Things to do in Punjab

Akal Takht, where the spiritual and temporal issues of the Sikh community are addressed, was founded by Guru Hargobind Ji on 15th June 1606. It is a very significant site in the holy city of Amritsar and a must-visit place when you are in this city. The word "Akal" means "the timeless one", which signifies the Almighty and the Persian word "Takht" means "throne". Hence, Akal Takht means the "Throne of the Timeless One". It is considered as the highest seat of the head or the principal spokesperson (Jathedar) of the Sikh community. It is located within the Harmindar Sahib complex and is considered the supreme of all the five takhts (seats of power). The other four takhts are Keshgarh Sahib (Anandpur), Patna Sahib, Hazur Sahib, and Damdama Sahib. Guru Hargobind Ji along with Bhai Gurdas Ji and Baba Buddha Ji created the original structure of Akal Takht. The Akal Takht was embellished in gold by Hari Singh Nalwa, who was a general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The present building of Akal Takht is a five-story edifice made of white marble with a dome at the top made of gold. Three stories of the present-day structure were built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 1700s. During an Indian Army operation on 4th June 1984, the building was heavily damaged, however, it was rebuilt.

Central Sikh Museum is a museum in Amritsar displaying Sikh history. Established in 1958, it is quite popular among Sikhs as well as tourists. The museum exhibits paintings of Sikh gurus and saints. The museum also demonstrates a lot about Sikh warriors and leaders, who worked for the welfare of Sikhs. There is also a library in the museum, which has paintings by great Sikh artists, pencil sketches, musical instruments, and guns of Sikh Raj. The museum is divided into several halls, based on different aspects of Sikh history. In all, the museum is a must-visit place to gain insights into the history of Sikhism.

The Gobindgarh Fort, also called as Bhangian Da Qila, was originally built by Gujjar Singh Bhangi in 1760. Later in 1805, the construction work was enhanced by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru. After that, in 1849, the British captured the fort and used it as a residence for almost 2000 British soldiers. During that time till independence, the British made significant modifications in this fortress area. After 1947 onwards, the Indian army managed the fort complex very well. Finally, in December 2006, the fort was opened for the public.
The square shaped building was constructed only by brick and lime. The fort has two entrance gates made of iron, Nalwa Gate and Keelar Gate. The main gate Nalwa was named after Hari Singh Nalwa, the commander of Sikh Khalsa. Keelar Gate was the back entry, made of wood and iron. It is said that the Keelar Gate was connected with Lahore through a narrow tunnel. This glorious fort also has 25 cannons and 4 bastions in the main complex.
This historic construction served as the refugee camp during the India-Pakistan partition. During these 257 years of long history of this fort, starting from the Bhangi Era to Sikh, then British and finally the Indian army, a lot of modifications and restoration work have been done. For example, during the Sikh period, unique fortification system, Toshakhana Museum, and Central bungalow were made. During the British period, they made some constructions like the Darbar hall, Chloronome House, etc. were added. Finally, in 2017, again some development work was done like Sher-E-Punjab, Coin Museum, Haat Bazar, Sprit of Punjab, etc.

To explore this magnificent monument and witness the historical art and architecture of Punjab, visitors should come here as different types of art forms and local designs are exhibited here like Phulkari, wood inlays, Jutti, Sarkanda Baskets, copper products, and many more.

Jallianwala Bagh, the famous historical place is a civic garden located near the Golden Temple Complex in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, Punjab. The garden area covers around 6.5 acres and was inaugurated by the former Indian President Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1951. There is a painful historical significance behind this garden, called Jallianwala Bagh Massacre or Amritsar Massacre that happened on Sunday, dated 13th April 1919, on the occasion of Punjabi New Year and the major Sikh Festival, Baisakhi. As per the historical facts, on that day thousands of Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims including around 5,000 villagers had gathered in this garden to participate and celebrate the Baisakhi Festival, on whom the British General Dyer ordered his troops to fire bullets. As a result of this firing, thousands of innocent Indians died and many were injured. This incident is marked in the history of Indian freedom struggle as one of the most heart-wrenching and bloodiest events. This beautiful park was built to commemorate the thousands of Indians, who died at the massacre and to immortalize their sacrifice. The centenary of this historic moment will take place in April, 2019.

There is a memorial built of red stone in 1961 in the shape of a flame and its base is made of granite.
The narrow entrance, which is the only entryway to the park is a very significant attraction of the park.
The Amar Jyoti or the timeless light is a flame that continuously burns day and night to pay tribute to the martyrs, who lost their lives in the massacre. It is located at the site, where the people had gathered on that fateful day.
Other significant tourist attractions in the park include the martyrs well, martyrs gallery, bullet marks on the walls, and the light and sound show that takes place every evening at 7 pm in summer and at 5 pm in winter.

