Ambarsariya

No that’s not just a Bollywood song, it is the colloquial way of how the locals of Amritsar are called. A Punjabi jooti(footwear), Kulcha(bread), Fish, fulkaari(fabric), the khaana-peena, from Amritsar is all Ambarsari. And all the praajis, veerjis and parjaaijis, basically the people are Ambarsariya.

And when we reached Amritsar, at 6 in the morning, taxi, auto, tempo, hotel, motel, tour guide, bus guy, chai pani guy flocked us with such Ambarsari offers that were outrageous and so unwanted by the sleep deprived us. No! Please vanish!

It was on the auspicious day of Guru Nanak Jayanti that we had dared to be here. Those who do not know, for us Sikhs, it is our biggest festival. It is the birthday of our holy saint Guru Nanak Devji. And the Golden Temple in Amritsar is our holiest shrine. It’s like being in Bethlehem on Christmas eve. Our parents had warned us, “You're going from so far, don't return without darshan!" Actually, it isn’t their fault, the kind of hopeless fun loving friends we were, expecting divinity from us was a far sight.

One of my friends on this trip, is also a Sardar and her Aunt knew the authorities of the main Darbar Saheb very well. So the head of the shrine had assured her, 2 rooms and VIP Darshan for all of us. While I write this, you might think how mean, it’s a place of worship, why couldn’t you be in the line like other pilgrims and wait for your chance, I would only ask in my defense… if you are a bunch of 25year olds traveling from Bombay & Delhi and have the luxury of sailing past the 4 hour line, without bribing anyone, without troubling anyone, will you still not do it? We did. And especially if we know we are God’s favorite children, we would accept it with open arms!

So back to the arrival, the ordeal was to call the Paaiji (pandit) who had booked our rooms and made the arrangements. As soon as he answered his phone, we rushed to our rooms to empty our bladders and stomachs, which is after 3 hours of our arrival.

“Eva, I don’t think your Bua knows anyone, she must have bluffed. No one will answer, lets go to Gurudwara toilets and get fresh atleast.”

“What ya Eva, what is this, you can’t even imagine under how much pressure I am in.”

“Eva, Paaiji made you Pagal, lets get a hotel and go stand in the darshan line.”

“Eva how could your Bua dupe us like this yaa, we are such innocent kids.”

“Guys can you please shut up, he’s a Paaiji he must be in gurudwara, he will call back when he sees our calls. Relax!" Eva busy making him calls, bursted at all of us.

And just then the ever hungry me added, “Fine lets just go have some breakfast. Sumit you remember that kulcha place outside Gurudwara in that small lane! Let's just go there.” “Awesome!” everyone unanimously yelled and we dragged our luggage and ourselves. The tiny lanes of Amritsar are flocking with poor kids. They are left on the road to beg from the tourists and earn their bread. While we crossed them and tried to shoo them, we ended up making friends with them and exchanged fowl smells and basically looked alike in dirty clothes. We bought them food and clicked pictures. They thought we were like them only, from a different village may be. We let them believe so. Here’s a peek, make a guess of the who’s who of the beggar lane of Amritsar.

After we passed through and reached to this double storied dhaba we ordered 2-3 Kulchas. “No god, I cant eat such early in the morning.” “Yaar, how can you eat without getting fresh, you guys eat, I won't.” Three of us who had been to Amritsar before  and knew how delicious these Kulchas are, went ahead and ordered, and the other 4 who don’t know what they are missing threw their weight around and just waited in boredom for paaiji to call back. And the moment our Kulchas also known as the Chur Chur naan arrived, the delectable smell of these divine smelling breads with aloo or paneer fillings inside left them baffled. “Can I take one bite?" "Yaar smell is damn nice!" "It looks sooo yummy.” And with that, within 1 minute the plates were cleaned, swipped, licked and cleared. And then began the round of Kulchas. We ate 17 kulchas amongst the 7 of us. So much so for the king size morning breakfast!

After paying the bill we decided now is the time to start checking out hotels because we were determined that we are fooled and before it got too late, let’s make up for the lost time. We divided our selves amongst three groups. Two went to one hotel, two to the other, and three of us stayed put with the luggage near the shoe stall of the Gurudwara. People came, staired, gossiped, went, and we stood right their praying for the God’s servant, our beloved paaiji to call back. He didn’t. After a while, one group came back with rates. And a few minutes later, the other two came walking with few papers in their hand.

“Chalo let’s go, we have finalized the rooms, bathrooms are nice and clean, it’s not noisy also, let’s go.” The disheartened 'us' started picking up our bags and suitcases and just then, the phone rang! “Paaiji Calling” And we all jumped in joy and celebrated. Nirvana. Waheguruji tussi great ho! We got fresh, relaxed for a bit in our rooms and without wasting more time rushed to the Gurudwara.

Harmandir Saahbji

It was November end, the cold had started dawning in Amritsar and the marble floor of the Gurudwara gave shivers to the bare foot us as we walked inside the gates. And just then, when through the huge gate, the Amrit sarovar (Nectar pool) comes in your site all the years of misery, months of plight and days of longingness vanish. It is unbelievable how certain places of worship have this aura of awesomeness. The moment you step inside, you feel the divinity flowing through the place. You feel at home. You pray in gratitude even if you don’t want to. One side of us, wanted to capture everything in pictures and pose like maniacs, the other side just wanted to stay calm, close our eyes and just be ourselves.

For those of you who haven’t been to the Golden Temple, do it very soon. Its’ golden top will make your eyes water with sun reflecting on it while the calming blue water of the sarovar will soothe them and your soul as well. And as you start with your parikrama (round) of the sarovar, you will see a lot of kids and men taking bath in their under-wears in the ice-cold water and almost in a state of bliss. While you can't stop hopping from one carpet to the other to save your feet from the cold floor you will wonder how brave those people are. I can vouch for this, because that’s what I did. Observed and soaked in people praying, worshipping and connecting with the divine in ways, personal to each one of them.

And when it was the time for us to take a dip in the holy pool, we were scared of the chilly water. The guys out rightly refused. My friend Eva and I were determined to do it, so we made sure all of us girls do it. We did it. In a small room on the sides of the pool is the women’s holy dip area. The belief is, apart from kachha (underwear) one has to take off everything worldly from their body and then take the holy dip. It not just takes you nearer to god, but it also makes everyone equal before god. And while our minds questioned and cursed this rule, when we reluctantly, shiveringly took the first dip, we realized what it meant. Divinity. Purity. At it's best. I have nothing that’s mine, you have given everything, you will give everything, I have no prayers, only gratitude for everything you have given me. I dip again, and bow in your holy feet. Thank you Waheguru, thank you God.

And after finishing that we continued to move towards the main mandir - the Darbar Sahib's darshan and aarti. Will write in more, with more divineness and lot more fun at the Wagah border, until then, remember to say your prayers, and bow your head before God, for it could have always been worse! What he has given you, is what you should be thankful of, only then, he will give you, grant you more. With this attitude of gratitude, smile – you the reader of Ambarsariya! J