India is eyeing on counting global tourist arrivals not less than 20 million by the end of 2020, and the ministry of tourism is all set to do the needful in order to achieve the target. Redevelopment of Amritsar Railway Station in Punjab as an airport-like infrastructure, proposed at the very onset of 2020, is the latest move towards the direction to accomplishing India’s tourism vision and mission.

Good news for pilgrims, tourists and NRIs! The railway station of Amritsar, one of the gateways to the Golden Temple and popular tourist places in Punjab, has been selected for redevelopment on the lines of an airport. The station will be an interface between modern world-class infrastructure and traditional Sikh architecture.

The Amritsar Railway Station redevelopment is a public private partnership venture that is expected to cost INR 300 crore. Upon completion of the project, the station will spread over an approximate area of 10, 76,464 square meters. A lotus pond supported with columns resembling lotus stems, is the most anticipated hallmark of the traditional Sikh architecture, at the grand entrance to the station premises.

The entry to the railway station of Amritsar will be through a sprawling concourse where there will be contemporary sitting arrangements for hundreds of the waiting passengers. There will be adequate provisions for hassle-free entry to and exit from the station. An area of 22,240 square meters will be redeveloped for those provisions.

The second entry to the station will provide travelers a direct route to reach the Golden Temple and the Jallianwalla Bagh memorial – the two most popular tourist attractions of Amritsar. A separate, world-class foot over bridge will be the exit point of Amritsar Railway Station post redevelopment. Similar to an airport, there will be different zones for both the departing and arriving travelers. An area of 5000 square meters has been earmarked for two foot over bridges.

Plans are underway to make the facilities of Amritsar Railway Station accessible to the disabled and passengers with difficulty movement. The station, once redeveloped, will have the makings of a green building. Easy-to-understand signage will mark the ways to different amenities and facilities across the station. The Amritsar station redevelopment will be designed in such a way so as to let adequate natural light in.

A single roof will be laid over all the platforms of the station to make sure that a comfortable ambiance prevails throughout the premises. Nagpur in Maharashtra, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, and Sabarmati in Gujarat are the other three Indian railway stations selected for redevelopment.

Amritsar International Airport is only 12 km from Amritsar Railway Station. Indian airlines including Spicejet, IndiGo and Air Vistara are connecting Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee Airport of Amritsar with such international airlines as Emirates, Etihad Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Singapore Airlines through codesharing.

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Needless to say, India earned freedom at the expense of numerous sacrifices which incurred overwhelming loss and inflicted incurable pain to its people. The biggest sacrifice that Mother India made was giving up a part of her being, which is an independent nation today. The partition of India in 1947, one of the greatest migrations in the history of mankind, left millions of wounds behind in time warp on both sides of the border. The horrors and ordeals of the partition are timeless bitter memories which are being preserved in different shapes and formats, abstract and concrete, by India’s Partition Museum in Amritsar.

The first of its kind in India, the Partition Museum showcases rare exhibits of the undivided colonial India, including personal artifacts of the survivors of the 1947 partition. The recorded oral stories and experiences of those who lived through the pains during and after the partition are on display in the museum. A belated tribute to the victims of the bloodiest migration of the 20^th century, it helps memorialize what continues to shape India, what schoolbooks are devoid of, and what Indian millennials are unaware of.

Founded by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust, the Partition Museum of India is the first such museum in the world. A must-visit tourist place in Punjab, the museum is part of the recently inaugurated Heritage Street from the Golden Temple to the Town Hall in Amritsar. The first phase of the museum opened to the public in October 2016. The second and last phase will be completed before August 15, 2017 and inaugurated on the occasion of the 70^th year of the 1947 Partition.

Punjab and Bengal were the worst victims of the partition and the epicenters of violence. These two states suffered major blows of violence, atrocity, hunger and disease after the line of division was sketched on the map of undivided India. The museum’s collection of personal articles, which forms the legacy of a bygone era, is mostly from Bengal and Punjab. That’s why the Partition Museum in Punjab is being touted as a people’s museum and a physical memorial.

The Partition Museum of India portrays intimate stories of loss, separation, bereavement, pain, rootlessness and existential crisis through its collection of exhibits. For instance, two articles in the collection belong to a betrothed couple who got separated in the turmoil of the partition. Accidentally, they found each other in a refugee camp in Amritsar. They tied their nuptial knot in 1948. In another instance, a Punjabi businessman’s wife and daughter narrowly escaped the violence in Peshwar (in Pakistan) and reached a refugees camp for Hindus and Sikhs. The only things they managed to keep with them were wedding jewelry and a radio. The radio is on display at the Partition Museum in Amritsar.

The stories of dismay, distress, disappointment, and depression in the refugee camps on both sides of the border have also found eloquence in paintings at the museum. The paintings by artist Sardari Lal Parasher, one of the survivors and a camp commander at one of the refugee camps, have brought those unheard stories alive. His sketches depict the gloom and melancholy he had experienced at the camp.

