming pool, a restaurant, a coffee bar-cum-restaurant (which, unfortunately, serves this “tea”-thing as well) and a bar.
WHAT TO SEE, THEN?
Well, most people would go to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple. This is the holiest place of all for the Sikhs (of whom there are around 18 million in India), and is – according to witnesses – quite beautiful. Predictably, my main reason for going to Amritsar originally was the very Golden Temple. Oddly, I never got to see it. Not that I was prevented from doing so by some divine power, but simply because there are other things to see in and around Amritsar than a man-made spot of devotion.
Saturday late afternoon, at 16.30, I took a cab (got it through the hotel, probably not the cheapest option..) to Waqah, which is the place you can witness the daily border ceremony involving Pakistani and Indian border troops (it is the only official border crossing between the two countries). It takes place twice a day, just before sunrise and sunset, and is a charade/love & hate show where soldiers are doing some exaggerated drilling in front of the assembled (and very lively) crowds. There must have been a couple of thousands, at least. People are yelling, laughing, crying patriotic slogans and harassing the other party as much as possible. Hilarious. It all takes a couple of hours, and is really entertaining. Maybe not the second time, but it’s a first-time-here-must-see if you are in those areas either close to Lahore on Pak side or Amritsar on the Indian ditto.
That’s it. It all ends as abruptly as it starts, with people going home on each side, contented with having thrown a lot of juicy insults towards the other side.
I returned to my hotel at around 20.30, and went to bed early. I was dead-tired, but that’s because we work so much as we do in UNMOGIP.
The Temple haunts ID 319
The next day, Sunday, I was facing a crucial decision: What to do about the Golden Temple? I mean, one has to see it, right, but what if I don’t want to? I postponed the decision as long as I could, but after the fifth cup of black coffee I decided that I should either go or suffer a caffeine shock. So, I took a rickshaw to the Golden Temple for 50 rupees. Having left the relative/imaginary safety of the rickshaw, I stood watching as people were taking off their shoes before entering the temple ground. I watched. I watched. And I watched some more. Having watched for around five minutes, I decided that there are other things to do with you life, and went instead to see…..
…..the Jallianwal Bagh!!
Now, here was something interesting – you see, on 13 April 1919, British soldiers opened fire at a large crowd (there were thousands assembled) of Indian civilians who were attending a peaceful mass demonstration to protest against the co-called Rowlatt Act. The Rowlatt Act had just been passed in Britain, and – to put it shortly – authorized the British authorities in India to imprison without trial anyone considered guilty of sedition. Around 350 people were killed during this massacre, and thousands wounded.
Jallianwal Bagh is only around five minutes’ walk from the entrance to the Golden Temple (and the entrance was the only thing I saw of the Golden Temple complex, as shamefully admitted previously), and entrance is absolutely free. There is an eternal flame burning in commemoration of the killed, and a wall is still standing with markings of some of the bullet impacts. Even the well is preserved – around 120 corpses were dragged out of this well subsequently, people who tried to avoid the hail of bullets by throwing themselves into it.
A small museum with some interesting photos/drawings (with explanatory comments in both Hindi and English) gives a good picture of what happened.
Jallianwal Bagh is, by the way, an excellent place to meet new people. The Indians I met here were very curious about where I was from, who I was and what I thought about it all. The friendliness was overwhelming, which quite surprised me – the Indians are, of course, normally very hospitable and friendly, but I had not expected this in a tourist magnet like Amritsar.
TIME FOR LUNCH
Well, having looked for several minutes at the entrance to the Golden Temple, and having spent a couple of interesting and pleasant hours inside the Jallianwal Bagh, I decided that it was time for a cup of coffee (the sixth that day) at my hotel. So, I took a bicycle rickshaw for 20 rupees. Oh, talking about bicycle rickshaws: Remember: When the driver has to stop to climb a small hill or road elevation with his rickshaw, and thereby dismounts……it means that you have to dismount, too. And walk around fifty or so meters to the top of the elevation and continue down again.
Back at the hotel, coffee, and a swim in the very small pool. You wont get lost there, that’s for sure. It’s about twice the size of the office at UNFS Rajouri, so it’s rather limited what kind of ocean-going traffic you are likely to encounter during your bubbly stay. But nice and cooling it was, for sure.
WANNA GO HOME
All good things come to and end, and I had to face it: I couldn’t lounge around all day if I was to be in time for my train to Delhi at 17.05. So, out of the pool, up to my room, shower, shave and off I went by bicycle rickshaw. It takes around 20-25 minutes to get there by that exquisite means of transport, which is fine. People smile at you as you pass (compassion or admiration??), and it’s much more fun than just sitting in a car or normal rickshaw.
So, having arrived with style at the Amritsar Railway Station, the undersigned sent to his train compartment and found seat number 44 in Executive Class (of course), which is a window seat. Very fine, right until it gets dark at around 1900.
Another nice trip with charming attendants and lots of coffee (some had tea), and I was back in Delhi at 22.50 p.m.
WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN?
I genuinely enjoyed my trip to Amritsar. Even if you don’t particularly adore temples (like in my case), you can still enjoy the border ceremony and the Jallianwal Bagh. This is why I think that two days in Amritsar are just fine. Day 1: The border ceremony, day 2: The memorial site. Or vice versa. And then you still have lots of time if you want to see the temple.
Next time I go somewhere, it will be by train again. No more flying in India for me (unless I am ordered to), since it always spoils my mood. I rather spend two days traveling by rail than two hours flying – not because of the flying itself, but because of all the human unpleasantness involved. As you can see, I am not a fan of the way Indian security troops treat travelers.
DON'T EXPECT THE IMPOSSIBLE
Amritsar is a large Indian city. According to official figures, it has a population of 1 million. It’s noisy, polluted, with waste and cows everywhere, and traffic that is 50% beep-beeo-beep, 50% high beam. Do not expect to come to an untouched paradise where temples await you at every second step. But if you know what you want to see, and if you are interested in seeing those attractions that Amritsar has to offer, well, then it’s fine. Leave the hotel, go to the spot of interest, spend the necessary time there, and swim in the pool and be happy. Keep in mind that the Jallianwall Bagh is much more than just a memorial site. It is also an introduction to Indian history of the 20th century (the small museum is pretty informative despite its diminutive size). And the border ceremony is live entertainment, like it or not.
HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY?
It can easily be done cheaper, if you can settle for a more modest hotel and a lower train compartment category. But in my case, the costs were as follows:
Train Tickets: Delhi-Amritsar-Delhi: 2916 INR
Hotel Stay: Hotel M & K, Amritsar: 2200 INR
Altogether: 5116 INR
WHOM TO CONTACT?
Get in touch with Mr. Malayanil Singh from TCI. His cellular phone number is 9810135141, and he is very helpful – has lots of experience in arranging trips for UNMOGIP personnel.
And finally: Have a nice trip!!
COURTESY OF ANDRE HEIN