Ambarsar! The Golden Experience.

Being an Indian, my first love will always be Bollywood. The Indian Film Industry has portrayed the land truly magnificently down the years. As soon as I watched Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, I wanted to visit Punjab. I had never been there before. The beautiful mustard farmlands, the culture, the music, the cuisine and the people, everything seemed so fascinating. After a long wait, finally last year I had the opportunity to visit Punjab for a friend’s marriage ceremony. Though it was in Chandigarh, I decided to visit Amritsar before I attend the wedding. Amritsar means the pond of divine water. The city is literally what its name translates to. I landed there early in the morning. It was the month of December. A Mumbaikar has no idea what a winter is. That was the day, when I found out. It was freezing. But the city welcomed us with a beautiful sunrise. I checked in my hotel room. After getting ready, as I had been instructed, I went straight to a place called “Kanha Sweets”. Our breakfast soon turned into a brunch. It was a very small and cosy eatery with a proper Punjabi vibe. I kid you not, they serve the best “Chhole Bhature” in the whole world. Accompanied with a unique tangy and sweet Aloo ki Sabji. To top it all, I had a full glass of Punjabi Lassi with loads of Malai. I understood the actual meaning of the word “Foodgasm” at that very moment! Then we were strolling through tiny lanes of the town. Rode in the newly introduced E-Rickshaw. Visited many shops. Bought authentic Fulkari and Amritsari Jutti. Then we were headed to the real reason why we went to Amritsar. Harmandir Sahib. Also, famously known as Golden Temple. It was evening time. Sun was slowly meeting the horizon. It was a sight to remember. The glow, the lights, the sheer beauty of that monument! The visuals of that temple will be stored in my memory till my dying day. I hadn’t seen anything that beautiful. I still haven’t. We sat by the lake for a while. Had the most amazing Prasad and had the “Langar”. The amount of love with which you are served the warm food is unmatched. We literally lost track off time in that place. I am yet to visit The Wagah Border and Jallianwala Bagh. I will be visiting “The Land of Five Rivers”, yet again for sure! When are you packing your bags?