Vaishno Devi Yatra March 2017 ( Day 5 - Part 5 )

                            

Vaishno Devi Yatra March 2017 - ( Day 5,  Part 5 )

           

ॐ नारायणाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि,

   तन्नो नारायण  प्रचोदयात् !

ॐ महादेव्यै च विद्महे विष्णु पत्न्यै च धीमहि,

 तन्नो लक्ष्मीः प्रचोदयात् !

Saturday, 04 March 2017

On day 5, we were ready by 8 :00 am  and looked forward eagerly to visit the Golden Temples in Amritsar. We had poori, bread sandwich and coffee for breakfast. We assembled in the 4th floor of Orbion Hotel in the dining area. We could  have a view of the city from here..

We sat attentively to listen to Sri Madhavananda Dasa,  as we were not aware of the mythological facts connected with Amritsar.

                             

Amritsar - the name  has two parts ‘Amrit’ which means nectar and ‘Sar’ stands for pool. Amritsar has a sacred meaning  ‘ A Pool of Nectar’.  According to Vishnu Purana in Kruta Yuga or Satya Yuga  Vaivasvata Manu ( who was taught Bhagavad Gita first by  Sri Krishna) had ten sons . King Ikshvaku was the eldest among them. King Ikshvaku did severe penance in  this place.  Lord Narayana who was pleased with his tapasya appeared before him and His eyes were filled with tears of joy on seeing Ikshvaku’s devotion. The tear drops fell in this place and transformed into Vishnu Kund in the same manner how Ganga emanated from the lotus feet of Sriman Narayana. In Tretha Yuga, Vishnu Kund was referred as ‘Hari Kund’ and the temple was called’ Hari Mandir’. Presently this is modified as ‘Harmandir Sahib’ .

In Tretha Yuga, Lava and Kusa who were staying in Valmiki Ashram - fought with the soldiers of Ayodhya who had accompanied  the horse (Ashwa),  as  Ashwamedha Yagna was being performed by Sri Rama. The twins captured the horse after vanquishing many soldiers. Sri Rama wanted to bring back the soldiers alive. He asked  Hanuman Ji to bring the Amrita Kalasa from Deva Loka. Sri Hanuman who carried out  Lord Rama’s wish, sprinkled the Amrita on the soldiers and revived them. Some Amrita was left over and Hanuman, in order to preserve the Amrita, came to this spot, dug a small hole in a Jujube tree ( Ber/ Indian plum) and hid the Amrit.  As God willed, the Amrit fell into the Vishnu Kund. In Dwapara Yuga the Vishnu Kund was hidden from view and became visible only in Kali Yuga..  

Sri Harmandir Sahib - The Abode Of  God - also Sri Darbar Sahib popularly known as

‘The Golden Temple’ is the holiest Gurudwara of the Sikhs, located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab..

Sri Guru Ram Das Ji, the 4th Sikh Guru, initiated the digging of Amrit Sarovar (Holy Tank) of Sri Harmandir Sahib in 1577 AD. which was later brick lined  by Guru Arjan  (5th Sikh Guru). He also started the construction of Sri Harmandir Sahib. In 1604 AD - ‘ The Adi Granth ‘ , the holy scripture of the Sikhs was installed in Sri Harmandir Sahib. Baba Budha Ji was its first Granthi ( reader) after its compilation. Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru added 115 hymns from Guru Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Sikh Guru. This second rendition became known as ‘Guru Granth Sahib’.

The Golden Temple at Amritsar has a unique Sikh architecture. Built at a lower level compared to its surrounding land  the Gurudwara teaches the lesson of humility and equality  among people. It is not only a central religious place of the Sikhs, but as a place symbolic of ‘ human brotherhood.’ The four entrances of this holy shrine from all four directions signify that people belonging to every walk of life are equally welcome..   

The land for the site was acquired by the earlier Guru Sahibs partly by payment and partly as donation from the landlords of native villages. The construction works of the Sarovar -

the Tank - and the town were started simultaneously in 1570 and both the projects were completed in a span of 7 years. .

We were engrossed in the narration by Sri Dasa.  It was 10 am when we left the hotel by vans. We got down near a crowded shopping area and walked towards the Mandir in groups .

                              On the Path of Heritage Walk

Since it was a Saturday lots of people were seen going towards the Holy Shrine. .We were tracing the path of Heritage walk which starts at 8 am in summer (8:30 am in winter)  from the Town hall close to the Golden Temple and ends at the Temple.

Both men and women cover conventionally their heads with a piece of cloth before entering the Temple as a mark of reverence. We also followed the tradition..

