Against all odds I caught my 4:30am bus to Amritsar. The first change was the weather. My sweatshirt and jacket combo nearly killed me when I got off the bus and stepped into the sun. The people here are different. Amritsar is a religious pilgrimage site for the Sikh people. This is where you will find turbans, swords, daggers, and enviable facial hair. The men here are also noticeably larger than usual. Clocking in at a hard-earned and impressive 6’2 (ladies…?) only puts me at average height here. They are also well fed. I feel very small walking around these streets. I never had to consider surviving an attacker until I arrived here. Now, I’m nearly certain I would die. Many Sikhs carry a curved dagger inside of a beautifully decorated sheath on their hip. They have everything they need to end my life should they choose to. Contrary to their intimidating physical presence, they have been some of the friendliest people I have met so far in India. People are smiling, waving, and saying hello as they pass by. There is an energy in this city. A joy for life. In the center of it all is the Golden Temple. It is open and free to everyone all day and night, regardless of social status or faith. Food is very important here. One of their claims to fame is the kulcha: a flatbread stuffed with potatoes, cauliflower, or cheese, cooked in a tandoori oven. I have already taken down a couple kulcha meals, and brother, I don’t plan on stopping. For dinner I had tandoori chicken from a place brought to my attention from Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. It was nostalgia chicken: grilled in such a way to give flashbacks of a vague 4th of July cookout from the glowing days of youth. That is all one can ask for out of a meal – to resurrect the long-forgotten memories of joy. I’m exactly where I need to be.
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Punjab, the land of five rivers is a grain bowl of India.. no wonder, the food is rich in this area
The curved daggers which you have observed being carried by every Sikh is part of 5 K’s.. Kesh, Kanga, Kachera, Kirpan and Kada…. Long Hair, comb, undergarment, dagger and Armlet or Bangle of sort. .. They are essential for every practising Sikh