Amritsar

Could you say that a place was joyful? Even walking through the entry arch to the Golden Temple precinct, the Sikh people were warm, friendly and welcoming. The centre of Sikh worship, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is a glittering spectacle reflected in the calm surrounding lake.

Everyone is welcome. People from all over the world and from every conceivable religion promenaded around the central lake with the temple sparkling in the sunlight as their focus of attention. Ordinary people chatted, welcomed each other and introduced themselves. There was a palpable atmosphere of warmth and benevolence. Even the rather stern looking, tall black bearded temple guardians brandishing vicious long spears broke into stunning bright smiles when approached. Would they pose for photographs with us weird foreigners?  Certainly.

We chatted to many people, some Hindus from Chennai who had lived in Birmingham for twenty years, young people who came from Shimla and a lone tourist from Turkey.

The universal Sikh welcome extended to providing free meals for everyone. Every day tens of thousands of meals are cooked and served by volunteers to anyone who is hungry.  It is a massive feat of organisation and a wonderful gesture of all encompassing acceptance and fellowship.

There are also rooms for travellers available in the temple complex. These are basic and clean, but relatively cheap.

By contract the atmosphere at the Amritsar massacre site is decidedly sombre. On April 13 1919 the British General Reginald Dyer positioned his troops at the only narrow alley out of the Jallian Wala Bagh Square and ordered his troops to fire on a peaceful and unarmed crowd. The people had gathered for a Sikh festival and to discuss protests against their treatment by the British. The death toll of 379 men, women and children with 1500 wounded shocked the world. General Dyer returned to England, was promoted and retired on a pension. A shiver ran up our spines as we walked up that narrow alley and saw all the people relaxing in the square which is now a memorial park.

If the feelings in the massacre park were dark and foreboding the prevailing sense in the Golden temple was one of positive energy, looking to the future and optimism. It was a very beautiful place of joy  

Pictures