Rambagh Palace and Garden are closely knitted with the glorious history of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780 - 1839), who is known as the founder of the Sikh Empire in Punjab. As a tribute, Maharaja named this palace and garden after Guru Ram Das, who was the founder of Amritsar city. The Rambagh Palace was once used to be the summer palace of the king and the manicured garden that spreads around this magnificent palace is called the Rambagh Garden or Barandari. In earlier times, it was known as the Company Garden. This extensive garden was designed following the beautiful and famous Shalimar Gardens of Lahore and is adorned with splendid fountains, golden fishes, coniferous trees, various herbs and medicinal plants, and an imposing statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh riding on his horse. Today, it is popularly known as Maharaja Ranjit Singh Garden.
The palace is designed in Indo-Sarcanic architectural style and the construction is mainly of red stone. The palace complex as well as, the garden is declared as a protected area by the Punjab Government and its maintenance and conservation are done by the Archaeological Survey of India. The central building of the palace complex was used by Maharaja as his residence. There used to be a swimming pool for the royal ladies adjoining the palace. The false ceilings of the palace rooms are designed in the Khatamband technique of Kashmir.

This palace has now been turned into the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum that exhibits different items associated with the life and expeditions of Maharaja like his sword, shield, etc., and portraits of the royal dynasties of Punjab, antique weapons of the Mughal era, and many other historical artifacts. Also, there are replicas of the Kohinoor diamond and a golden throne.

The Golden Temple, also known as Shri Harmandir Sahib, is a symbol of equality and brotherhood. It is also known as Darbar Sahib and is the chief Gurudwara of Amritsar and is considered an iconic tourist destination not only in Amritsar but, in the state of Punjab. Hence, it is an important pilgrimage site of the Sikhs. It is built at a lower level than the surrounding land. The temple is built on a small island at the center of the pool, known as Amrita Saras. The four gates of the temple face the four directions, symbolically representing that worshippers from all castes and creeds are welcome into the temple. It is the holiest place to visit in Punjab. During the Afghan invasion, the temple was destroyed many times. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple was rebuilt in marble and copper and was covered with gold foil, thus, rendering it the name of Golden Temple.
The Golden Temple is connected to the land on its west side with the help of a marble causeway. At the entrance of the causeway is the Akal Takht, which forms the chief center of the authority of Sikhism. The main entrance of the complex is situated towards the northern side of the pool. The east side of the pool houses the Assembly Hall and the Guru Ram Das Langur Hall, where food is served to thousands of pilgrims on a daily basis. The Tej Singh Samudri Hall, situated at the entrance of the complex houses the main office of the committee, which looks into the functioning of the gurudwaras.

The popular and world's first museum on the partition of two nations during the independence, named The Partition Museum is located in a red brick building in Amritsar, called the Town Hall. The museum area covers around 17000 square carpet feet. Until the establishment of this grand museum, there was no venue to store and preserve the history of the bloody chapter of independence, the partition of two South Asian giants, India and Pakistan. The purpose of constructing this museum was to safely store and preserve the equipment, photographs, newspaper clippings, donated personal items, documents, archives, Refugees letters, Government documents, etc., which may convey the struggle and how the people suffered during this violent period. It is said that, during this time around 17 lakhs refugees suffered due to migration and the riots that occurred among the Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs.
To build a world class museum, in 2015, TAACHT (The arts and Culture Heritage Trust) was set up according to the Indian Trust Act, 1882 with the aim of to open and operate a physical museum and memorial hall. On dated 24th October 2016, Punjab Heritage and Tourism Board and TAACHT opened the first part of this museum. Finally on 17th August, at the 70th anniversary of the partition, the Honble Chief Minister Shri Amarinder Singh inaugurated the fully developed all 15 galleries of this museum and dedicated to the people of the nation.
At present, the museum is a part of the recently introduced Heritage Street in Amritsar, which starts from the Golden Temple and ends at the Town Hall Complex. The museum administration actively encourages the Indian as well as, the foreigners to contribute to the information and equipment related to the historical incident. Also, this museum is open for internship and research purposes.

India's first, famous, and a popular war museum, the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum is situated on the NH 1, Amritsar, near the India - Pakistan border, known as Wagah Border. This war museum was established in October 2016 and inaugurated by the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr. Prakash Singh Badal. The area of the museum complex covers around 4 acres and was designed by Kapoor and Associates, New Delhi. The building follows the traditional as well as, modern style of architecture. The main complex has three parts - two galleries and one museum. The purpose of constructing this memorial museum was to spread awareness among the new generation regarding the bravery, dedication, patriotism, contribution, and sacrifices the Punjabi soldiers had made at different times in different wars. This historical memorial house has many things to explore like different photo galleries, weapons, paintings, artifacts, and many more, from the period of the Sixth Sikh Guru Sri Hargobind Singh to the post-independence war, like till ?Operation Parakram in 2002. The main building has total eight galleries and each of the gallery contains different subjects, like Gallery 1 represents the ?Orientation and Antiquity?, Gallery 2 represents the ?Guru Hargobind Ji till the rise of Sikh Kingdom?, Gallery 3 represents the ?the Sikh Dynasty and Anglo-Sikh Wars?, Gallery 4 shows the ?British Rule Up to Partition (1846 - 1947)?, Gallery 5 shows the Jammu and Kashmir Operation, 1947 - 48?, Gallery 6 depicts the ?Indo-China War 1962?, Gallery 7 represents the ?Indo-Pak Wars (1965-1971)? and finally, Gallery 8 represent the ?Kargil War 1999?.

Other attractions are - one 45-meter high stainless steel sword, a MiG-23 aircraft, INS Vikrant, and three tanks. The complex also has a 7D auditorium, where you can watch the realistic activities of different wars. A special light and sound show, organized by the authority every evening is also a major tourist attraction.