I was on my way to Amritsar to visit one of my oldest school friends. Even though I was not acquainted with this place, I did feel like I was welcome here from the beginning. My friend’s house was about 45 km away from the airport near Wagah Border. I had to Avail a tempo traveler hire in Amritsar and reached there with leaving all my anticipations behinds. On my way, I was remunerating our school days and how we both used to share the bench, almost inseparable. Even the teachers used to think that we are like brothers. But a strange thing happened which made our friendship stand at the crossroads of separation.
He was to move away to Amritsar with his family since his dad got his posting at Wagah Border. I was honestly baffled, but with time it healed. We were in touch through postcards, then through email chat rooms, then on social media platforms – it almost as if time grew with us.
There are many ways to reach Wagah Border, but I had chosen the tempo traveler since I was a bit too tired to break my journey again at Golden Temple Gate. However, I did pass by the Golden Temple, and then from there, I was just an hour away. Honestly, I was as excited to see my friend as I was to be at Wagah Border. I have heard so much about this place and the enriching history behind it. Once I reached, I asked him to show me around. But before I could do anything, I was greeted with warmth and a lot of food.
A one day tour of Wagah Border
Often known as the South Asian Berlin Wall, Wagah Border has been one of the prime tourist attractions of Amritsar. Trivia time: Wagah Border was established right after Radcliff drew the line in 1947. This was when India and Pakistan got separated. The same fate was served to the village of Wagah that got divided into its eastern and western regions. The part that my friend and I were standing was the eastern half, while the western part belonged to Pakistan.
The highly talked of Wagah Flag Ceremony
This event seemed like the “flagship” event of Wagah, which happens every day across the year during sunset. I was lucky to have witnessed it on the very day I had arrived. There were at least 2000 plus people from both sides who came to see the flag retreat ceremony. The seating arrangement situation can be tricky since you’d need to get there an hour early, at least to get yourself a seat. But luckily enough, we could get two seats, and we watched the ceremony unfold at the comfort of our seats.
A few tips for those who’d want to visit Wagah Border
Since I am already blogging this, I might as well put out a few points out here for other folks to be a bit more prepared than I was before visiting Wagah.
- Since I was visiting my friend during the winter, the ceremony started at 4:30 pm, which changes during the summer. Even though we could get seats arriving 10 mins before the ceremony, it’s highly unlikely that you will. So, enter at least an hour early since there are security checks that you’d have to go through.
- The best time to visit would be during August or the middle of March. The reason for this suggestion is because there will be fewer people during the summer.
- If you are a foreigner, then the passport is required for you to access the seating area assigned to the foreigners that are near the gates.
- There was also a VIP seating area that my friend had promised a seat next time I visit. Likewise, if you know anyone who’s in the Indian Army or anyone who’s connected to the government at higher levels can quickly get you a sea there. That seating area is the closest you can be to the gates. However, the reservation needs to be made at least two days before the ceremony at the nearest BSF station.
The return trip
The ceremony wrapped itself within 45 minutes and then we both headed home. I was famished and so was he. We both enjoyed the local cuisine made by his mom and then caught up on each other’s lives. The next day, I Booked a reliable taxi service in Amritsar to take me to the airport.