Amritsar,[a] also known asAmbarsar,[b] is the second-largest city in theIndian state ofPunjab, afterLudhiana. Located in theMajha region, it is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre. The city is the administrative headquarters of theAmritsar district. It is situated 217 km (135 mi) north-west ofChandigarh, and 455 km (283 mi) north-west ofNew Delhi. It is 28 km (17.4 mi) from theIndia-Pakistan border, and 47 km (29 mi) north-east ofLahore,Pakistan.
According to the 2011 census, the city had a population of 1,132,383. It is one of the ten municipal corporations in the state; Karamjit Singh Rintu is serving as themayor of the city.[5] According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Amritsar is the second-most populous city in Punjab and the most populous metropolitan region in the state, with a population of roughly 2 million. Amritsar is the centre of the Amritsar Metropolitan Region.
The termAmritsar was previously sometimes known asRāmdāspur after Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru who is credited with founding the city.[8] The nameAmritsar was often mispronounced as Ambarsar by uneducated people in rural areas; the latter name has since become a colloquial term for the city.[9][10]
TheBhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal situated at Amritsar is believed to be the ashram site of MaharishiValmiki, the writer of theRamayana.[11][12] As per the Ramayana,Sita gave birth toLava andKusha, sons ofRama at Ramtirath ashram. Numerous people visit Ramtirath Temple, Located 12 Km west of Amritsar on Chogawan road, dates back to the period of Ramayana, Rishi Valmiki's hermitage. at the annual fair. The nearby citiesLahore andKasur were believed to be founded by Lava and Kusha, respectively. It is believed that during theashvamedha yajna by Rama, Lava and Kusha caught the ritual horse and tiedHanuman to a tree near to today'sDurgiana Temple.[citation needed]
Overhead panoramic view artwork of Amritsar,c. 1850s–1890s
In the Sikh tradition,Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru, is credited with founding the holy city of Amritsar in 1574.[8][13][14] Two versions of stories exist regarding the land where Guru Ram Das settled. In one, based on aGazetteer record, the land was purchased, with Sikh donations, for 700 rupees from the owners of the village of Tung.[15]
According to historical Sikh records, the site was chosen byGuru Amar Das and called Guru Da Chakk. The latter guru had asked Ram Das to find land to start a new town, and to create a man-made pool as its central point.[16][17] After the coronation Guru Ram Das in 1574, who faced hostile opposition from the sons of Guru Amar Das,[18] he founded the town; it was named after him as "Ramdaspur". He first completed the pool, and built his new official Guru centre and home next to it. He invited merchants and artisans from other parts of India to settle into the new town with him. The town expanded during the time of Guru Arjan Dev, financed by donations and constructed by volunteers. The town grew to become the city of Amritsar. After the son of Guru Amar Das built thegurdwaraHarmandir Sahib, the pool area developed further as a temple complex. In 1604 Amar Das's son installed the scripture of Sikhism inside the new temple.[13]
The period and achievements of construction between 1574 and 1604 are described inMahima Prakash Vartak, a semi-historical Sikhhagiographic text likely composed in 1741. It is the earliest known document dealing with the lives of all the ten Gurus.[8]
In 1762 and 1766–1767, Ahmad Shah of theDurrani Empire invaded theSikh Confederacy. He besieged Amritsar, massacred the populace, and destroyed the city.[19]
Map of Amritsar, with the city perimeter captioned in Perso-Arabic script marking the twelve historical gates of the old city-wall, ca.1831–35
Later,Sher Singh continued with construction of the city wall, adding twelve gates. He also had built a fort namedDhoor Kot; its fortification were yards broad and 7 yards high. The circumference of the walled city was around five miles. The twelve gates constructed during this era were known as (including later renamings):[20][24][21][25]
When the British annexed Punjab in 1849, Amritsar was a walled city. The British built a thirteenth gate in 1866 known asHall Gate, Neighborhood in Amritsar, Punjab.[20]
Map of Amritsar with the locations of Sikh sites labelled, as published in theMahan Kosh (1930)
The British rulers would later demolish some of the walls and gates or reconstruct some.[20] An entire new wall of the city was completed in 1885.[20] Many surviving gates have since been renamed and no longer bear their mid-19th century names, while others have since been demolished.[20]
The Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, months after the massacreBullet marks on the walls of the park premises
TheJallianwala Bagh massacre, involving the killings of hundreds of Indian civilians on the orders of British ColonelReginald Edward Harry Dyer, took place on 13 April 1919 in the heart of Amritsar, the holiest city of the Sikhs, on a day sacred to them as the birth anniversary of theKhalsa (Vaisakhi day).[27]