                     

The Gurdwara is surrounded by the Sarovar or holy tank (  consisting of Amrit or immortal nectar ) which is fed by Ravi River. There are three holy Ber trees each signifying a historical event of Sikh saints. Inside the Gurdwara there are many memorial plaques that commemorate past Sikh historical events, also about saints and martyrs. There are also inscriptions of all soldiers who died fighting courageously in World War I and II.  

As we entered the parikrama of Sri Harmandir Sahib a sense of tranquility prevailed over us. We  were captivated by its serene  beauty augmented by the gold covering that accords the Gurudwara its name ‘The Golden Temple’. Its grandeur is enhanced by the mirror image in the sacred water of the Sarovar. The Golden Temple is covered with a gold plating outside and the interior decorated with frescos and gemstones.

       

Reflection in the Sacred Water

     

     On the Terrace

  Recitation of Guru Granth Sahib

                     

 Serving Water                                                 Cleaning with Ash

      

     Cool & Peaceful                                    The Ber Tree

The gold covering was installed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century. The temple premises is kept very tidy. The parikrama around the shrine is quite long and in spite of the rush we were fortunate to move along with other pilgrims to enter into the Main Shrine to have darshan of the ‘ Holy Granth ‘..

There is a causeway bridge that connects to the main building of Sri Harmandir Sahib

A  large parikrama runs round the temple leading to the ‘Har ki Paure’ (Steps of God).

There are three floors. There is a continuous reading of Guru Granth Sahib in the first floor. Regular recitals of Guru Granth Sahib is held in the second floor too.  In the open terrace above, there is a small room having a pathway for performing parikrama.. Here also recitation of Guru Granth Sahib is held regularly..

We paid our obeisance inside the shrine and completed the parikrama. We came across the world’s largest free kitchen, the Langar. It can serve free food up to one to three lakh people everyday. This free kitchen or Sikh Langar was started by the first Sikh Guru , Guru Nanak with the noble motive of feeding the pilgrims regardless of their caste, religion or societal background.  Only vegetarian meals is served here..

We were very happy to have had a peaceful and satisfying visit to the world famous

Sikh Golden Temple..

We moved towards the Jallianwala Bagh situated at about 100 feet from the shrine. It is a public garden in Amritsar where the massacre of innocent people was carried out  by the British force on April 13, 1919  which happened to be the Punjabi New year or Baisakhi -  the main Sikh festival.

Many villagers had gathered in the Bagh. Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer was an officer of the British Army who as a temporary Brigadier General, was responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre . The Jallianwala Bagh was surrounded on all sides by houses and buildings and had few narrow entrances  most of which were permanently kept locked. Dyer went with 50 Gurkha troops to a raised bank and ordered them to shoot at the crowd. He continued the firing for ten minutes. The brutality was so massive that 1650 rounds had been fired till the ammunition supply was almost over. The casualty figure was more than 1500 with 1000 dead approximately. Besides, many people died in the stampedes, while trying to escape through the narrow lanes or by jumping into the almost dry well. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre also known as Amritsar Massacre was one of the main causes for the British Rule to decline in India..

                

                         

                                                         Well behind Bars

      

        

                                                                     In Front of the Memorial Tower

                                         Amar Jyothi Flame

                        

A memorial designed by Benjamin Polk, an American architect was built on the site and President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated  the same on 13 April 1961, in the presence of Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders. A flame was later added to the site. The bullet marks remain on the walls  and adjoining buildings to this day. The well (Martyrs Well) into which many people jumped  attempting to save themselves from the bullets is also a protected monument inside the park..We silently strolled across the park going through the  boards displaying details regarding the gruesome incident and were moved seeing  the bullet marks retained on the walls. There is a Memorial Tower.  We paid our humble homage to the departed souls. Words can hardly describe the feelings that rose in our hearts..

On 14 October 1997, Queen Elizabeth II visited Jallianwala Bagh and paid her respect. During the visit she wore a  dress of saffron colour which was of religious significance to the Sikhs..

A number of movies / books that were released covering Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

are listed below chronologically.-

1977--Hindi Movie Jallianwala Bagh

!981- Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children

!984--A scene in Gandhi film by Richard Attenborough

1984--TV series Jewel in the Crown 7th Episode

2002--The Legend of Bhagat Singh

2006--Hindi movie Rang De Basanti

2009--Bali Rai’s novel, City of Ghosts

2014--The British period drama Downton Abbey

2017--The recent Hindi movie Phillauri in which the hero in his previous life was unable to return to his native village for his wedding as he was killed in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

1:00 pm--Our next visit was to one more golden temple in the city the Durgiana Temple or the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. The temple derives its name from the Goddess Durga revered and worshipped here. Idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Narayana are also deified and worshipped here..

The original temple was built in 16th century.. It was rebuilt in 1921 by Guru Harsai Mall  Kapoor in the architectural style of the Sikh Golden Temple.The newly built temple was inaugurated by Madan Mohan Malavya..

