Banjara Diaries – Part 1
मैं बंजारा ले इकतारा घुमा भारत सारा।
कहीं खड़े पर्वत बर्फीले।
तो फिर कहीं रेत के टीले।
जंगल कहीं कहीं है दलदल।
कहीं झील झरनों की कलकल
सागर कहीं हिलोरे लेता, कहीं नदी की धारा
मैं बंजारा ले इकतारा घुमा भारत सारा…
A poem I learnt in school , describes my India so beautifully through the eyes of a Banjara (A nomad). I love to explore places and this is my attempt to write down my own Banjara Diaries about a part of India I had planned to explore for quite some time.
For the longest time, I have been a sea person, loving the beaches, sea breeze and waves against my feet. Something changed few years back, when I witnessed the mighty Himalayas on a trip to Bhutan. Since then the Banjara has two loves, the mountains and the sea. Both with their own beauty and mysteries.
Last year, we decided it was time to explore my country further. The planning unlike other trips, went on for weeks with planning with one set of friends, cancellations, re-planning, bookings and finally embarking with another set of friends.
Our itinerary was Home-Amritsar-Khajiyaar-McLeodGanj-Triund Trek-Amritsar-home.
We had planned to do a 2-day Trek with overnight halt at Triund and then a bit further till the Glacier the next day and back by evening. But nature had other plans. It always does 😊
Amritsar Day 1:
We booked a small bungalow away from the hustle bustle of core city, yet close enough for a short ride from the main attractions. We reached Amritsar by early evening. After a quick freshening up we started for a walk to Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple as it is popularly known.
Chai Shai
Enroute, SD shared there was a popular Tea outlet we had to visit first, known as Giani Tea Stall. The “Badam Pista wali Chai” was drool worthy. Loaded with a milk foam on top of tea and generously topped with Almonds and Pista Powder. It is a treat to the eyes. After multiple rounds of Badam Pista Wali Chai, Masala Chai samosa and a hot Gulab Jamun, we warmed up to the cold winter night. We took a local auto from the Tea stall to reach Golden Temple.
Walk to Harmandir Sahib
Last 3 years, I have planned and something has happened leading me to cancel my trip to Harmandir Sahib. Finally, the day had arrived when I started walking towards it.
The walkway we took started at the statue of Raja Ranjit Singh. It is light up beautifully at night. There are statues of local dance forms along the way. The devotional songs from Gurudwara can be heard on the speakers and big screen gives you a sneak peek inside the Gurudwara.
The roads are lined with shops having a standard type of nameplate with shop numbers. How nice and well kept!!! One can spot vendors selling scarfs for covering head in the Gurudwara, Juti, Phulkari dupattas and dress materials, Souvenirs Papad Wadiyan, chutneys, achaars and so much more in these shops. Don’t miss to try the coal roasted Sweet Potatoes topped with chaat masala, simple and nutritious.
Harmandir Sahib
I could feel my heart beating faster as we got close to Harmandir Sahib. We removed our shoes and for the first time the 6 deg Celsius made its presence felt. My foot soles were freezing. But once inside the premises, I felt a warmth I hadn’t felt for decades.
The Golden Temple was lit up in all glory with its reflection in the lake below simply mesmerizing. The Akal Takht, was lit up in hues of blue and purple, displaying its powerful presence. Time and we stood still to admire the view. No lens can capture my feelings of that moment.
The premises have separate areas for men and women to have a dip in the holy lake (Amrit Sarovar). The main building is surrounded by a lake.
After a walk across the lake we entered the main temple. The walk is slow and the queue moves ahead at a steady pace. Photography isn’t allowed inside, but trust me no photo can capture the sheer brilliance of the artistic work adorning the walls with designs of animals, birds and nature. One has to see it to believe it. The ground floor is lined up with white marble, the doors are gold foil covered with beautiful drawings of birds and flowers. The arches have Sikh scripture in gold letters. The stair walls have murals of Sikh Guru such as falcon carrying Guru Gobind Singh who is riding on a horse. The two-storey structure is mesmerizing.
We sat outside the main temple for few minutes, had the khara prasad and some tea with shankarpare.
After few more minutes of admiring the view, we proceeded towards one of Asia’s biggest kitchens and serving halls for Langar. The meal was simple yet nutritious comprising of roti, kaali dal, kheer and rajma. Eating the food sitting down in sukhasan with entire hall being silent was a fulfilling experience. I have experienced a similar feeling on Sajjangad in Maharashtra.
Throughout the premises of Gurudrawa, one can see people of all walks of life and religion performing seva. Be it from managing shoes to cleaning, cooking, serving langar, water, tea, etc. This selfless service and discipline are what I cherished the most. Humility is everywhere.
We waited for few hours before returning back to the bungalow. I slept like a baby that night. Probably because a long-time dream of visiting the Harmandir Saheb had finally come true.
Click below for a walk through Partition Museum, Jallianwala Baug and Attari Border.