In Punjab, duringWorld War I (1914–18), there was considerable social unrest, particularly among the Sikhs. First, they opposed the demolition of a boundary wall of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. Later, they were disturbed about the activities and trials of theGhadarites, almost all of whom were Sikhs. In India as a whole, political activity had arisen during the strains of war. Two leaders had emerged:Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), who after a period of struggle as a young man against the British inSouth Africa had returned to India in January 1915 to work there for change andAnnie Besant (1847–1933), head of theTheosophical Society of India. On 11 April 1916 she established theHome Rule League with the goal of autonomy for India. In December 1916, theIndian National Congress, at its annual session held atLucknow, passed a resolution asking the king to issue a proclamation announcing that it is the "aim and intention of British policy to confer self-government on India at an early date".[28]
On 10 April 1919, Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, two popular proponents of theSatyagraha movement led by Gandhi, were called to the deputy commissioner's residence. There they were arrested and transported by car to Dharamsetla, a hill town, now in Himachal Pradesh. A general strike arose in response in Amritsar. Excited groups of citizens soon merged into a crowd of about 50,000 marching to protest these arrests to the deputy commissioner. The crowd, however, was stopped by British colonial forces and fired upon near the railway foot-bridge. The official version reported that the number of casualties were 12 dead and between 20 and 30 wounded. Based on evidence presented to an inquiry of the Indian National Congress, fatalities were reported as between 20 and 30.[citation needed]
Three days later, on 13 April, the traditional festival of Baisakhi, thousands of unarmed Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims gathered in theJallianwala Bagh. An hour after the meeting began as scheduled at 16:30, Dyer arrived with a group of sixty-five Gurkha soldiers (from the9th Gorkha Rifles) and twenty-five Baluchi soldiers (from the59th Scinde Rifles). Without warning the crowd to disperse, Dyer blocked the main exits from the Bagh and ordered his troops to begin shooting toward the densest sections of the crowd; the firing continued for approximately ten minutes. A British government inquiry into the massacre placed the death toll at 379.[29] The Indian National Congress, on the other hand, estimated that approximately 1,000 people were killed.[29]
Amritsar was a center of unrest in the late 20th century. In the 1980s, Sikhmilitants occupied the Golden Temple there. Prime Minister of India,Indira Gandhi, orderedOperation Blue Star (1 – 6 June 1984), an Indian military operation[30] to remove the militants from the temple. The operation was carried out byIndian army troops equipped withtanks and armoured vehicles.[31] While militarily successful, the operation aroused immense controversy. The government's justification for the timing and style of the attack are hotly debated.[32]India Today magazine has ranked Operation Blue Star as among the Top 10 Political Disgraces in India.[33]
Official reports put the number of deaths among the Indian army at 83, with 493 civilians killed, including Sikh militants,[34][35] while independent estimates place the numbers upwards of 5,000 people, a majority of them pilgrims, including women and children.[36] In addition, theCBI is considered responsible for seizing historical artefacts and manuscripts in theSikh Reference Library before burning it down.[37][38] Four months after the operation, on 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards in what is viewed as an act of vengeance. Following her assassination, more than 17,000 Sikhs were killed in the1984 anti-Sikh riots.[39]
Typically for Northwestern India, Amritsar has ahot semi-arid climate (KöppenBSh) bordering on a monsoon-influencedhumid subtropical climate (Cwa). Temperatures in Amritsar usually range from −1 to 45 °C (30 to 113 °F). It experiences four primary seasons: winter (December to March), when temperatures can drop to −1 °C (30 °F); summer (April to June), when temperatures can reach 45 °C (113 °F); monsoon (July to September); and post-monsoon (October to November). Annual rainfall is about 726.0 millimetres (28.6 in).[41] The lowest recorded temperature is −3.6 °C (25.5 °F), was recorded on 9 December 1996 and the highest temperature, 48.0 °C (118.4 °F), was recorded on 23 May 2013.[42] The official weather station for the city is thecivil aerodrome atRajasansi. Weather records here date back to 15 November 1947.[citation needed]
Source 2:NOAA (sun 1971–1990)[47] Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020);[48] Weather Atlas[49]
Amritsar has been ranked 39th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'[50]
The Golden Temple, in Amritsar, is the holiest site in Sikhism
In 1871–72, Amritsar was the 11th most populous city in British India with a population of 136,000 and had a larger population than Lahore (99,000).[53] As of the2011 census, Amritsar municipality had a population of 1,159,227.[4] The municipality had asex ratio of 884 females per 1,000 males and 119,592 (10.32%) of the population were under six years old, with the child sex ratio being 826 females per 1000 males.[4] Literacy was 83.81%; male literacy was 86.52% and female literacy was 80.76%.[4] Thescheduled caste population is 21.76%.
