Amritsar (The Lake of the Holy Nectar) is a city in the northwestern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. Amritsar is 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of Lahore, Pakistan and therefore, very close to India’s western border with Pakistan. Another origin of Amritsar’s name is from Amŗit-Saagar, “The Ocean of the Nectar of Immortality”.

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Amritsar is home to Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal in Agra and is the number one destination for non-resident-Indians (NRI) in the whole of India.  Amritsar is considered important and holy by Hindus as well.

To understand it fully we must reword the sentence – Amrutsar – Sifti Da Ghar, Amrut + Sar, (as per local fokelore first hand from generational chain) Amrut (Amrit) is used here to mean Pure, Pious, Water, Nectar and Medicinal and Sar means – Sarovar or a Pond or a Pool. A rough cut  meaning of Amritsar is a “The pool of pure, clean, pious and medicinal water”. Sifti as per them stands for Adorable, Appreciation and Praise. Da of course means “is” here, and Ghar means home which is an abode.  So Amritsar – Sifti Da Ghar means – ” The adorable  abode of the Pool with pure, pious and medicinal water”.

The city of Amritsar (ASR) got its name from the Amrut Sarovar. The Amrut Sarovar’s digging on a lot of land which had a pond with medicinal values was initiated by the Fourth Guru Ram Das. The generational chain referred to earlier also substantiates that Guru Ram das initiated the same as per wishes of the third Guru, Guru Amar Das Ji. The sarovar per se is now popularly referred to as Ram Das Sarovar. Some devotees also refer to Amritsar as Amarsar, substituting Amrit for Amar, first name of the Third Guru.

Ambarsar, as the locals call it, is also known for being a foodies delight. Kundan, Kaiser, Gyan, Kanhiya, Bansal, Lubhaya are all legends. Papar and warian, a whole bazaar exists and they would gladly make you eat the raw Papar to understand how the cooked would taste. I try my level best to go to Gyan on my every visit, located at Chok Regent Cinema, Gyan to me is the finest Barfi you can have in the world, and why his lassi tastes the way it does remains a tasty mistry.

Tags: Amritsar, golden temple, harmandir sahib, sikh