Amritsar

Amritsar is the spiritual and cultural capital of the Sikh faith, home to the resplendent Golden Temple the holiest shrine in Sikhism whose gilded dome reflects in the sacred pool (amrit sarovar) that gives the city its name. Founded in 1577 by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, Amritsar is a city of profound devotion, fierce patriotism, and extraordinary food. The Golden Temple's community kitchen (langar) feeds up to 100,000 people daily for free the world's largest such kitchen embodying Sikh principles of equality and service. The Jallianwala Bagh memorial stands as a somber reminder of the 1919 massacre, while the Wagah Border ceremony every evening is a theatrical display of India-Pakistan rivalry. Amritsar's walled old city is a sensory overload of narrow lanes, glittering fabric shops, and the legendary flavors of Amritsari kulcha, butter chicken (said to have been invented here), and lassi served in steel tumblers.