During our stay in Amritsar, we also visited a memorial of a massacre that occurred in 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh. It was a sad place, as many people were shot and killed, and others jumped into a well in order to avoid being shot, but it was a very deep well, and those people died.
While we were there, we were part of the rare few white people. Many other tourists (Indian) wanted their pictures taken with us. Above is also a photo of my with a recent bride.
We also visited the Durgiana Temple, a Hindu temple to Durga. This is sometimes called the Silver Temple, because its doors are made of silver.
Finally, we went to the Mata Lal Devi Mandir, which honors a female guru. Women who want to become pregnant pray here. It was a very unique temple, filled with lots of ups and downs, passages, tunnels, and “caves.” It felt a bit like a fun house, because of this jumbled set-up, and the kids even loved it. At one point, you have to crawl through a tunnel, and at another point, you go into this cave-like room and then walk through water. I wondered if it symbolized a birthing canal. We could not find out the answer why it was so uniquely designed.
On the train ride home, the AC broke for a bit, and about 10 different men kept going up front to try to “fix” it or at least give their two cents. It’s kind of like how a bunch of men stand around a car that is broken down surmising what must be wrong. “I think it’s the catalytic converter.” “No, it’s gotta be the temperature gauge…” You know what I’m talking about.
Then the AC worked and it got chilly. Men were wearing their wives dupettas, leaving their wives to be cold, though some men shared with their wives.
Although Amritsar was extremely hot, it was a great weekend. Since I have returned, I have come down with a cold. I tried to go to an internet cafe today to no avail. I dropped of an unstitched suit to the tailors and felt like a complete idiot, because I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I still have to buy material for a sari blouse. So many things to do! When am I going to see the Taj Mahal?
The Connecticutian 