Amritsar/Punjab Safety

spwrangler · Oct 20th, 2004, 22:15

I feel like I keep posting safety questions...but I was talking to a professor at my university about our trip to India. We told her that we planned to stop in Amritsar for a day on our way to Darmashala. She said that it isn't safe there especially for westerners. She said that there are terrorist there, that you can see them on the busses. She said that she, herself wouldn't travel there either. However, she is from Kolkata which she travels back and fourth too a couple times a year, and she is from a high caste family. I don't know if these are her own prejudices or what, but I would really like to check out the Golden Palace. I was wondering if the punjab region, spacificaly Amritsar is safe place for westerners to travel these days??!!

Thanks!

cyberhippie · Oct 20th, 2004, 22:21

Jeez I wish people would think before handing out such reactionary information!!
The days of Sikh separatism are pretty much over and Amritsar hasn't seen any attack in a long long time!
Even when Sikhs wre involved in terrorist actions they were I'm sure never aimed at western tourism!!
The cross border terrorism with militants attacking over the Pakistani border is sporadic, I havent heard of an instance of this in a while and again it's certainly not aimed at western tourism!!
Forget what your teacher told you thousands of tourists visit Amritsar and the Punjab annually with few problems.

Happy Traveling

spwrangler · Oct 20th, 2004, 22:23

I'll go with your advice!!! Thanks.

malvin · Oct 20th, 2004, 22:41

the information your professor provided is simply mischievous.there is absolutely no trouble in punjab,even in the hay days of militancy no foreigners were ever harmed.go ahead and you`ll find there the most hospitable people on the sub-continent!

Merchant · Oct 20th, 2004, 22:59

There's really no place in India--except in some regions wracked by insurgency--where you would be targeted as a foreigner. And even in those places, the real threat is from a grenade tossed into a market and not from your being targeted. The number of foreigners intentionally killed or kidnapped in all of India's territories (including the disputed ones like Kashmir) is miniscule. More people have been pushed in front of New York's subways by deranged homeless people than have been intentionally targeted in India.

spwrangler · Oct 20th, 2004, 23:37

I'm going to Amritsar!!! thanks for the reply's, I'll post some pictures when I get back...hopefully it won't be too cold in February!

Aaron

malvin · Oct 20th, 2004, 23:47

amritsar can get quite cold,normaly feb should be ok.

SHIMLA · Oct 21st, 2004, 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by spwrangler

I feel like I keep posting safety questions...but I was talking to a professor at my university about our trip to India. We told her that we planned to stop in Amritsar for a day on our way to Darmashala. She said that it isn't safe there especially for westerners. She said that there are terrorist there, that you can see them on the busses. She said that she, herself wouldn't travel there either. However, she is from Kolkata which she travels back and fourth too a couple times a year, and she is from a high caste family. I don't know if these are her own prejudices or what, but I would really like to check out the Golden Palace. I was wondering if the punjab region, spacificaly Amritsar is safe place for westerners to travel these days??!!

Thanks!

Sorry to say so, but your professor seems to have just woken up from a Rip Van Winklle slumber!!

As the others have pointed out, there is absolutely no problem on the terrorist front in Punjab today.

Amritsar in Feb. will be just perfect, so have a great trip!!

crvlvr · Oct 21st, 2004, 07:53

spwrangler,

The US Department of State provides constant updates on International Travel Warnings.. Check this site before you head out .. http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings_current.html

Terrorists may prefer victims of a particular country.. so your risk will depend on their attitude towards the US citizens.. Although there are no travel for for India at this time, there are warnings issued for Pakistan.. Punjab does border Pakistan..

wonderwomanusa · Oct 21st, 2004, 10:58

You can tell your teacher that a fellow traveller told me, in all seriousness, that Kolkata is not only horrible but also unsafe for visiting foreigners. She hadn't been there, but her Gujerati friends in New York told her so ... and she refused to take the opinions of anyone else as seriously.

Arun · Oct 21st, 2004, 13:39

Amritsar Sikhs were by far the friendliest people I met in the entire country.

The days of Khalistan seem a distant memory.

mira4bai4 · Oct 21st, 2004, 15:34

There are idiots everywhere but there are very few terrorists by comparison.

Every thing is pretty great now up in the Punjab and in Amritsar with buses and trains etc going up to Pakistan, all very relaxed. Singapore and Malaysian Airlines are flying into Amritsar now so that is a big plus. Go to the Golden Temple at dusk, it is magic.

Keep something warm with you as February is nice but can turn real cold as well in that part of town, I 'chilled' out pretty bad there one year, not nice.

himadventures · Nov 3rd, 2004, 08:09

Friends,

Every week I drive through Punjab and almost every month I am driving to Amritsar. I know that some govt. had still have post on thier websites about Punjab being terrorist and bla bla bla...but this plain,simple and nice lie.

