After two nights in Delhi, I headed north to Amritsar, a city in the northwest state of Punjab. Amritsar is known for a few tourist sites, including the Wagah border and the Golden Temple.
I took the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express train up to Amritsar. I was quite nervous to take the train in India. This was my first time to ride the train in India and I was riding on my own. However it was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone. Working with a travel company/agent that can purchase a train ticket for you well in advance, with a reserved seat, is the key to a pleasant ride. Food, drinks, and 6 hours to sit back and enjoy the great farmland views were all part of my ticket.
Arriving in Amritsar
Upon arrival in Amritsar, I checked into the Ramada hotel. I got a snack and a little rest before a guide met me at the hotel for my next adventure: the Wagah border. The Wagah border lies between India and Pakistan, and every evening they hold a border retreat (closing) ceremony which is open to the public. It is quite popular on the Indian side – all seats were taken when I arrived 45 minutes before the ceremony, so I ended up sitting on the stairs.
The event began with an emcee getting the audience pumped up. Next, he introduced a group of girls (this appeared to be a huge honor) to run the Indian flag through the corridor leading up the the border.
After the girls finished running the flags, the audience was invited to join in. After the flag running, the music came on and a dance party started. Audience members joined in the street and in the stands, dancing their hearts out to some of India’s favorite songs, Jai Ho included!
Up next the Indian Border Security Force took over. Walking through the corridor up to the border gate with much force and intention, they threw high kicks and glares to the border. The ceremony ended with each side taking down their flag, and closing the border gates.
Nationalism
Making it to the Wagah border is something most Indian nationals hope to do in their lifetime. This explains why the seats are filled nightly, year round, even in the sweltering heat of summer (did I mention it was more than a tad warm out?).
This is a well choreographed ceremony that dates back to 1959, with massive amounts of patriotism shown on each side of the border. Currently, these two countries don’t have great relations. Seeing India and Pakistan work together on this nightly ritual, even while each side shouts nationalistic slogans, was quite impressive. I feel very fortunate to have made it to the border and seen the retreat ceremony.
