Amritsar
Arrived in
Amritsar and felt
like I'd come to another country. I was back in the real
India.
No more peace and quiet, just heaps of noise and pollution.
Cycled through the streets dripping with sweat. Turns out it's monsoon season
but with no monsoon....hence why the clouds are hanging around in a strange
fashion!
Children packed onto cycle rickshaws ready for home.
I check into the
Golden
Temple. Anyone can stay here for 3 days and 3 nights for free
including food! It's very basic and noisy but good fun.
The Golden temple itself is awesome. You enter the temple and walk around the
pool (pool of nectar) while listening to live and continous readings (lively
chants) from the Sikhs holy book that is accompanied by hipnotic beats of table
and accordian type instruments.
(more photos to come)
Guarding the Pool of Nectar at the
Golden
Palace,
Amritsar.
It's great just to sit and slip into a daydream by
the pool while listening to the music. But as usual the peace doesn't last long
as the frindly locals come for a chat.
The temple itself is covered in gold (paid for by the Sikhs of Birmingham) and
inside is just too incredible. It's small and itricately decorated and again is
all gold in colour. On the floor sits the musicians and singer/reader. Everyone
is pushing and singing along in a lively hum as they enter. Again there is lots
of good energy here.
Pilgrims entering the
Temple grounds
The
Golden
Temple in the middle of the Pool of Nectar.
Constsant reading from the book of the Sikhs make to pool holy.
Only Sikhs are allowed to bath.
Another gaurdian of the pool
Mostly Sikh pilgrims que to enter the
Temple, chanting as the do so.
Whatever your religion one feels energy with unity here.
