Amritsar

Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, is Sikhism's holiest city and one of Punjab's most historically significant urban centres, its old walled city retaining narrow bazaar lanes and havelis reflecting centuries of trade along historic routes between Punjab, Kashmir and Central Asia. Beyond the Golden Temple itself, the city carries deep historical weight through Jallianwala Bagh and its position near the Wagah border, together giving Amritsar a concentration of significant religious and national historical sites unmatched by most other Indian cities of comparable size.

Amritsari cuisine, particularly its distinctive kulchas and rich, buttery dishes, has become nationally renowned, and the city's markets around the Golden Temple complex offer everything from traditional Punjabi textiles to street food, giving visitors a genuinely full sensory introduction to Punjabi culture alongside the city's more solemn religious and historical sites.

Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, around the sacred pool that gives the city its name (Amrit Sarovar, 'pool of nectar'), Amritsar grew from this religious foundation into one of Punjab's most significant trading and cultural centres over the following centuries.

Amritsar has its own international airport and is a major railway junction near the Pakistan border.