Amritsar

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:This article is about Amritsar City. For information about Amritsar District, see Amritsar district.

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Amritsar (Punjabi: ?????????, Hindi: ??????), meaning "Pool of the Nectar of Immortality", is a city in Punjab, India. It has a population of over 1,000,000 in Amritsar city and over just over 3,000,000 in Amritsar district from the 2001 Indian census. It is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar District. It is located in the northwest part of India in the State of Punjab, 32 miles east of Lahore. Its name came from Sanskrit Amŗta-saras = "Nectar Lake"; in Hindu belief Amŗta (nectar) is a liquid that Hindu gods drank to keep them immortal.

Related Topics:
Punjabi - Hindi - Punjab - India - Amritsar district - Punjab - Lahore - Sanskrit - Hindu - Nectar

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It is home to the breathtaking and serene Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, and is the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh Religion. Founded by the fourth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Ram Das, it was completed by his successor Guru Arjun Dev. The land on which, it was built, was gifted to Guru Ram Das by Mughal emperor Akbar. Work began in 1573 on digging the holy pool. In 1601, the Harmandir Sahib was completed and 3 years later, the Sikh Holy Book was placed there. In Maharaja Ranjit Singh's time, Amritsar had superseded Lahore as the pre-eminent city of Punjab. It is also the location of the Amritsar Massacre, which took place at Jallianwala Bagh.

Related Topics:
Harmandir Sahib - Golden Temple - Sikh - Guru Ram Das - Guru Arjun Dev - Akbar - 1573 - 1601 - Sikh Holy Book - Ranjit Singh - Lahore - Amritsar Massacre - Jallianwala Bagh

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