The Partition Museum of India offers inspirational stories of bravery and courage alongside the heart-rending stories of partition. The Gallery of Hope at the museum tells the stories of those who survived the onslaughts of partition and rebuilt their fortune almost out of nothing in the post-independence era. One such inspiring story of bravery is that of the Manjul Family that gritted their teeth to survive with a small bicycle business and ended up establishing Hero Honda, a reputed motorcycle brand in India, after having left everything behind in Pakistan.

Among the tourist attractions of Punjab, Amritsar’s Partition Museum is undoubtedly next to the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial in terms of historical significance. This museum of memories, some painful while some inspiring, will be continuing to make the next generations learn what Mother India and her children went through before, during and after the partition in 1947.

Travel Beats is a digital publication for Indian Diaspora by Indian Eagle, a trusted travel partner of Indians in USA. Indian Eagle books flight tickets to India from USA at the best prices. The best deals for flights to Delhi, Amritsar and other Indian cities are available at Indian Eagle.

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Punjab is a beautiful land of broad minds, brave hearts and simple souls in India. This Indian state, inhabited by the Sikhs in particular, has many stories to tell about the Punjabi culture, British Raj, colonialism, the First Sikh War, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the National Freedom Movement, the partition of India, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the bravery of Sikhs, etc. Evidently, there are many things to see in Punjab. Indian Eagle takes you on a virtual tour of Punjab, which will unfold the stories to you.

The Golden Temple: the haven of peace

Image Credit: Wikimedia.org

The very first stop in Punjab for travelers or tourists or both is the Golden Temple, the heart and soul of Amritsar. It houses Shri Harminder Sahib that the Sikhs from all over India and the rest of the world pay their regards to. The Sikh shrine with all its golden splendors is surrounded by water which is called the “Holy Pool of Nectar”. One of the most popular pilgrimage spots and the best places to visit in India, the Golden Temple of Amritsar is steeped in devotion and divinity that every visitor is overwhelmed by. The Golden Temple is famous for its spectacular Diwali festival celebration too.

Ram Tirath: the origin of the Ramayana

If you are interested in tracing the origin of the Ramayana, one of the great Indian epics, Ram Tirath in Punjab is a must visit at a 16-km drive from Amritsar. Ram Tirath is famous for Maharishi Valmiki’s ashram where the sage had composed the most glorious work, the Ramayana. The ashram does still have the hut where Sita had given birth to her sons and spent the rest of her life after return from the exile, according to the legend. The well, dug by Lord Hanuman, is one of the evidences bearing out to her stay in the ashram.

The Wagah Border: the Berlin Wall of Asia

The Wagah Border in Amritsar is another must stop during Punjab travel. The Wagah Border between India and Pakistan is visited by thousands for the guards changing ceremony in the evening. The soldiers of India and Pakistan perform the ceremony of lowering the National Flags when the sun sets. The foot tapping of the soldiers wearing their respective national uniforms and headgears reflects their boisterous spirit. The Wagah Border in Amritsar is often called the Berlin Wall of Asia. Visit to this historic place is a thrill!

Jallianwala Bagh: the land of martyrs

If you don’t stop by Jallianwala Bagh near the Golden Temple during your Punjab tour, it would be an injustice to the innocent patriots who were gunned down at the command of General Dyer during a public meeting in protest against the Rowlatt Act. The bullet marks on the wall have made Jallianwala Bagh a living reminder of the massacre of 1919, one of the most haunting events in the colonial history of India. The place with a gallery of martyrs has been preserved in the memory of the lost lives.

Ranjit Singh Museum: the historic storyteller

Add Ludhiana to your Punjab travel plan for a visit to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum. As a thriving industrial town, Ludhiana plays a key role in the economic evolution of Punjab. The museum displays many evidences of the First Sikh War, one of the landmark events in the history of Punjab. The statues and weapons on display in the museum retell the stories of the Sikh War and those of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a great warrior of Punjab.

Night Food Street: the hub of foodies

Punjabis are foodies much like Bengalis, and Chandigarh is the hub of food tourism in Punjab. Most of the food zones in the city draw their curtains by midnight, but the Night Food Street is the only place that springs into service by 7 pm and serves a myriad variety of North Indian delights till 7 am. The menu lists genuine Punjabi delicacies including shahi paneer, tandoori chicken, stuffed paranthas, etc. Located outside the University of Punjab, The Night Food is a must walk for gastronomic entertainment and food photography.

Tagore Theatre: the cultural center

Punjab has a cultural connect with Bengal, and it is the Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh. The theatre, one of the most popular cultural hubs in the city, was founded and named after the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore by the famous actor Prithvi Raj Chauhan who played Mughal Emperor Akbar in Mughal-E-Azam, a Bollywood classic based on the love saga of Salim and Anarkali. The Tagore Theatre has witnessed electrifying performances by renowned artistes, to name Shabana Azmi, Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Waheeda Rahman, Nadira Babbar and likes. It also hosts musical concerts and film festivals apart from dramas.

Fly to Punjab from USA with the cheapest air tickets from IndianEagle.com, at any time of the year. Indian Eagle makes the whole year a season for cheap air travel.

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Many Indian Americans have already circled the dates of important festivals and business events on the calendar to fly to India on, in 2014. Indian Eagle got in touch with some of them in the USA and Canada to know their New Year wishlists of travel in India. Karthik Naidu, one of our NRI customers in Miami, shares his wishlist with us.

