Amritsar: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmyIndian datesEnglish|date=DecemberSeptember 20232024}}

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| leader_name2 = GurpreetSakshi SIngh KhairaSawhney<ref>{{cite news |title=GurpreetSakshi SinghSawhney Khairabecomes nextfirst woman deputy commissioner of Amritsar: A aistoric DCappointment |url=https://wwwtimesofindia.tribuneindiaindiatimes.com/newscity/amritsarchandigarh/gurpreetsakshi-singhsawhney-khairais-next1st-amritsarwoman-dc-119414of-asr/articleshow/113358941.cms |datework=29The JulyTimes 2020 |work=Tribuneof India |access-date=1815 MarchSeptember 20212024 |archiveaccess-date=2317 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123170424/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/gurpreet-singh-khaira-next-amritsar-dc-119414 |url-status=liveSeptember 2024}}</ref>

| population_demonym = Amritsariya, Ambarsariya,<ref>{{cite book |title=Vishveshvaranand Indological Journal |date=1981 |publisher=Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Fc5AAAAIAAJ&q=%22ambarsariya%22 |language=en}}</ref> Amritsari

'''Amritsar''' ({{IPA-pa|əmːˈɾɪtsəɾ|-lang|Amritsar.ogg}},; [[ISO 15919|ISO]]: p''Amr̥tasara''), historically also known as '''Rāmdāspur''' and colloquially as '''Ambarsar''',<ref>{{Cite book |title=Indian Studies: Past and Present |publisher=Ramakrishna Maitra |year=1962 |volume=3 |pages=192 |quote=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.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Madra |first1=Amandeep Singh |title=Sicques, Tigers or Thieves: Eyewitness Accounts of the Sikhs (1606-1810) |last2=Singh |first2=P. |publisher=Springer |year=2016 |isbn=9781137119988 |pages=86 |quote=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.}}</ref> is the second-[[List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population|largest city]] in the [[India|Indian]] state of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], after [[Ludhiana]]. ItLocated in the [[Majha]] region, it is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the [[Majha]] region of [[Punjab]]. The city is the administrative headquarters of the [[Amritsar district]]. It is situated {{convert|217|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} north-west of [[Chandigarh]], and {{Convert|455|km|abbr=on}} north-west of [[New Delhi]]. It is {{convert|28|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} from the [[India-Pakistan border]], and {{Convert|47|km|abbr=on}} north-east of [[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]].

The [[Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal]] situated at Amritsar is believed to be the ashram site of Maharishi [[Valmiki]], the writer of the ''[[Ramayana]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 November 2016 |title=Valmiki Tirath Sthal temple-cum-panorama to be opened on Dec 1 |work=Business Standard India |agency=Press Trust of India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/valmiki-tirath-sthal-temple-cum-panorama-to-be-opened-on-dec-1-116112200989_1.html |url-status=live |access-date=17 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194031/https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/valmiki-tirath-sthal-temple-cum-panorama-to-be-opened-on-dec-1-116112200989_1.html |archive-date=3 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= |title=Ram Tirth Temple, Indian Ram Tirth Temple, Ram Tirth Temple in India |url=http://www.indianmirror.com/temples/ram-tirth.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010043925/http://www.indianmirror.com/temples/ram-tirth.html |archive-date=10 October 2016 |access-date=17 March 2022}}</ref> As per the Ramayana, [[Sita]] gave birth to [[Lava (Ramayana)|Lava]] and [[Kusha (Ramayana)|Kusha]], sons of [[Rama]] 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 cities [[Lahore]] and [[Kasur]] were believed to be founded by Lava and Kusha, respectively. It is believed that during the [[Ashvamedha|ashvamedha yajna]] by Rama, Lava and Kusha caught the ritual horse and tied [[Hanuman]] to a tree near to today's [[Durgiana Temple]].{{Cn|date=May 2023}}

[[File:Amritsar Overhead Panorama View Artwork circa 1860's.jpg|thumb|Overhead panoramic view artwork of Amritsar, {{Circa|1850's1850s}}–1890's–1890s|left]]

When the British annexed Punjab in 1849, Amritsar was a walled city. The British built a thirteenth gate in 1866 known as ''Hall Gate, Neighborhood in Amritsar, Punjab.''.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |title=Gates to the grand past |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/gates-to-the-grand-past-153187 |access-date=2 February 2021 |work=Tribune |date=9 October 2020 |language=en |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130101619/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/gates-to-the-grand-past-153187 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The British rulers would later demolish some of the walls and gates or reconstruct some.<ref name=":1" /> An entire new wall of the city was completed in 1885.<ref name=":1" /> Many surviving gates have since been renamed and no longer bear their mid-19th century names, whilstwhile others have since been demolished.<ref name=":1" />

In Punjab, during [[World 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, ata historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. Later, they were disturbed about the activities and trials of the [[Ghadarite]]s, 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 in [[South Africa]], and had returned to India in January 1915 to work there for change; and [[Annie Besant]] (1847–1933), head of the [[Theosophical Society of India]]. On 11 April 1916 she established the [[Indian Home Rule Movement|Home Rule League]] with the goal of autonomy for India. In December 1916, the [[Indian National Congress]], at its annual session held at [[Lucknow]], 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".<ref>''Proceedings of the Lucknow Session of the Indian National Congress, 1916,'' cited by {{cite book|last=Pasricha|first=Ashu|title=The Political Thought of Annie Besant (Encyclopaedia of Eminent Thinkers, Vol. 25)|year=2008|publisher=Concept Publishing|isbn=978-8180695858|page=84}}</ref>

On 10 April 1919, Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, two popular proponents of the [[Satyagraha]] 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.{{Cn|date=May 2023}}

* [[VR Ambarsar]], Circular Road.

[[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 of [[Northern Railways]]. Due to high traffic at the [[Amritsar 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=City railway station all set to be decongested soon |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/amritsar/city-railway-station-all-set-to-be-decongested-soon-871380 |access-date=22 January 2021 |work=Tribuneindia News Service |date=7 December 2019 |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308202307/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/amritsar/city-railway-station-all-set-to-be-decongested-soon-871380 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Indian 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, including [[GMR Group|GMR]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Wow! Indian Railways receives "overwhelming" response for Nagpur, Amritsar, Gwalior, Sabarmati station projects |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/railways/wow-indian-railways-receives-overwhelming-response-for-nagpur-amritsar-gwalior-sabarmati-station-projects/2009006/ |access-date=16 August 2020 |work=The Financial Express |date=30 June 2020 |archive-date=30 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730035656/https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/railways/wow-indian-railways-receives-overwhelming-response-for-nagpur-amritsar-gwalior-sabarmati-station-projects/2009006/ |url-status=live }}</ref>