The Golden City of Bravehearts

 

It goes without saying that India’s diversity is like no other - in terms of landscape, languages, history, people and culture. Every state in India boasts of something unique which distinguishes itself from the others and thus is a marvel in its own way. With Covid curbing mobility in terms of tourism for almost two years, tourists all around the world yearned to get back to exploring and visiting new places. Steadily and thankfully, now the doors of tourism have opened and is seen regaining normalcy. When it comes to exploring diversity, there’s no better place on earth than our very own India. Not having explored North India enough before and with an objective to make good use of my holidays, we decided to visit Amritsar – a city of great spiritual and historical significance.

From the ever-bustling Mumbai airport we landed in Amritsar, at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport. The airport derives its name from Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru and founder of Amritsar – the holiest city of Sikhism. At the airport, I saw pictures of attractions in Amritsar and I could not contain my excitement to explore the city. The itinerary was already chalked out, it was only few hours before we absorbed in the beauty of the city. The next morning, we headed out to visit the holy Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple. Before visiting the Golden Temple, we were greeted by the tall standing and proud-looking statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab. Saddled on his horse and with a sword in his hand, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s glory could still be felt in the air. It seemed as though he still had his protective hand over Amritsar. Paying our respects to the great king, we headed towards the temple.

Though Golden Temple is a Sikh place of worship, it is open for all people, from all walks of life and faith. The sight of the temple is one to behold and we felt the sangfroid and sanctity emanating from the temple, even standing from a distance. As expected, the temple was buzzing with numerous devotees – some taking a bath in the sacred pool near the temple, while some waiting in the queue to enter the holy shrine. The temple looks picturesque from all angles. This golden beauty shines and will continue to shine and shower its blessings on all those who go to seek its blessings. We enjoyed the kada prasad prepared in pure ghee which not only was a treat to the taste buds but also seemed like a pure blessing from the divine presence. The temple also houses a Sikh Museum which is an interesting insight into the Sikh history. The museum exhibits paintings of Sikh Gurus, saints, warriors and other prominent leaders who protected and fought for the honour of Sikhism. I had not known much about Sikhism before but reading about those great personalities made my heart swell with pride as well as wince in pain for the hardships and torment that they had to go through to protect the good.

Having basked in the divinity of the temple, it was time to revisit a sombre chapter in the Indian freedom struggle at Jallianwala Bagh. We had read about Jalianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 in our history textbooks but visiting the place where the carnage happened gave jitters. We entered the Bagh through its narrow passage and imagined how difficult it must have been for the innocent people to escape from death. Once we entered, we saw the point, from where it was written, the bullets were endlessly fired at a peaceful crowd protesting against the Rowlatt Act. Today Jallianwala Bagh is a historic garden and a memorial is built for the wounded and the dead. The Bagh also has a Martyrs’ Well in which people had jumped to save themselves from the ongoing onslaught. It is said that around 120 bodies were recovered from this well. There is also a wall which bears the bullet marks. There are galleries inside the Bagh which unfold the events of that fateful day, recounts the nightmarish experiences of those who survived and aftermath of this grisly incident. The facts send chill down the spine and it was hard to fight tears at this place where injustice and diabolism were beyond human imagination.

We further went to the Partition Museum to learn about the significant years in Indian freedom struggle and partition. This well-structured museum has a repository of materials and documents from various periods of Indian freedom struggle to partition and post partition. It was literally a walk down the historical lane as we navigated the events that led to partition in the sequence that they took place. The pictures of overcrowded trains as people rushed to go to the country of their choice, the refugee crisis, the squalid conditions that they lived in and countless number of people who lost their loved ones amidst this turmoil, certainly expressed more than a thousand words of unimaginable pain and suffering that the people then endured. The museum reverberated the proverb that there is light at the end of the tunnel. As we reached the last section of the museum, we saw stories of people who rose up from the wounds of partition like phoenix and led a respectful life, the prominent examples of which were Milkha Singh i.e., the flying Sikh and Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, MDH spices fame. We left the museum on an optimistic note that though life can throw unexpected challenges and tragedies, it is up to us to rise up again with sheer determination, patience and courage to lead a better life ahead. Our history and our great forefathers have passed on this grit and perseverance to us.

