Your Complete Guide to Wagah Border

 

To say that I was in for a surprise would be an understatement. And, keeping me on the edge of my seat was the nation’s pride and patriotism fluttering around like the flags that got hoisted up the pole.

 

I’ll be taking you through a detailed guide on how this experience went about. 

The Wagah-Attari is the geographical border between India and Pakistan. Whether it is the high degree of security assisted by the Border Security Force or the mutual understanding between both the countries, there hadn’t been many safety disruptions around this area. Attari lies 3 kilometers from the Indo-Pak border at Wagah. Almost an hour’s drive away from the city of Amritsar, it’s the last connecting rail network between Lahore and Delhi. 

Watching the people join together to watch the Independence Day hoisting has always been a sight that indescribably heartened me. Two nations that would fall as immediate enemies in Chanakya’s books, coming to the borders to honor their fraternity is an expression worth melting for. That to every day without fail. Every single day. 

 

The ceremony which kickstarts around 5:00 pm is a highly secured and happening event. 

Before entering the premises, the bags you carry are thoroughly checked and only once everything is assured, the program begins. 

Watching it for real for the very first time, I was scared to blink even for a second so that I don’t miss even one bit of it. 

Opening of the gates. 

Hoisting of the flags.

Parade of the soldiers. 

Excited spectators on each tier.

All of it will give you goosebumps no matter how many times you watch it.

Hyped up by folk acts such as the Bhangra, there wouldn’t be even one dull moment in the entire ritual. 

The uniformed soldiers who take over soon after the colorful performances conduct their parade meticulously. 

Mirroring each other’s actions there were the soldiers on either side of the gate. A sense of brotherhood lingers in the air while did so.

I think that’s the entire point of being at Wagah. Realizing that at the end of the day we were all made from the same land and there’s much beyond the disputes we all hold on to. Whether it’s politics or cricket or way beyond all that.  

That’s exactly what makes Wagah Border ceremony one of its kind as well. 

 

Attractions Nearby – Some other places you can visit while your trip to Wagah is the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, the Partition Museum, and the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum. 

 

A public garden located on the Golden temple road. It attracts history buffs every other day, with the impression it had left on the vast history of freedom struggle in India. Further walls scarred with bullets and memorial plaques from the 1919 massacre, is all an overwhelming walk through history.

 

Another thing Attari village is known for is for being the home to Sardar Sham Singh. An infamous general in the Army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the lion of Punjab. To commemorate this, a Museum is built for the great Maharaja Ranjit Singh not far away from Jallianwaala Bagh. I got to know and understand so many different aspects revolving around Sikhism and it’s foundations. 

 

A similarly interesting structure is the Partition museum. The world’s first-ever partition museum pays homage to one of the most defining moments of world history. Moreover , it has turned the devastating era into beautiful art. Through recordings and restored memories from the freedom fighters, refugees, and descendants.

 

4. Golden Temple

 

 

Few meters from the museum lies the marvelous Golden Temple. The darbar sahib is plaited with around 160 kilos of gold. And, hence the name the Golden temple. It is a must-visit for anyone who plans a trip to Wagah. Because of the delicious langar served, the hospitality of the people, and the spiritual aura here. 

 

And, the trip feels complete after you have sat by the glimmering waters at the temple and soaked in the beauty of this city.