 From
a small village pool to a prominent business center, the city of
Amritsar is now one of the most frequently visited cities of India. It
is also the second largest city of Punjab, the state with highest per
capita income in India. Amritsar, literally meaning "holy pool of
nectar", is the home to the Golden Temple, and the spiritual and
cultural centre of the Sikh Religion.
Demographics
According to the 2001 Indian census, the population of the city of
Amritsar was over 1,000,000 and that of the entire district was over
3,096,077.
Climate
The weather in Amritsar is seasonal with four distinct seasons. The hot
summer (April-June) where temperatures can reach 46°C, monsoon
season (July-September) and post-monsoon (September-November) and the
winter season (November-March) where temperatures ranges from 18°C
to about -3 °C. Amritsar is most temperate between October and
March.
How to visit Amritsar?
The city of Amritsar is connected by rail, road as well as air, with
all the major cities in India like Ambala, Chandigarh, Delhi, Ferozepur,
Jammu etc. It is about 450 km north of Delhi.
- Air : Amritsar has Rajasansi airport, about 11
km from town, which is connected by domestic flights to Delhi,
Srinagar and Chandigarh. The city also has an international airport
(Raja Sansi International Airport) that is about 11 km from the city
center. It is connected with Singapore, Tashkent, Ashgabat as well
as London, Birmingham and Toronto.
- Rail : Amritsar is connected by direct trains
to major Indian cities like Delhi, Jammu, Mumbai, Nagpur, Calcutta
and Puri. It has Super Fast or Utrain service from Delhi and
Chandigarh.
- Road : Apart from the routine deluxe and semi
deluxe buses to cities, the bus service from Amritsar to Lahore (35
km), is the only overland connection between India and Pakistan.
Important Tourist Destinations in Amritsar
- Golden Temple
- Wagah: Indo-Pak Border
- Akal Takhat
- Tower of Baba Atal Rai
- Jallianwal Bagh
- Durgiana Temple
- Mosque at Fatehabad
- Summer place of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Education in Amritsar
The Khalsa College, established in 1892, is one of the oldest
educational institutions of the region. It offers courses in Science,
Arts, Commerce, Computers, Languages, Education, Agriculture &
Physiotherapy. Guru Nanak Dev University was established here in 1969.
The city is also home to DAV College and BBK DAV College for Women.
Economy of Amritsar
- Travelers and industrialists alike, find Amritsar an important
place. It is a major commercial, cultural and transportation center
of Punjab.
- It has a number of flourishing industries. Handicrafts products
like woollen blankets, shawls and sweaters are the main items
manufactured in Amritsar. This has put Amritsar on the global map.
- Amritsar has a good reach from most north Indian towns, including
Chandigarh (235 Kms), Delhi (450 Kms), Shimla, Kulu, Manali,
Dharamshala and Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh, Dehradun and
Rishikesh in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu.
- The city is also a leading Publication Centers, especially in
Punjabi language, in the world. It is also called as "Manufacturing
Centre of Ayurvedic Medicines".
- Amritsar houses vendors of exports houses having world-renowned
brands.
- A few of the reputed corporate houses in Amritsar
- OCM Mills
- ESSMA
- Amritsar Swadeshi Woolen Mills
- VXL India Limited (a major unit of multinational company).
Major Industries in Amritsar
- Handicrafts
- Woolen products like blankets, sweaters, shawls etc.
- Textiles - one of the oldest industries in Amritsar.
- Paint
- Rice - Exporters of world famous brands of Basmati rice have
their corporate offices in Amritsar.
- Machine Tool
- Fan
- Dry-Fruits
- Tea (next only to Calcutta)
- Condiments (leading exporter to the Middle East).
- Inlay Furniture
- Jutties (traditional embroidered shoes).
- Cut-Glass Crockery
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