The Jallianwala Bagh Memorial

A kind of sadness overpowers my mind when I think of Jallianwala Bagh. Since childhood, I have listened to the stories of how so many innocent people were killed on the occasion of Visakhi (Baisakhi in Hindi language) in 1919.

Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, on the instructions of the then British Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, Michael Francis O'Dwyer ordered British troops to open fire at a mass gathering on 13 April 1919 at the Jallianwala Bagh resulting in one of the most tragic incidents in the Indian history known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. A memorial for the martyrs of the massacre stands in the center of the Jallianwala Bagh.

                                                  Jallianwala Bagh Memorial in Amritsar

The number of people killed as quoted by the Indian National Congress was over 1000. The exact number of people killed in the incident however remains unknown. Indian man, Udham Singh who was just a teenager at the time of the massacre, shot dead Michael O'Dwyer in 1940. The assassination of O'Dwyer has been described as an avengement of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre.
Many people jumped in a well to escape the bullets. The well has been named as Martyrs' Well.
A plaque in the monument at the site, set up after independence, says that 120 bodies were pulled out of the well.

                                                                 The Martyrs' Well

                                                       The plaque near the Martyrs' Well

The bullet laden walls stand witness to the horrific incident:

 Recently, a presentation titled, "Light and Sound show" has been introduced at the Jallianwala Bagh, narrating the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and incidents leading to it and incidents that followed the massacre. The deep voice of veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan adds to the emotions while one listens to the presentation (narrated in Hindi) and hear the voices and sounds that seem to be recorded during the era when these incidents actually occurred. I strongly recommend witnessing this presentation if you understand Hindi.

                                        Visitors sit during the Light and Sound presentation


The Bagh (garden) is open for public from 0007 hrs till about 1900 hrs. The Jallianwala Bagh is at about 5 minutes walking distance from the Golden Temple.

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Amritsar - Discovering the old city

The charm of getting up early in the morning and taking my cameras along for a long walk through the old city area of Amritsar never ceases to thrill me. An aroma of the pleasantly cold streets in the summers is what one cherishes in the memories, long after one has taken a stroll in these petite lanes.

                                     For a start, from the main entrance of the Golden Temple, take a walk towards the right side, towards North or North-Western side and you would start entering those cozy and beautiful little streets, with shops on both the sides. Often, you would come across a vendor, selling Chai (Chaa in local Punjabi language) or Tea on his cart.

There is a Tea market just a few yards away from the Golden Temple periphery. Established about 200 years ago, the tea trade flourishes in this market, situated at Katra Ahluwalia area. The shops still hold the feel of the old styled shops with wooden doors. It is said that the Green Tea manufactured in this market is not available anywhere else in India.

Doing business in the parallel lines to the Tea traders, you would come across shops who deal in Kashmiri shawls, blankets etc. Complimenting the Tea traders' shops, the business in these shops runs as good as any and in the mornings the porch of these shops provide a nice place for a couple of Barbers who start theirs and their customers day with neat haircuts and shaves.

More in upcoming posts :)

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