After the cool mountain temperatures, we were in for a shock at our next destination, Amritsar, where the temperature was 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It never cooled down, and it was uncomfortable to be outside even when we went out at dawn to see the Golden Temple, the main reason for our visit to the city. Amritsar is in Punjab, home of the Sikhs, and is the holiest temple in Sikhism. We donned our head coverings, removed our shoes, and went in for a visit.
The Golden Temple is an extremely peaceful place, especially in the face of a chaotic and unappealing city like Amritsar, and one of the most pleasant places to be that we have seen in India. The high surrounding walls kept the sights and sounds of the city out, with little to replace it but the constant singing/chanting from the Sikh holy book broadcast over the speakers. Religious pilgrims bowed their heads to the floor or bathed in the holy water surrounding the temple. This was also the first place where the attention we received from locals was positive: children saying hello and shaking our hand before giggling and running away, or young men with camera phones wanting a picture with us. We enjoyed the experience enough to go a second time, near sunset of the following day.
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