There are restrictions to sell tobacco, liquor and meat within the radius of 200 M around this temple and the Sikh Golden Temple. Similar restriction is imposed in Katra town where Vaishno Devi Temple is located..

                      

                     Entrance to Durgiana Temple                       Bridge on the Sarovar

The Durgiana Temple is built in the middle of a sacred lake, similar to the Sikh Golden Temple. We reached the main shrine crossing the bridge across the lake only to find that the shrine doors were closed. As we went round  we saw colourful art work, beautiful idols of Garuda,  Sri Anjaneya , Sri Shiva  and a fountain in the middle of the lake. The temple dome is gilded and the doors are made of silver with beautiful engravings..

       

                    Gilded  Dome and Silver Doors with beautiful Engravings

       

                     Colourful paintings Inside the Shrine        Superb  workmanship on the Ceiling

   

     Garuda                                       Sri Anjaneya                             Temple- Distant View

    

Fountain  in the Lake            Krishna entreats Sudama           Rama with Guha, the Boatman

•       

                                                                                         Roti Making

There are also temples for Sri Hanuman and Sita Mata within the temple complex. Dussehra,  Janmashtami, Ram Navami and Diwali are celebrated in a grand manner. We had lunch in the Langar Bhavan-hot rotis, rice, rajma dal and mixed sabji. Roti is prepared in the Langar kitchen. We thanked the people for their good service and as we were coming out  a batch of school students were seen entering the Langar Bhavan to have their  afternoon meals. .     

We waited outside till 3 pm for the main shrine  to open which proved to be in vain and resulted in our missing out the much awaited program in our itinerary..

We left for Wagah Border to witness the most popular Flag Ceremony and reached  Attari,,  the border village parking area only by 4 pm. There was a huge crowd marching towards the venue at 2 Km distance. When we neared the place we were totally disappointed to see the   gates closed. Since it was Saturday many had planned to view the  spectacular show. We had to stand outside the gate for an hour. Though there was a TV telecast it was very poor. We felt sad for missing a lifetime chance. After the show was over we went inside the arena and took photos . Some compensation for not able to  witness the live show..

“Wagah Border’ is the popular name for the Indian check post on the border with Pakistan at the village of Attari in Punjab.. The check post lies 32 Km from Amritsar..Two hours before sunset each day the Flag Ceremony is conducted by Indian BSF and Pakistan Rangers..The lowering of flags by both the countries is a daily military practice since 1959. It is a colourful drill with elaborate and brisk dance like movements. It is a symbol of the rivalry  between the two countries as well as brotherhood and cooperation between the two Nations for peaceful co-existence.

               

      Behind The Closed Gates

         

                                                After the Flag Ceremony

The ceremony starts with a blustering parade by the soldiers from both the sides and ends up  in the perfectly coordinated lowering of flags of both the Nations.It is called the ‘ Beating  Retreat Border Ceremony’. As the sun sets the iron gates on both the sides are opened, the flags are lowered simultaneously and folded ceremoniously. With a quick handshake between  the soldiers from either side, the gates are closed again. The soldiers of this ceremony are specially appointed and trained. This is considered as a ceremony of great importance at  Wagah Border..

We were at Wagah Border on 4h March. The next day i.e. on  Sunday 5th March a 360-foot high flag post was inaugurated at the Indo-Pak Attari-Wagah Border, just a stone's throw from Pakistan. It is said to be the tallest flag post in our country.

The Indian flag post can be easily seen from Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan Rangers have raised objection over the installation of the flag. The tricolour  flag weighs 55 tons and is 120 feet in length, 80 feet in breadth.  But due to strong winds the flag was torn but will be replaced shortly by Amritsar Improvement Trust which is responsible for the upkeep of the flag.  

By 6 pm we returned to the vans and once again proceeded towards Durgiana  Golden Temple which was closed in the afternoon. The temple was glittering beautifully in the midst of colourful and attractive lighting. The shimmering reflection of the  Golden Temple in the Sarovar presented an ethereal look.  We had Darshan of the main deities Lakshmi, Narayan and went around the temple..

     

                                                    

.                      Lakshmi Narayan Mandir In the Night -  a dazzling sight !

By 8:30 pm we had dinner in Sagar Ratna restaurant . South Indian Thali meals was the speciality. We reached Orbion Hotel by shared autos after dinner.. On the whole it was a day marked by  delays and missed opportunities causing disappointment to some extent. But still we had the satisfaction of visiting two Golden temples and the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial which we will cherish in our minds for long time to come. We packed our bags, before retiring to bed, as we had to be ready early morning to catch the train. Chandigarh was our next place of visit.

Natarajan's

( to be continued in part 6 )