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Sam at Wagah Border

at Wagah Border

at Wagah Border

Patriotic Sam at Wagah Border

at Wagah Border

at Wagah Border

Dozed off over beer

Sam at the Golden temple

Me at the Golden temple

Roti making machine at the Golden Temple

At Jaliawalan Bagh

at Durgiana temple

ational pride swells at Wagah border- 490 kilometres from Delhi, in an electric ambience with a frenzied people cheering on their soldiers through their ritual giant-bug squashing parade.

Sameer and I left Delhi at 5 am on Saturday. After a hundred kilometres, we stopped for breakfast (3 aloo and paneer paranthas with dahi- Rs 45). We were on G.T. Karnal road throughout which has improved significantly with helpful signage and milestones; fluorescent boards actually, marking every little town or village in it's vicinity. The roads are much better and I had to be constantly dissevered from my slumber by Sameer on the sopoforic highway! We reached Amritsar at 2 pm and booked a room in Hotel Sonia, on Railway Link Road for Rs 250 (A/C rooms are available for Rs.400 - 500).

25 kilometres from there, we reached Wagah Border at 4pm. After taking a few pictures with BSF soldiers on their horses who were much accustomed to being clicked, we queued up to get inside. After taking our seats, in the wait for the parade to begin, one heavily mustached soldier called out those carrying the larger flags to come down and jog down the short strip from the entrance of the compound to the Indo-Pak gate. With a crowd of around 10,000 cheering them and patriotic songs blarring out of Ahuja speakers, a middles aged lady, a rather large sardarji and a greying gentleman did so with ample pride. The soldiers had to constantly remind unsettling people to remain seated, an endless but heartening exercise!
The Pakistani crowd was visible in two halves, of men and women seated separately; the monotone pathanis versus a pallete of colorful salwars and black burkhas. The music seemed to be playing only from the Indian side. The parade started at 6:15 pm, patriotic chants from the crowd being the background score, trying to outdo the neighbours. The parade lasted for 30 minutes, ending with the flags of both countries pulled down at half mast, brought down and folded. Outside, of the ceremony, VCDs sell for Rs. 30 and photos for Rs. 20.

We saw quite a bit of Amritsar that night, involuntarily, looking for ATMs. We walked from Railway Link road, through Lawrence road and finally dined at MK hotel in Ranjit Avenue. The next day, we checked out at 9 am and headed for the Golden Temple, where we attended the langar. There's a roti (Indian bread) making machine here. Later, we walked down to Jalianwala Bagh. The genocide seemed to come alive to me when I walked through the narrow entrance, with vivid images of soldiers marching down to gun down unarmed protesters. Looking down the well, bullet holes on the brick walls bracketed in wooden frames and Rabindranath Tagore's letter to the British government appealing to be stripped of his knighthood in protest are the other elements of the memorial. We stopped at Durgiana temple before we took off. We headed back home at 12pm with Chameli songs belting away a record 7 times, The Beatles, Mark Knofler and Tom Petty. The Santro impresses relentlessly with the A/C on and a decent cruising speed of 120 kmph. The entire trip was done on 2 tankfuls of Rs. 1100 each.


Total expense incurred- Rs. 3300. Wagah experience- Priceless!








 

Scrapbook:
We bribed a cop Rs. 200 in Amritsar for getting into a one way lane and not getting ticketed. 'Tation (station) kidar hai ji?' Ludhiana has a Mercedes showroom that will put Delhi to shame. I fell asleep in MK hotel, supposedly Amritsar's best, where we stopped for beer, food and credit card acceptance.

Truck slogans:
Horn please. Wait for side. Buri nazar wale tera muh kala. Use dipper at night. Ok. Tata. Yaraa da tashan. Love is not hot of life. It is part of life. Ok bye. No girlfriend, no tension. Love for sale, 99% discount. Keep distance. Maa meri dunia teri aanchal mein. Dekhi ja chhedi na. Pinjab jet. Maa ka aashirwad. Love is a sweet pain. Jai Kisaan. Dudh maango to kheer denge, Kashmir maango to cheer denge. Jalo magar deepak ki tarah. Laadli.


Milestones say:
Amritsar
Jandiala
Tangra
Rayya
Beas
Dhilwan
Bholanath
Kartarpur
Nussi
Lidhran
Jindapur
Jalandhar
Birring
Kotkalan
Chaheru
Kanchi nagar
Phagwara
Birk
Mauli
Chakrari
Takraha
Garaya
Ganna
Mazara-kurd
Hamra
Kandia
Ludhiana
Shivpuri
Giaspura
Kanganwal
Jugiana
Gobindgarh
Pawa
Khakat
Nandpur
Sahnewal
Majara
Rampur
Kaddon
Malipur
Jaspalon
Kotpanech
Kot
Biza
Payal
Samrala
Daheru
Gagadmijara
Mohanpur
Libra
Khanna
Ikolaha
Rasulda
Bulepur
Badipur
Mandi gobindgarh
Ambe Majara
Khanpur
Malakpur
Sirhind
Nabha
Tohra
Fatehgarh Sahib
Shampur
bhat Majra
Saiad pura
Nabipura
Jalbari
Sadhugarh
Jalvehra
Dalo majra
Brass
Panjoli
Patarsi
Jonpura
Basantpura
Alluna
Padav
sonti
Uksi
Uksi Jattan
Faridpur
Pilakhani
Patiala
Mehtabgarh
Chamaru
Madanpur
Bathonia
Bhuri Marja
Ali majra
Ghannaur
shambhu
Nashehra
Bharia
Bapraur
Dudiana
Ambala
Shahpur
Dukheri
Mohra
Shahkesari
Sambhalakhi
Landi-landa
Nasampurmajra
Madanpur
Kishengarh
Khanpur jattan
Dholamajra
Sharifgarh
Ramnagar
Masana
Khanipala
Khanpur kolian
Sirsala
Babian
sanwala
Pipli
Ladwa
Derarampura
Indri
Jhirbari
samani
Barsal
Samana
Laswa
Raipur
Arjaheri
Manak majra
Bhutana
Vehana
Phusgarh
Kambopura
Dahajagir
Madhuban
Unchasamana
Bhusli
Kutail
Jiverheri
Bastara
Hasanpur
Gharaunda
Raipura
Kaimla
Ganjbar
Nizampur
Panipat
Samalkha
Murthal
Tanespur
Kundli
Delhi
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