::Greenwood Group of Schools::
We travelled to the state of Punjab from Mathura on 14th December night. It was a night long journey. The children relished this long journey mixed with nice sleep in the cosy comfort of the luxury bus and were not tired at all. We all reached Amritsar on 15th by 01.00 p.m. From there we travelled to one of the key landmarks of the Indian Freedom Struggle; Jallianwala Bagh. We visited the Museum, watched the Laser show at Jallianwala Bagh. The Laser show depicted in detail the events of Massacre. By this we understood the historical importance of Jallianwala Bagh incident that intensified our Freedom Struggle.
The Historical Importance of Jallianwala Bagh
Presently this is a Historical Garden and a ‘Memorial of National Importance’. It is very close to the sacred ‘Golden Temple Complex’ in Amritsar, Punjab. It is preserved as a memorial for those brutally killed; the men, women and even the innocent children; and wounded in what is known as Jallianwala Bagh Massacre at this site on the festive day of Baisakhi on 13 April 1919.
Also known as the ‘Amritsar Massacre’, this marks the brutality and cruelty and inhumane nature of the British Rulers. On that fateful day General Dyer, attacked and ordered firing at a crowd of people, protesting peacefully against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of pro-independence activists Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal. Unfortunately, this place was densely surrounded by buildings and had only one exit which was blocked by the forces of General Dyer. Thus, when the firing was started people had no way to escape. Many succumbed to death and several injured fatally. It was so disheartening to recall that the firing continued without any break till the ammunition was totally exhausted. This incident shocked each and everyone. Rabindranath Tagore was so moved that he renounced his Knighthood in protest of this British brutality.
GOLDEN TEMPLE
The Golden temple is famous for its full golden dome, it is one of the most sacred pilgrim spots for Sikhs. The Mandir is built on a 67-ft square of marble and is a two storied structure. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had the upper half of the building built with approximately 400 kg of gold leaf.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after founding the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830. This has led to the name the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is spiritually the most significant shrine in Sikhism.
At 06.45 in the evening, we started walking towards the holy “Golden Temple” from the Jallianwala Bagh with heavy hearts to get the solace in the blessing of the Holy Sikh Guru. We all entered the temple strictly following the religious dictums of Sikhism; tying a holy cloth; turban around our heads and dipping our feet in the holy water in the temple complex.
The Golden temple is a Gurudwara, an eminent spiritual and holy place of Sikhism. We also visited Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, in Kartarpur and Gurudwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.
By 09.00 p.m. that day, we moved to a comfortable hotel for a sumptuous dinner and a goodnight’s sleep in comfort.
Bhagwan Valmiki Tirth Asthan
On 16/12/2022, at 08.00am in the morning we all started towards the famous Bhagwan Valmiki Tirth Asthan at Amritsar.
Bhagwan Valmiki Tirth Asthan is a Temple Complex; an important historical monument dedicated to Maharshi Valmiki’s located on Bhagwan Valmiki Tirth Road, about 11 km west of Amritsar city. There is an 8-foot-tall, 800-kg gold-plated idol of Sage Valmiki in this complex.
According to the Hindu Mythology, this temple dates back to the period of Ramayana. This placed is believed to be the erstwhile Ashram of Sage Valmiki. It is the very place where Sadhvi Sita was given shelter and the children of Lord Rama were born. It is the place where the epic Ramayana was written by Rishi Valmiki. Close to this place is Ram Tirth, where Lord Rama’s forces were defeated by his own sons; Lava and Kusha.
Wagah Border
We started moving towards the Wagah Border(Attari Border) at about 1.30 p.m. and reached there by 03.00 p.m. which is almost 32 Kms away from Amritsar.
Wagah is the international border between India and Pakistan; an army outpost on Indo-Pak border – between Amritsar and Lahore. It is an elaborate complex of buildings, roads and barriers on both sides of India and Pakistan.
We are fortunate to witness the pomp and pageantry of the ‘Beating Retreat’ a remarkable ritual followed here on each and every day. This marks the change of guard at both sides within the handshaking distance of the Indian and Pakistani forces. Soldiers from both the countries perform a perfect drill and march, thus going through an exciting and hair rising procedure followed by the bringing down of their respective national flags. As the sun goes down, nationalistic fervour rises and lights are switched on marking the end of the day amidst thunderous applause patriotism. This spectacular array would certainly last in our hearts for a life time.
