December, 2019: Part 2

Exalting the rich culturally diverse cuisine of this city Amritsar would be an understatement.

The ‘prashad’ at the Golden Temple was wonderfully delicious; it symbolized the utmost effort laid down in making it. Besides that, I was beyond excited to try out the specialty of the city: the ‘Amritsari Kulcha’. As tempting as I had heard it to be, it was by far the most delightful Punjabi dish I could have in the afternoon that day. High on energy, our next stop was at the renowned Wagah-Attari Border.

This Border separates India from Pakistan; in specific: the boundary between the cities of Amritsar and Lahore. As fascinating as it has always sounded to me, I was beyond excited to actually witness what people praise it so much for. It’s already established as cool to walk down 20 steps and reach another country altogether.

The crowd was unreal. Hundreds of people were around to get the chance to spectate the highly eminent ceremony performed by the Border Security Force of the two nations. The diversity in the types of groups present in the audience wasn’t surprising. NRIs and families of the armed forces were there too.

I got to learn that this ceremony at the Border is a daily military practice by the respective groups of the two countries, which symbolizes brotherhood and cooperation between the two in terms of showcasing a well-coordinated parade. The pomp and pageantry of the Beating Retreat and Change of Guard occur within the handshaking distance of the Indian and Pakistani forces. Soldiers from both countries march in a drill, ultimately leading to their respective national flags being brought down.

Since it was breezy, cloudy and 8 degrees Celsius, the whole coordination among the entire group felt glorious to watch. The entire room was filled with a different feeling of honor and unity.

After the parade got over, we headed back to the main local bazaar enriched with the cultural diversity it stood for. What followed was shopping for incredibly pretty typical Punjabi footwear and a blend of vanilla-chocolate softy on our way back to the hotel.

Next morning after breakfast, we were to leave for home. On our way back, as our family ritual, we took a halt at the Haveli in Jalandhar for lunch. Our regular menu choice for lunch stayed as it is. Holding this state’s cuisine as my absolute favorite of all time acted just as a cherry on top for our entire trip. Beyond the new experiences I gained that I’d cherish for life, the exceptionality of the food here would always make me go at a loss of words when it comes to its description.

A short trip to a simple yet historically glorified city. To be cherished, always.

.