Amritsar is not only a cradle of Sikhism but it also has Hindu temples. We visited Durgiana temple next, the architecture of which is similar to Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple, with a sacred lake surrounding the temple. The temple derives its name from Goddess Durga who is worshipped here. The temple also has idols of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Krishna and Radha, Hanuman, Parshurama and Ganesh. It was Janmashtami on the day we visited, hence we saw some matkis to celebrate the playful childhood of Lord Krishna. We paid our obeisance to these deities and again got an opportunity to immerse in the serenity of divine presence. Since we were in Punjab, we had to buy something authentic Punjabi as a fond memory of the place. We went shopping for the traditional phulkari, the folk embroidery of the Punjab. The exquisite and intricate designs were indicative of excellent craftsmanship, the colours so fresh that it was difficult to choose one or two dresses among a heap of dresses. We finally decided on some phulkaris which captured our hearts and attention. To further complete the Punjabi look, we could not miss out on buying juttis. We visited a jutti shop which had a cornucopia of shoes of various designs and colours, again difficult to choose one or two pairs from. Thus, we ended our first day in Amritsar having sought blessings of the Sikh and Hindu deities, visited some chapters of Indian history and of course, shopped to our heart’s content.

Next morning, it was time to visit another era in history. We started our day with Gobindgarh fort. The fort was opened to the public from 2017 and was occupied by the army before. Maharaja Ranjit Singh renamed the fort to Gobindgarh fort in 19^th century after the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The fort is a well-maintained sprawling space with number of attractions and cannons inside it. We made our way to the first attraction, a 7D show based on the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh or Sher-e-Punjab. The show takes us back to 19^th century and shows glimpses of the great king’s bravery since his childhood. Having learnt something new in history, we headed towards our next stop – the warfare museum. This museum has replicas of weapons and attires of warfare. We saw some life-like statues donned in these attires, carrying the weapons. From ancient Indian warfare to guns and rifles, we saw how weapons and hence concept of defence evolved. There were some distinct weapons from various Indian states, which also included weapons used by Shivaji Maharaj and Marathas to slay their enemies. Thus, the stories of bravery reach far and wide. The sheer intelligence with which these weapons were built makes us proud of the excellent vision that our forefathers had, in absence of any modern technology. We went to Toshakhana or coin museum next, which houses many old and rare coins. It was also the place where the coveted Kohinoor diamond was stored. Today we see a replica of Kohinoor there. We also visited a Pagdi museum which has life-like statues again, sporting the various types of pagdi, another interesting fact that I did not know of before. We often tap our feet, sing along and dance on Punjabi songs. The origin of this dancing spirit comes undisputedly from Bhangra, the traditional Punjabi folk dance. We also enjoyed an energetic Bhangra performance by men and women clad in traditional Punjabi costumes. Bhangra beats made a non-dancer like me tap her feet and revel in with the enthusiastic spirit.

It was then time to go back to the times of Ramayana by visiting the Ram Tirath temple next, sage Valmiki’s ashram. It is believed that Sita took shelter in his ashram after she was abandoned by her husband Lord Rama. Inside the temple complex, we see Sage Valmiki’s idol writing Ramayana. The temple is guarded by a tall idol of Lord Hanuman, who had dug a water tank in Ram Tirath. The Hanuman statue at Ram Tirath is one of the tallest statues in the country. It was a refreshing experience to see some episodes of Ramayana in this beautiful structure.

It was time to visit the last and the most talked about attraction of Amritsar – the Attari border. My excitement peaked as we reached closer to our last stop. We reached the border well before in advance to catch the best seats possible to get the best possible view. The lowering of the flags’ ceremony at the India-Pakistan border was the most spectacular event that I ever witnessed. The atmosphere was filled with patriotism with Indians and Pakistanis cheering for their respective countries on both sides of the border. It was an experience like no other, where we saw the fathers and flags of both the nations opposite each other, held up high in their glorious form, divided by a border. A daily military practice followed by the Border Security Force of India and Pakistan Rangers, the ceremony symbolises the rivalry, brotherhood and co-operation between the two countries. Before the ceremony could start at 6 pm, the gathering crowd was already filled with a spirit of patriotism and we all chanted ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ for countless number of rounds. We sang along the patriotic songs that were being played. People danced to the songs, holding Indian tricolour proudly in their hands. I had never witnessed so much energy and action before. We also saw some international tourists who had come to witness this remarkable ceremony. In the half an hour ceremony that lasted, with dance-like manoeuvers and legs raised high by forces of both the nations, the crowd cheered endlessly in support of our beloved nation. The ceremony ended with both the flags lowered and respectfully folded, followed by closing of the gate that separates the two countries. We felt great about the fact that we got an opportunity to see this highly exuberant ceremony in India’s 75^th year of independence.