According to2011 Census of India,Hinduism andSikhism are the main religions of the Amritsar city followed by 49.36% and 48.00% of the population, respectively. Christianity is followed by 1.23% and Islam 0.51%. Around 0.9% of the population of the city stated 'No Particular Religion' or other religion.[54]
Amritsar is the holiest city in Sikhism and about 30 million people visit it each year for pilgrimage.[55][56]
Amritsar was notified as a city on 29 March 1977 under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, following which the Municipal Corporation replaced the earlier Municipal Committee.
The city’s first local administrative body was established as a Town Committee in 1858, which was later upgraded to a Municipal Committee in 1868.[69] The first election to the Municipal Corporation was conducted in 1991, when the city was divided into 50 wards. Sh. O. P. Soni was elected Mayor[70] on 25 June 1991, with S. Raminder Singh Bularia as Senior Deputy Mayor and Sh. Subash Sharma as Deputy Mayor. This elected body remained in office until its dissolution on 18 June 1996.
Subsequently, the number of wards was increased to 60, and elections were held on 28 May 1997. Sh. Subash Sharma, S. Lakha Singh, and Kumari Raj Sharma were elected as Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor respectively. Following the resignation of Sh. Subash Sharma, Sh. Brij Mohan Kapur was elected Mayor on 18 October 2000.
The third municipal election took place on 27 April 2002, with the mayoral election held on 15 June 2002. Sh. Sunil Dutti, Sh. Sawinder Singh, and Sh. Om Parkash were elected as Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor respectively.
Prior to the fourth municipal election, the number of wards was increased to 65. Elections were held on 8 August 2007, and the election for the office of Mayor took place on 6 September 2007. Sh. Shwait Malik was elected Mayor, with Sh. Ajaybir Pal Singh Randhawa as Senior Deputy Mayor and Sh. Kashmir Singh as Deputy Mayor.
To enhance representation, 33 per cent of seats in the Municipal Corporation are reserved for women on a rotational basis. Seats are also reserved for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes in accordance with government policy.
The present Municipal House was constituted on 19 September 2012. Sh. Bakshi Ram Arora was elected Mayor, Sh. Avtar Singh (Trucka Wala) as Senior Deputy Mayor, and Sh. Avinash Jolly as Deputy Mayor.
The Mayor of Amritsar is the elected head of the Municipal Corporation of Amritsar and is regarded as the first citizen of the city. The position is primarily ceremonial, as executive authority rests with the Municipal Commissioner. The mayor represents the city in official functions and presides over meetings and deliberations of the Municipal Corporation, ensuring orderly conduct and upholding the dignity of the office.
