Amritsar

Amritsar is a major city located in the Majha region of Punjab, India.

It serves as a vital cultural, transportation, and economic center for the state. The city is situated north-west of Chandigarh and New Delhi. It also sits near the border with Pakistan, north-east of Lahore. Amritsar is known as the economic capital of Punjab. It is a massive metropolitan region with a large population.

The city's name has deep roots in history and language. The name comes from the Sanskrit phrase Amṛta Sarovara. This translates to "Pool of Nectar." This refers to the holy pool surrounding the Golden Temple. In the past, the city was sometimes called Ramdaspur. This name honored Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru. In some rural areas, people called it Ambarsar. This was a common mispronunciation that became a colloquial term.

Religious history is central to the identity of Amritsar. Guru Ram Das is credited with founding the city in 1574. He originally sought land to create a new town. One record says he purchased land from the village of Tung for 700 rupees. He planned to build a man-made pool as the central point. The town expanded significantly under Guru Arjan Dev. He used donations and volunteer labor to grow the settlement. In 1604, the scripture of Sikhism was installed in the temple.

Ancient mythology also connects to the area. The Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal is believed to be the ashram of Maharishi Valmiki. He was the writer of the epic Ramayana. According to the text, his students Lava and Kusha were born here. Some traditions suggest that Lava and Kusha founded the nearby cities of Lahore and Kasur. Local legends even claim they tied Hanuman to a tree near the Durgiana Temple. The Ramtirath Temple sits about 12 km west of the city.

The city's physical structure changed many times through various eras. During the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh fortified the city in 1822. He built several fortified residential societies called Katras. These included Katra Moti Ram and Katra Ahluwalia. Sher Singh also added twelve gates to the city wall. The circumference of this walled city was about five miles. The British later annexed Punjab in 1849. They added a thirteenth gate called Hall Gate in 1866.

Amritsar has experienced significant periods of social and political unrest. In 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred during the Baisakhi festival. British troops opened fire on a large crowd of unarmed civilians. A British inquiry reported 379 deaths. However, the Indian National Congress estimated about 1,000 people were killed.

In 1984, the Indian military launched Operation Blue Star. This was an operation to remove militants from the Golden Temple. Official reports stated 493 civilians were killed. Independent estimates placed the number of deaths above 5,000. These events remain deeply significant in modern Indian history.

Today, Amritsar is a massive urban center with diverse functions. The 2011 census recorded a population of 1,132,383 people. By 2018, the metropolitan region reached roughly 2 million people. It is one of the ten municipal corporations in Punjab. The city attracts nearly one hundred thousand daily visitors. It is a major hub for the manufacture of wooden chessboards. The government has also chosen it as a heritage city for development.