Before we could officially say goodbye to this city which made us fall in its love in only one day, we decided to catch one last glimpse of the Golden Temple as the day proceeded into darkness. The longing to see the temple once again was unchanged. We reached the premises of the temple and there it was, the glittering holy golden structure that had captured our hearts the day before. The temple reflected its golden light into the water around it, thus creating a stunning view which still remains imprinted on my mind. It made me say, “All that glitters is Golden Temple!”. We also considered ourselves fortunate for when we reached the temple in the evening, it was time for their daily prayer, which I assumed to be similar to maha aartis in Hindu temples. Though I could not understand the exact words of the prayers, it sounded very soothing and sacred to my ears. I could only chant “Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji ki Fateh”, having heard of it before. The prayers brought aplomb and calmness to the mind. We finally took leave from this charming temple, carrying our admiration and new found respect for Sikhism and its teachings. When in Punjab, eat like Punjabis do. We wanted to explore the delicacies of Punjab as it was our last night in Amritsar. We went to the famous Brothers’ Dhaba where we enjoyed lip-smacking butter naan and paneer. Generously cooked in desi ghee, every bite was a heavenly treat to the taste buds. The memory of that dinner still makes my mouth water! Thus, our short but eventful two-day trip in Amritsar came to an end. Having explored this magnificent city in North India, Amritsar now holds special place in my heart which walked me through various time periods of history and mythology. The memories of this trip will be cherished in many more years to come.

Past, Present and Future of Independence

 Today as I sat sipping my morning coffee, I was elated to see the view at my window. As the usual pleasant morning monsoon breeze brushed my face, I saw that our beautiful Indian tricolour flag hoisted at my home with its head held high, swayed proudly in the soothing breeze. It seemed to be breathing in the air of liberation which our country got 75 years ago, thanks to the many sung and unsung heroes who dreamt of an independent India for future generations to come.

When we refer to 75 years to a person, we call him or her a senior citizen, as someone who is retired and finally needs a well-deserved rest after many years of hard work. However, I believe that India is not 75 years ‘old’ but 75 years ‘young’, considering how far we have come in the last 75 years. India is young at heart, with its heart beating with immense energy to work towards improvements, to bring about development in every aspect that is possible. We still have a lot to achieve and lot to progress, but the strides in the last 75 years cannot certainly be overlooked.

As someone who is born in the 1990s, I believe that we have seen some rapid developments in the last 30 years itself. We have seen advancements in almost every walk of life – education, business, infrastructure, entertainment, communication (of which social media is the top ranker), and our overall outlook as a society. I think that internet is this dominant factor that transformed everything – not only providing one-click solutions to make our lives easier but also influencing the way we think, the decisions that we make. Somewhere between the wavering dial-up internet connection to 5G today, we have transformed as individuals and as a nation with internet as our window, connecting us to the rest of the world. We have adopted and adapted to keep up with the pace of the world. We have started to think of India not only as our own country but as a country who has the potential to make a significant mark in the world in any field that you name.

When I hear stories of my parents’ childhood, the simple life that they had, devoid of any comforts, luxury brands or anything ‘modern’ as we define today, I realise that it took them almost 50 years to see the developments that we see today in a span of 30 years. The development was by leaps and bounds. We started as a nation where we first focused on working for our basic needs and once these basic needs were fulfilled, we could walk towards and think of comforts and luxuries. India started prospering as the individual families residing in her started dreaming bigger. It does not come as a surprise when Indians make beeline for any new car, iPhone or any international brands or collections that are launched. India is a booming market vibrating with young energy, good purchasing power and every brand wants to tap this huge market. From an agrarian to a service-oriented economy, India has proven that she is the jack as well as master of any skill that you can think of. This immense potential, multitude of talents and skills explain how and what we have achieved till today.

In another 25 years, India will celebrate its centenary. 25 years from now, how will India look like? How would have things progressed? As someone who thinks that our past has sowed the seeds of our present and future, I often think how we would be celebrating the 100 years of our independence. I watched the Netflix movie The Adam Project a few months back. I am not usually a fan of sci-fi, yet I found this concept fascinating wherein the 12-year-old Adam meets his future self from 2050, played by Ryan Reynolds. What if I get to meet my future self some day? What story from the future will I tell myself today? It got me thinking and I started imagining a 100-year-old independent India, in the year 2047.

