Blessing at Amritsar

"Those who worship in adoration of the name of the Lord, their pain, doubt and fears are dispelled." All through our senior School years, we have looked forward to the class XII annual trip to the Golden Temple. We grew up watching our seniors make this day trip, heard their riveting tales, and envied them for the privilege associated with the blessing ceremony before they took on the feared board exams. We waited with bated breath for our turn. Finally, our day arrived. Exuberant and excited, we assembled at the school front lawns at 5 am on 17 October, 2015. We were accompanied by Ms. Navreet Shergill, Ms. Archana Raichandani, Ms. Charu Bhatnagar, Ms. Pooja Bahl, Ms. Poornima Dwivedi, Ms. Sukhmeen Cheema, Mr. Tara Chand and Mr. Tushar Sharma. Sixty eight of us eagerly sat in the two buses which transported us to the New Delhi railway station, where we boarded the Swarna Shatabdi to begin the most awaited journey of our years at School.

The train ride was marked with endless fun, chatter and music; from playing games and listening to innumerable songs, to singing the birthday song infinite times for Navreet ma'am and so much more. The fact that it was our last School trip made it all the more memorable. We packed in precious moments of togetherness, camaraderie and bonhomie. At 2 pm, our train arrived at the holy city of Amritsar. Without frittering away a moment we headed straight to Sherawala Gate in buses. From there a ten minute walk brought us to Mcdonalds for a quick bite, a stones throw from the Jallianwala Bagh. Post lunch, we visited the hallowed grounds stained with the blood of the innocents mercilessly butchered by the iniquitous General Dyer. It was heart-wrenching to see the bullet marks on the injured walls and the hollow well which wrapped in its watery embrace the panic stricken wailing thousands. The silence spoke volumes. It told us of the numerous sacrifices made by our forefathers so that we could breathe in a free country. Awed and humbled, we made our way to the Golden Temple. Known as Harmandir Sahib, it literally means the Temple of God. In 1578 CE Guru Ram Das excavated a tank, which subsequently became known as Amritsar (Pool of the Nectar of Immortality), giving its name to the city that grew around it. An underground spring feeds the sacred lake. In due course, the Harmandir Sahib, was built in the middle of this tank and became the supreme centre of Sikhism. Its sanctum came to house the Adi Granth comprising compositions of Sikh Gurus and other saints, e.g., Baba Farid, and Kabir. In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh layered dome of the gurdwara with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and its name- The Golden Temple.

Magnificently laid, the temple's architecture draws on both Hindu and Muslim artistic styles yet represents a unique synthesis of the two. We were spellbound, drawn to the spiritual splendor of the place. Echoing across the serene lake, the enchantingly beautiful music induced a delicate trance upon us as we devoutly strolled around the marble concourse encircling the pool and temple. The Gods seemed glad for us for we were granted patient darshan! Heads covered and with fervent prayers on our lips we paid obeisance to God almighty seeking His blessings to do well in our exams. Some of us did langar seva, others sat by the sarovar feeling a specialpeace. All tensions forgotten, we enjoyed the tranquility and serenity of the Temple. We then made our way to the market. While some shopped, others got food packed at the famous Amritsari brothers dhaba for the train journey. We boarded the Golden Temple Mail with heavy hearts. It was a grim reminder of the fact that this was our last School trip. Once we were seated and settled, we sang songs, talked, shared food, and had a merry time. Having woken up at 4 am, we were all extremely exhausted. It wasnt long before we drifted off to sleep. We reached Delhi at 7:20 am. Our parents picked us up at School. Our last School trip shall remain imprinted in our memories for a lifetime- haunting, nostalgic and unforgettable. With contributions by -Mehar Kaur Sodi Shruti Bihani Urja Chhabra Shruti Bihani and Ms. Navreet Shergill.