Shopping for pearls in Hyderabad

Hyderabad is popularly nicknamed the “City of Pearls” in India and abroad. If Biriyani is a must taste, pearl is a must buy in the capital of the bygone Sultani era. Pearl is an integral part of the semi-precious jewellery that steals the show with travelers in the city. The Hyderabadi pearl is the purest find in the whole country. “I can’t afford to miss buying a pair of pearl earrings or pearl bangles in the City of Nawabs.”

Playing Holi in Shantiniketan

The Holi Festival is a colorful extravaganza celebrated with unlimited fun and frenzy the country over. Holi festival celebration is a distinct cultural statement in Shantiniketan, home to Visva Bharati University that the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had established in West Bengal. Girls dressed in yellow saris with green border, and boys dressed in yellow or white kurtas celebrate the festival of colors through folk music (mainly Rabindrasangeet, the songs composed by the Bard of Bengal) and dance. Mr. Naidu wishes to make Holi 2014 in India an experience to be cherished forever.

Having parathas & lassi in Amritsar

“Relishing the flavors of Punjab through bites of delectable parathas and sips of lip-smacking lassi in Amritsar is on my India travel wishlist 2014,” shares Mr. Naidu uninhibitedly. The mouthwatering taste of makki di roti (flat breads made from popcorn flour), aloo parathas (pan-fried flat breads stuffed with spiced potato mash), and lassi with cream (a curd special drink) makes travel to Amritsar a foodie’s delight.

Traveling by train in Konkan Region

The Konkan Railway is the lifeline of travel and transport in Konkan Region spreading over Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra states in India. The Konkan is a coastal stretch of land with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Sahyadri Hills to the east. The railway track, an engineering excellence in the face of geographical odds, runs through rolling valleys and soaring mountains of the region. A train journey in the Konkan region is like a flight to the Paradise. “Traveling on the Konkan Railway is a long-cherished wish of mine on the list of things to do in India.”

Listening to the Rajput stories in Rajasthan

“Since childhood I have been wishing to leaf through the history of Rajputs in Rajasthan. I am looking to fulfill this wish of mine in 2014,” says Mr. Naidu to Indian Eagle. Dotted with historic forts and palaces, the state of Rajasthan is a book of stories related to the Rajput kings of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Mewar, Amer, Bikaner and Chittorgarh. The history of Rajasthan is a compilation of Rajput stories of bravery and chivalry, royalty and gallantry.

Strolling on the beaches of the Andamans

The Andaman and Nicobar, an archipelago of islands with pristine beaches, coral reefs, dense rainforests and mirror like waters, is the best of all seaside destinations in India. To be precise, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a paradise of natural beauty in the Bay of Bengal. Unlike the crowded beaches of India, the beaches of the Andamans retain purity and virginity. Of the things to do in the Andamans, strolling on the beaches in the solitude of peace during sunrise and sunset is a soulful delight. “I want to feel the warmth of sands and waters beneath my feet in the Andamans,” expresses Mr. Naidu eloquently.

Visiting the temples of Tamil Nadu

The history of Tamil Nadu ranging from the royal era to the Sultani age to the British period is treasured in the temples of the state. Dotted with temples of different times across Madurai, Mahabalipuram, Kanchi, Tanjore, Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu is righty nicknamed the state of temples in India. Built in such different empires as the Chola, the Chera, the Pallav, the Pandya and the Vijaynagar, the Shore Temple, the Meenakshi Temple, and the Brihadishwara Temple are a few eminent names. “I wish to visit the temples of Tamil Nadu and write a travelogue based on it,” Mr. Naidu brims with delight.

Exploring the Himalayan region of Leh

Leh is the largest town in Ladakh, a Himalayan region of mystic wonders including flora and fauna, folk music and dance, fairs and festivals in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh is the highest plateau in this northernmost state of India, spanning from the Karakoram Range of mountains to the Himalayas. The Pangong Lake in the solitude of snow is a beautiful manifestation of nature in Leh. Another attraction of this place at the altitude of around 6,000 meters is the Ladakh Festival. “The thrill of exploring the unexplored always fascinates me. Therefore, my travel wishlist 2014 includes a visit to Leh in India,” says Mr. Naidu with exuberance.

Wandering in the tea estates of Assam

“I have watched the videos of a few Bollywood songs filmed in the sprawling tea estates and gardens of Assam at the Himalayan foothills in east India. Hope, 2014 will come with an opportunity for me to take a tea tour of Assam,” Mr. Naidu bares his mind to Indian Eagle. With most of the tea estates and gardens in the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam is the largest producer of tea in India. The flavor of Assam tea has traveled far away outside of India.

Booking the cheapest flight to India

“My New Year travel wishlist will meet with reality if IndianEagle.com offers me the lowest airfare to India. Booking the cheapest flight for my India tour is the first wish of mine that Indian Eagle fulfills every year. I am looking forward to having the same favor in 2014 too.”

We wish all the best to Karthik Naidu and our other NRI customers for their New Year travel wishlists.

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