First, I would hope that our environment – the mountains, forests, oceans, seas, rivers would exist in a form as pure as possible, despite their desecration done by humans. Today climate change is a grim reality, and we see this harsh reality raise its ugly head in form of nature calamities that happen not only in India but also in other parts of the world. A few months back, I watched the Korean series The Silent Sea which revolved around the bunch of scientists who go on an expedition to the moon in search of water after the sources of water on Earth dry up and cease to exist in future. It is shown how people queue up outside ‘Water ATMs’ to fill a bottle of potable water and how often scuffles take place over limited water. The environment around is shown to be arid and lifeless, though technological advancement is at its peak. Those pathbreaking scientific discoveries are of no avail when water, the basic need of any human, becomes a rarity. In such a dystopian world, we would not be able to compare frivolous spending of money with water, as water would be scarcer and dearer than money. For me it was an eye opener of a series emphasizing on the fact that the actions we take today, our attitude, habits, and behaviour towards the elements of Nature will determine the future we would like to live in. This should start from actions as simple as not littering the surroundings or polluting air and water, the very basis of our life. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when there was dearth of oxygen supply, we realised that we have been wantonly cutting down trees over so many years, the lungs of nature and our source of oxygen without any regard for unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic.

Secondly, I would hope that no pandemic should ever arise in future again. Covid-19 brought the world to its knees and taught the world many lessons. The aftermath of Covid-19 was palpable in every small factor around us. People lost their loved ones, sources of livelihood and life took an unexpected turn. India battled this grave situation too and emerged victorious, which showed the medical advancement that she possesses. However, in future, I would hope that these healthcare facilities would be affordable and available to anyone who needs it, and no life is lost in the quest of getting the best treatment.

Thirdly, I would hope that no one goes hungry in our nation. The solution to this would be to have smaller families. It is said that by 2050, India will be the most populous country, surpassing China. The increasing population will put additional pressure on resources which are already under lot of pressure. It would be a challenge to educate the burgeoning the population, to translate the educated population to labour force, who will contribute to the GDP. If India does not create enough jobs for the growing population and if the workers are not adequately skilled for the jobs, then the demographic advantage of young working population would turn into a liability, thus resulting into a vicious cycle of population explosion, unemployment and poverty. Additionally, we would also need to have more female labour force participation in order to have better prospects for the economy. I would hope that every girl in remotest of villages gets the right to education and job opportunities that any equally qualified man would get. Thus, the picture of women emancipation and empowerment should not only be restricted to metro cities but should percolate to every city, every village in India. This empowerment and enlightening of women will help in controlling the population growth as well. As women become more educationally aware and take control of their own bodies, the fertility rates can be seen going down already, which could be seen as a sign of lesser strain on future resources. I would also hope that India’s development should not only be restricted to a few cities. India will be a superpower only if every village and city has equal opportunities in terms of education, job opportunities and infrastructure, and the overcrowding and overdependence on cities will reduce. India will not only be known by Mumbai or Delhi, but other cities as well, who will contribute to India’s growth and development in their own unique way.

Lastly, I would love to see that in 2047 the world would be more peace loving and India rises to become one of those happy countries where people learn to live with contentment without any inhibitions, and fair opportunities and facilities are given to all to grow and prosper, where the Government does not need to spend heavily on armed forces to defend its borders but more on education of its citizens. I would also like to see corruption weeded out from the system and the truly deserving ones are given opportunities according to their merits and talents. If the hard-earned taxpayers’ money is channelized ethically towards the welfare of the nation than filling the pockets of the few, no one would dare call our country ‘poor’ or ‘under-developed’.  

In 2047 we will see the quality of roads and railways at par with developed countries (i.e. if the funds really go in the direction that they are invested for), we might see flying cars like they show in movies, we would scale greater heights and our gadgets will become smarter beyond human understanding. In 25 years, India will be globally competent in all aspects. Technologies will get updated and then become outdated, Governments will change, but what will not change are the values, Indian traditions and millions of years of wisdom that are passed on to generations as treasures of not only our rich lineage but also are the very crux of being an Indian and defines who we are.

I always believe that India is standing firmly on her feet today because of her rich ancient cultural heritage and the great personalities who were its torchbearers. This past of ours paved way for where we are today, it has influenced where we stand today and will continue to shine upon future India beyond centuries. My dream of India in 2047 would seem very utopian, but the world lives on hope and there is no risk in dreaming big and being sanguine. Centuries ago, Indian independence also would have also seemed utopian – yet here we are today, enjoying the 75 years of independence thanking all those who dared to dream and fought for their dream to see an India they had envisaged.