Must-see attractions in Punjab (India)

  • Golden Temple

    Amritsar

    The legendary Golden Temple is actually just a small part of this huge gurdwara complex, known to Sikhs as Harmandir Sahib. Spiritually, the focus of…

  • Govindgarh

    Punjab (India)

    Of all the ruined forts in Punjab, Bathinda’s Govindgarh is the mightiest and most impressive. It’s also the oldest, dating way back to the 7th century,…

  • Guru-Ka-Langar

    Amritsar

    At the southeast end of the Golden Temple Complex is the Guru-Ka-Langar, an enormous dining room where an estimated 100,000 pilgrims come to eat every day…

  • Qila Mubarak

    Punjab (India)

    The ancestral home of the maharajas of Patiala, this richly ornamented 18th-century fort is an Arabian Nights fantasy of soaring buttresses and latticed…

  • Golden Temple Interpretation Centre

    Amritsar

    Hidden beneath the marble square outside the clock-tower entrance to the Golden Temple, this fascinating multimedia museum tells the story of Sikhism and…

  • Partition Museum

    Amritsar

    Housed in the beautifully restored 19th-century Town Hall, this unique museum (the only one in the world dedicated to Partition) offers a poignant and…

  • Amrit Sarovar

    Amritsar

    Spiritually, the focus of attention within the Golden Temple Complex is the tank that surrounds the gleaming central shrine. Known as the Amrit Sarovar,…

  • Border-Closing Ceremony

    Punjab (India)

    Every afternoon Indian and Pakistani border guards meet at the border post between Attari and Wagah to engage in a 30-minute display of military…

  • Sheesh Mahal

    Punjab (India)

    Graced by two wedding-cake towers and an ornamental suspension bridge, Sheesh Mahal is one of Punjab's more striking buildings. Inside the lavishly…

  • Mata Temple

    Amritsar

    Credited with fertility-improving powers, this fascinating labyrinthine Hindu temple commemorates the 20th-century female saint Lal Devi. From the main…

  • Jallianwala Bagh

    Amritsar

    Reached through a narrow gatehouse leading to an enclosed courtyard, this poignant park commemorates the 1500 Indians killed or wounded when a British…

  • Akal Takhat

    Amritsar

    The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in the temple every morning and returned at night to the Akal Takhat, the temporal seat of the Khalsa brotherhood. The…

  • Ram Bagh

    Amritsar

    Ram Bagh was the former palace grounds of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839), who founded the Sikh empire. It now serves as a public park. At its heart,…

  • Kesgarh Sahib

    Punjab (India)

    The largest and most dramatic gurdwara in Anandpur Sahib is the Kesgarh Sahib, set back from the main highway on the edge of the old town. An elegant…

  • Baba Atal Tower

    Amritsar

    Just outside the Golden Temple Complex, and with its own ceremonial tank, the octagonal Baba Atal Tower was constructed in 1784 to commemorate Atal Rai,…

  • Anandpur Sahib Fort

    Punjab (India)

    Up to your right as you walk out the back of Kesgarh Sahib gurdwara, a broad paved path climbs the hillside to the small Kesgarh fort, which affords…

  • Khalsa Heritage Complex

    Punjab (India)

    The striking five-petal form (inspired by the five warrior-saints in the Khalsa) of the Khalsa Heritage Complex, which opened in 2011, is one of India’s…

  • Ramgarhia Bunga

    Amritsar

    At the east end of the Amrit Sarovar tank is the Ramgarhia Bunga, a protective fortress topped by two Islamic-style minarets; inside is a stone slab once…

  • Khalsa College

    Amritsar

    This vast, sprawling castle of a college, on your right as you head west of town along GT Rd, was founded in 1890 to educate the cream of Punjabi society…

  • Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama

    Amritsar

    Located in the northwest corner of Ram Bagh, this museum is dedicated to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ‘Lion of Punjab’ (1780–1839), who founded the Sikh…

  • Sri Durgiana Temple

    Amritsar

    Dedicated to the goddess Durga, this modern Hindu temple was built in 1921 in the architectural style of the Golden Temple. Surrounded by a holy water…

  • Dukh Niwaran Gurdwara

    Punjab (India)

    One kilometre northwest of the bus stand (turn left out of the bus stand, walk past the train station and it's eventually on your right) stands this…

  • Ram Tirath Temple

    Amritsar

    Around 13km west of Amritsar, it’s in the vicinity of this Hindu temple that the hermit Valmiki is believed to have worked on the Ramayana. It’s also said…

  • Summer Palace

    Amritsar

    In the heart of Ram Bagh, you'll find the summer palace of the former maharaja, in commission between 1818 and 1837. It's a modest structure in comparison…

  • Sikh Museum

    Amritsar

    Inside the main entrance clock tower of the Golden Temple Complex, the Sikh Museum shows the persecution suffered by the Sikhs at the hands of Mughals,…

  • Fuwara Chowk

    Amritsar

    Close to the Golden Temple, this is where taxis often drop you. The crossroads are dominated by a giant wedding-cake sculpture that honours Sikh heroes.

  • Gandhi Gate

    Amritsar

    This imposing red sandstone gate stands on the main approach into Amritsar's old city.

  • Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports

    Punjab (India)

    The Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports occupies a wing of the vast Moti Bagh Palace, constructed by Maharaja Narendra Singh in 1847. The museum…

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