The Amritsar Municipal Corporation consists of 85 councillors, who are directly elected for a five-year term. The council is headed by a mayor. The most recent municipal elections were conducted on 21 December 2024. Jatinder Singh of theAam Aadmi Party currently serves as the Mayor of Amritsar. The positions of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor are held by Priyanka Sharma and Anita Devi respectively, both of whom are members of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Amritsar is the second-largest city and district of Punjab. It is also one of the fastest-growing cities of Punjab.[citation needed] In the mid-1980s the city was famous for its textile industry. Amritsar's trade and industry faced a blow during militancy period in 1980s, but there are still many textile mills, knitting units and embroidery factories functional in the city. It is famous for its pashmina shawls, woolen clothes, blankets, etc. Among handicrafts, the craft of theThatheras ofJandiala Guru inAmritsar district got enlisted onUNESCO'sList of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014,[78] and the effort to revive this craft under the umbrella of Project Virasat is among India's biggest government-sponsored craft revival programs.[79] Tourism and hospitality have recently become the backbone of local economy due to heavy tourist arrivals. Hundreds of small and some large hotels have sprung up to cater to the increased tourist inflow. Restaurants, taxi operators, local shopkeepers have all benefited from the tourist boom.[citation needed]
Amritsar hostsSri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport. The airport is connected to other parts of India and other countries with direct international flights to cities and is the 12th busiest airport in the country in terms of international traffic.[97] It serves Amritsar and several other districts in Punjab and neighbouring states.[citation needed]
Amritsar Junction railway station is the main station serving Amritsar. It is the busiest railway station in Indian state of Punjab and one of the highest revenue-generating station ofNorthern Railways. Due to high traffic at theAmritsar Junction railway station,Indian Railways has planned to develop two satellite stations-Chheharta and Bhagtanwala, in order to decongest traffic at this station. As many as 6 trains would be shifted to Chheharta railway station in the first phase.[98] TheIndian Railway Stations Development Corporation has also planned to make the Amritsar Junction railway station a world-class railway station on lines of the international airport based on PPP model. The project has received an overwhelming response with bids from 7 private firms, includingGMR.[99]
₹ 450,000,000 is being spent to expand the Amritsar-Jalandhar stretch of G.T. Road to four lanes. In 2010, elevated road with four lanes connected to the National highway for better access to theGolden Temple has been started.[102]
^Indian Studies: Past and Present. Vol. 3. Ramakrishna Maitra. 1962. p. 192.Amritsar, the principal place of Sikh worship, was not established at Ram-Raoni, but, in fact, Ram-Raoni was established near the Sikh place of worship at Amritsar (called Ambarsar by illiterate people), which had been founded by Guru Ramdas in 1574, one hundred and seventy-four years before the Ram-Raoni came into existence.
^Madra, Amandeep Singh; Singh, P. (2016).Sicques, Tigers or Thieves: Eyewitness Accounts of the Sikhs (1606-1810). Springer. p. 86.ISBN9781137119988.Amritsar (q.v.), the city that includes the Harimandar Sahib Temple complex, was not established at Ram-Raoni (q.v.), as stated by Polier, which is nearby. Amritsar, pronounced Ambarsar by unlettered rural dialects of Punjab, was founded by Guru Ramdas (q.v.) in 1574, 174 years before the Ram-Raoni developed. The town had earlier been called Ramdaspur, Chakk Ramdas, or simply Chakk Guru (q.v.), and was marked as such in eighteenth-century maps of the area.
^Mann, Gurinder Singh (3 May 2001). "Table 1. Towns Associated with the Sikh Gurus".The Making of Sikh Scripture. Oxford University Press. p. 9.ISBN9780198029878.
^abcdefghijklSingh, Fauja (1978).The City of Amritsar: A Study of Historical, Cultural, Social, and Economic Aspects. Oriental Publishers & Distributors. pp. 78–82.
^Proceedings of the Lucknow Session of the Indian National Congress, 1916, cited byPasricha, Ashu (2008).The Political Thought of Annie Besant (Encyclopaedia of Eminent Thinkers, Vol. 25). Concept Publishing. p. 84.ISBN978-8180695858.
^Gunjeet K. Sra (19 December 2008)."10 Political Disgraces". Indiatoday.digitaltoday.in.Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved9 August 2009.
^Westerlund, David (1996).Questioning The Secular State: The Worldwide Resurgence of Religion in Politics. C. Hurst & Co. p. 1276.ISBN978-1-85065-241-0.
^Joseph, Paul (11 October 2016).The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives. SAGE. p. 433.ISBN978-1483359885.around 17,000 Sikhs were burned alive or killed
^"Sister Cities".bakersfieldsistercity.org. Bakersfield Sister City Project Corporation. Archived fromthe original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved18 February 2020.
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