Akal Takhat
Meetings of the Sikh parliament (iromani Gurdwara Parbandhak) are held in the Akal Takhat building. Although during the military intervention of the Indian army in 1984 R. the building was almost completely destroyed, Thanks to the completed renovation works, it was possible to restore its former appearance.
Guru's Langar in Gurdwaras
There is a kitchen in all Sikh temples, which can be used by both the faithful, as well as visitors. In Amritsar cooking for approx 30 thousands of people are taken care of by volunteers. Food, consisting mostly of chapati (type of flatbread) and lentils, is prepared and served in accordance with the old customs. There are gurdwaras near the kitchen, where you can spend the night for free. There is a library on site, post, bank and railway ticket reservation office.
Other buildings
In the garden south of the wall surrounding the temple, there is the Baba Atal tower. From a distance you can see the slender minarets of Ramgarhii, destroyed in 1984 R. from projectile fire.
Old Town
After visiting the temple, it is worth going to the old town. After 15 minutes walk through the narrow streets we come to the Hindu temple of Durga. This small building was erected in the 16th century. in honor of the goddess Kali, also called Durga. A slightly larger temple, built in the image of Złota, dedicated to Hindu deities – Lakshmi, goddess of fate, and Narayana.
Out of the many mosques, located in the old part of the city, the mosque of Muhammad Jan deserves attention. The building is crowned with three white domes, it is also decorated with slender minarets.
Park Dźallianwali (Jallianwala Bagh)
Park Dźallianwali, only about 5 minutes from the Golden Temple, is dedicated to the memory of two thousand Hindus murdered during the massacre organized by the English in 1919 R. The tragedy was one of the events, which made the society take up the fight for Indian independence. The later film Gandhi is a touching tale of those times.
The history of the bloody terror of the English is documented in the exhibition at the Martyr's Gallery (Gallery of Martyrs). There is a fragment of a wall marked with traces of bullets here, visitors can also see the well, to which the Indians jumped in search of shelter.
Rama Garden (Ram Bagh)
This beautiful garden is located in the new part of the city. In a small palace, erected by the Sikh Maharaja of Ranjit Sinhga, there is an interesting museum. The weapons on display come from the times of the Great Mogul dynasty, the paintings show the houses of the Punjabi rulers. The museum is closed on Wednesdays.
Accommodation – the cheapest
A couple of fairly crappy hotels are across the street from the train station. Hotel Palace-Pegasus is considered the best, which is actually an amalgamation of two hotels run by two brothers; the reception desk at the entrance is shared. All rooms have bathrooms. A night in the Palaces costs money 80-100 INR, and in Pegasus 100-120 INR.
Popular among travelers, Tourist Guest House (33-130) located east of the train station. Rooms one- and doubles cost money 80 i 100 INR, much more is paid for meals. On the front side there are double rooms with a bathroom (clear) for 150 INR and rooms with air conditioning too 250 INR. W 1994 R. The lieutenant who ran the hotel died. This extremely nice man was known, among others,. of this, that he was helping travelers from Pakistan… in the purchase of weapons. Touts circulating around the station will show the way to the minor Tourist Bureau hotel, opposite the northern entrance to the station.
Sita Niwas Hotel is located near the Golden Temple, offering double rooms from 100 INR (Shared Bathroom) do 150 INR (with bathroom and air conditioning). Hot water sold in buckets costs money 4 INR. Although the hotel itself is not the worst, it is noisy due to its location near the main square.
Hospitality towards pilgrims is one of the elements of the Sikh faith. You can find out about it best, stopping at the Golden Temple itself. Please note, that the condition for staying in the temple is to respect the laws in force here. Smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs and showing sympathy in public in a holy place is considered scandalous and offensive by Sikhs. In the parts of the temple at the disposal of tourists (ri Guni Rum Dos Niwas iSri Guni Nanak Niwas) volunteers work. A stay of up to three days is free of charge, however, there is a deposit in the amount of 50 INR (money is returned on leaving the temple). Tourists sleep in a huge hall, bed linen is provided on site, toilets and showers are located in the yard. Although the service does not remind you, free donations are customary. Foreigners are sometimes offered double rooms with a bathroom (15 INR) w.SW Gum Nanak Niwas. A new building for tourists is being built right next to it, Sn Gum Har-gobind Niwas, supposed to count 125 double rooms.
Accommodation - medium category
Hotel Airlines is highly recommendable (O(>4-848), near the train station. Somewhat neglected rooms cost from 193-250 INR (without air conditioning) after 440-550 INR (with air conditioning). There is also one single room included in the price 165 INR. All rooms have bathrooms, There is also a restaurant and a terrace on site., A bit more expensive accommodation can be found near the Palace-Pegasus Grand Hotel (®62-977), opposite the train station. A small garden is a pride of the building, all rooms have satellite tv. Rooms one- and double rooms without air conditioning cost accordingly 225 i 300 INR, much more is paid for a room with air conditioning.
In the new part of the city on Mali Street, at distance 1 km from the train station, there is a nice blue moon hotel (20-416). The price for an overnight stay in a double room is 220-250 INR.
By far the best is Mrs Bhandari's Guest House, at The Cantonment 10. This charming guesthouse is deservedly popular, especially among foreign tourists. You pay for peace 500 INR or 600 INR for a room with air conditioning, some rooms are quadruple. A single room costs money 400 INR. Lovely owner, pani bhandari, due to her age, she handed over the running of the guesthouse to her two daughters. But nothing has really changed here. The kitchen is still sparkling clean, and the rooms are furnished in the fashionable style of the years 50. You can order meals; breakfast costs 75 INR, dinner and supper 150 INR. The guesthouse is situated in a huge garden with a swimming pool (act., V-VIII). The area around the guesthouse is also used as a camping site (70 INR per person).