Amritsar (Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ, meaning: The Lake of the Holy Nectar) is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district in the commonwealth of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the universe of the metropolis to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering just over 3,695,077.Amritsar is situated in the northwest portion of India in the Province of Punjab, 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of Lahore, Pakistan. Some have interpreted the name Amritsar to come from Amŗit-saagar, meaning “The Sea of the Ambrosia of Immortality”.It is base to the Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, the religious and cultural heart of the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal in Agra and is the numeral one address for non-resident Indians (NRI) in the unit of India. Amritsar is considered important and holy by hindus as well, as according to the greatest epic of hinduism, this was a spot where Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, gave birth to twins Lava and Kusha. The bear took post in the ashram of Valmiki rishi. Beside this Durgaina temple is besides a very famous hindu temple.Amritsar is likewise known for the incidents of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 under British Rule and Operation Bluestar in 1984 under the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
The principal commercial activities include tourism, carpets and fabrics, farm produce, handicrafts, service trades and light engineering. The metropolis is popular and known for its food and culture.As of 2007, 85% of the universe in Amritsar district are Sikh. The entire population of Amritsar is 1,547,695. The city has a significant Hindu population, who cast the largest minority. Males constitute 55% of the universe and females 45%. Amritsar has an average literacy rate of 75%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. 15% of the universe is under 6 days of age. The main spoken speech in Amritsar and in the surrounding villages is the Punjabi dialect of Maajhi, considered to be Standard Punjabi. Other languages spoken in the city are English and Hindi. Before partition there was a great universe of Muslims. Amritsar was one of the most affected cities by violence during the division of British India into India and Pakistan.Modern Amritsar is currently seeing rapid urban growth. To help the evolution process, the Administration of India and Authorities of Punjab have released a Rs.3,150 Crore (roughly 769 million USD) plan to develop Amritsar. The planned budget would fund construction of roads, sewage management, water, and a mass Rapid Transport transit system. Amritsar is witnessing a spurt in high-end residential property and multiplex development, courtesy the government’s decision to set up a particular economic zone there, and the growing concern of real estate developers.
Leading developers from Delhi as good as local ones have lined up a series of townships comprising of villas, luxury apartments, service apartments and penthouses. About a dozen malls are likewise in several phases of completion. A new city Convention Centre has been planned{as of October 2007}, as are four 5 star hotels – the Radisson Hotel Amritsar is to give by October 2008 The Taj and Holiday Inn Group, Marriott Hotels are also completing projects.To protect Amritsar’s historical and spiritual heritage, part of the new budget is consecrated to the saving of religious shrines in the city
Source: Wikipedia

Author: Earwig’s Thoughts