Welcome to Amritsar!
Amritsar (Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ Hindi: अमृतसर) is a city in the state of Punjab, India. It is the holiest city in the Sikh religion. Amritsar is one of the largest cities in the Indian state of Punjab and is the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion. Sikhs are rightfully very proud of the city and their very beautiful and unique Gurdwara (place of worship), the Golden Temple. Amritsar is today a major pilgrimage centre for Sikhs and a tourism centre for anyone.
Amritsar, historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as Ambarsar, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural and economic center located in the Majha region of Punjab. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district.
According to the 2011 census, the population of Amritsar was 1,132,761. It is one of the ten Municipal Corporations in the state, and Karamjit Singh Rintu is the current mayor of the city. The city is situated 217 km (135 mi) northwest of the state capital Chandigarh, 455 km (283 miles) northwest of New Delhi, the national capital, and 47 km (29.2 miles) northeast of Lahore, Pakistan, with the Indo-Pak Border (Wagah) being only 28 km (17.4 mi) away.
Amritsar has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY scheme of the Government of India. Amritsar is home to Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as "the Golden Temple," one of Sikhism's most spiritually significant and most-visited gurudwaras. The city is also known for its wooden chessboards and chess pieces manufacturing industry.