Wagah Border in Amritsar The bedtime stories of my grandmother about her native place in Dhaka in unpartitioned India, have always made me inquisitive to know about this land, which was once a part of our nation. I have always enjoyed the stories of my grandfather, a renowned doctor of Bhulta, in the then East Pakistan, riding in his horse, to visit his patient’s house. As a child, I refused to understand why we did not visit to our ancestral home, and why it was regarded as a separate nation. Thanks to the history and civics books in my school studies, which answered all my queries, but invoked the urge to see how a border actually looks like. So, I made prior arrangements to pay a visit to Wagah Border, on my trip to Amritsar.
We had to travel almost 28 kilometers from the city of Amritsar, to reach Wagah Border, the only road border crossing in between Pakistan and India. Wagah was just like any other place, only difference being the barriers on both the sides that were guarded by army of the two nations, on their respective sides. Gradually the place became crowded as if some show would begin. Yes, it was indeed worth an experience – the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony that begun quite a few minutes later. At the time of sunset, both the country’s soldiers marched in a perfect drill and sequentially followed the ceremonial lowering of the respective national flags that marked the end of the day.
The nationalistic feelings of the people were clearly visible in their eyes, which they expressed through a huge round of applause. This daily affair, which is celebrated with great pomp, definitely increases the importance of Amritsar, much more than a mere travel destination in the state of Punjab. Catch a glance of this daily ceremonial affair in the image gallery of Pictures India.
