Nov 5th- one of the best days of my life!
impromptu day trip to amritsar was planned a few days before! my hosts daughter, shivani, and i decided to tag along with her cousin who is a fashion designer and had a business trip planned. i was so so lucky as i have alwys wanted to visit the Golden Temple (sikh). the train left at 7 but that meant we had an early start as just getting to the train station trhrough the traffic take ages! we got up at a godforsaken hour and caught the Shatabdi express to amrtisar! this was a long 6hr journey (each way!) but it was WELL WORTH IT!
we arrived at 2pm which meant we only got 3hrs to see Amritsar but i know i could have spent a lot longer there. i felt totally at peace and at one with the world and myself. i know it sounds cliched and corny but im having difficulty explaining just how big an impact the place had on me. Ive been to many a temple on this trip but not one made me feel at such peace as this one- and that can only be a good thing! The sounds of the kirtan and the gurbani echoing through the walls, floating across the amrit-filled lakes, the langar (food), the people- old and young- it all encapsulated me. I could swear i was a sikh in a past life. To add to that, people mistake me for a "sikhni" or a "sardarni" all the time anyway!
Sadly time came to leave and we headed back to the station. Did a fair bit in 3hrs- ate yummy (but v v v fattening, oily and sickly) food at a Dhaba, got lost in the backstreets of Amritsr, rode in a crazy rickshaw and sat on a cyclo bck to the Station. I was so gutted to leave, that i wore my special bright orange Golden Temple head scarf all the way back to DElhi- much to my hosts' embarassment! I was so proud and so happy...
UNTIL i got home and was struck down with DELHI BELLY
