Amritsar

Amritsar District in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, and that of the entire district to number just over 3,695,077. Amritsar is located in the northwestern part of India in the State of Punjab, 32 miles (51 km) east of Lahore, Pakistan. Some have taken the name Amritsar to derive from Amrit-saagar, meaning "The Ocean of the Nectar of Immortality".

It is home to the Harimandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, and is the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal in Agra and is the number one destination for non-resident Indians (NRI) in the whole of India.[citation needed] This city is known for the incidents of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 under British Rule and Operation Bluestar in 1984 under the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

Amritsar city is one of the major cities of the Punjab state in India. Under instructions from Guru Amar Das, this city was founded by Guru Ram Das in 1574, on land bought by him for 700 rupees from the owners of the village of Tung. (Earlier Guru Ram Das had begun building Santokhsar Sarovar, near the village of Sultanwind in 1564 {according to one source in 1570}. It could not be completed before 1588. In 1574, Guru Ram Das built his residence and moved to this place. At that time, it was known as Guru Da Chakk. (Later, it came to be known as Chakk Ram Das).

Guru Ram Das began excavation of the Amritsar Sarovar tank in 1577. It was ready by 1581. This tank was renovated by Guru Arjan Dev in 1586. Since then this city has been known as Amritsar (after the name of the sarovar). The first stone of the foundation of the Darbar Sahib is said to have been laid by Sain Mian Mir Sahib, a Muslim saint from Punjab, at Guru Arjan's request. A story in Sikh lore tells of a mason who then corrected the stone's alignment and was chided by Guru Arjan for doing so, with the Saint stating that the re-alignment was symbolic of the complex being continually attacked and rebuilt. Many masons worked on laying the foundation on January 3, 1588.

The city is dominated by the history of the Sikhs and many of their sacred shrines are found in and around the city. It was established by Guru Ramdas. The city has highest temporal seat of Sikhs "The Harimandir Sahib" popularly known as Golden Temple.

Amritsar is located at 31°38'N 74°52'E. Amritsar has a continental climate, typical of northwestern India. The winter season (November to March) when temperatures ranges from 18 °C to about 4 °C, the hot season (April to June) when temperatures can reach 49.5 °C, monsoon season (July to September) and post-monsoon (September to November). Annual rainfall is about 790 mm. The best time to visit Amritsar is between October and March.

As of 2007, 85% of the population in Amritsar are Sikh. The total population of Amritsar is 1,547,695. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Amritsar has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. 15% of the population is under 6 years of age. The main spoken language in Amritsar and in the surrounding villages is the Punjabi dialect of Maajhi, considered to be Standard Punjabi.. Other languages spoken in the city are English and Hindi. Before partition there was a large population of Muslims. Amritsar was one of the most effected city with violence during the partition of India and Pakistan. Amritsar is the strong hold for the Sikhs.

The following is a list of the prominent Sikh Gurudwaras and sacred places in the city and its vicinity:

Dhan Dhan Khalsa

Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple)
Gurdwara Manji Sahib, Devan Asthan
Gurudwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib Ji (Dhan Dhan Baba Deep Singh Ji)
Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib
Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh, built at the site of the martyrdom of Baba Deep Singh
Gurdwara Bebaaksar Sahib
Birth Place of Guru Hargobind Sahib
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Tarn Taran (twenty five km south of Amritsar)
Gurdwara Baba Budha
Guru da Bagh, Kokawali
Gurdwara Bowli Sahib, Goindwal Sahib
Gurdwara Bir Baba Budha, Thattah-Chabhal
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Khadur Sahib
Chheharta Sahib, Guru Hargobind Ji
Baba Bakala, where Bhai Makhan Shah proclaimed that he had found the ninth Sikh Guru in Guru Teg Bahadur
Birth Place of Baba Budha Ji, Kathunangal
Saragarhi Gurudwara
Tala Sahib Gurudwara
Gurudwara Bhai Manjh Sahib Ji
Gurudwara Pau Wind Sahib Ji (Dhan Dhan Baba Deep Singh ji)