There is no terrorism and and there is no trouble in Punjab. Even Punjab has crime rate lower than other states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

One can easily enjoy hospitality of Punjab who boasts that half of UK and 45% CANADA is being civilized by PUNJABIS.

heee heee yes !! They are every where in U.K and CANADA.

Just take care of basic rules: Do not expose in public, No Drugs-even avoid sharing a cigerette, and follow your basic instincts...as simple as that.

irsel · Nov 4th, 2004, 02:15

I have been in Amritsar last week and had a wonderful time. Exspecialy being in the Golden Temple was great. Watching the evening ceremony of bringing the holy book to bed is magic and very much worth to be attended. I staid many hours at the Golden Temple fascinated by the atmosphere and the people.
Don´t miss this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Callous · Jul 17th, 2005, 04:43

Hello we have just returned from 4 weeks in the motherland.One week was spent in beautiful Punjab,for my money the friendliest state in India.Amritsar was wonderful and apart from being there at the totally wrong time[it was 47degrees],the Golden Temple ranks in my memory as an unforgettable sight to even rival the Taj Mahal.The Sikhs truly would be the most hospitable and friendliest people.Jalandhar a throughly modern quite wealthy city where we spent a few days with our friends and Chandigargh a lovely spot also.

Oct 20th, 2004, 22:15	#1
spwrangler Space Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Charleston,SC Posts: 37	Amritsar/Punjab Safety I feel like I keep posting safety questions...but I was talking to a professor at my university about our trip to India. We told her that we planned to stop in Amritsar for a day on our way to Darmashala. She said that it isn't safe there especially for westerners. She said that there are terrorist there, that you can see them on the busses. She said that she, herself wouldn't travel there either. However, she is from Kolkata which she travels back and fourth too a couple times a year, and she is from a high caste family. I don't know if these are her own prejudices or what, but I would really like to check out the Golden Palace. I was wondering if the punjab region, spacificaly Amritsar is safe place for westerners to travel these days??!! Thanks!

Nov 3rd, 2004, 08:09	#13
himadventures Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: India Posts: 1,070	Wrong Information on Punjab ( India ) Friends, Every week I drive through Punjab and almost every month I am driving to Amritsar. I know that some govt. had still have post on thier websites about Punjab being terrorist and bla bla bla...but this plain,simple and nice lie. There is no terrorism and and there is no trouble in Punjab. Even Punjab has crime rate lower than other states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. One can easily enjoy hospitality of Punjab who boasts that half of UK and 45% CANADA is being civilized by PUNJABIS. heee heee yes !! They are every where in U.K and CANADA. Just take care of basic rules: Do not expose in public, No Drugs-even avoid sharing a cigerette, and follow your basic instincts...as simple as that.

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Oct 20th, 2004, 22:21	#2
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,012	Jeez I wish people would think before handing out such reactionary information!! The days of Sikh separatism are pretty much over and Amritsar hasn't seen any attack in a long long time! Even when Sikhs wre involved in terrorist actions they were I'm sure never aimed at western tourism!! The cross border terrorism with militants attacking over the Pakistani border is sporadic, I havent heard of an instance of this in a while and again it's certainly not aimed at western tourism!! Forget what your teacher told you thousands of tourists visit Amritsar and the Punjab annually with few problems. Happy Traveling

Oct 20th, 2004, 22:23	#3
spwrangler Space Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Charleston,SC Posts: 37	I'll go with your advice!!! Thanks.

Oct 20th, 2004, 22:41	#4
malvin Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: austria/chandigarh(punjab) Posts: 169	the information your professor provided is simply mischievous.there is absolutely no trouble in punjab,even in the hay days of militancy no foreigners were ever harmed.go ahead and you`ll find there the most hospitable people on the sub-continent!

Oct 20th, 2004, 22:59	#5
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,096	There's really no place in India--except in some regions wracked by insurgency--where you would be targeted as a foreigner. And even in those places, the real threat is from a grenade tossed into a market and not from your being targeted. The number of foreigners intentionally killed or kidnapped in all of India's territories (including the disputed ones like Kashmir) is miniscule. More people have been pushed in front of New York's subways by deranged homeless people than have been intentionally targeted in India.

Oct 20th, 2004, 23:37	#6
spwrangler Space Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Charleston,SC Posts: 37	I'm going to Amritsar!!! thanks for the reply's, I'll post some pictures when I get back...hopefully it won't be too cold in February! Aaron

Oct 20th, 2004, 23:47	#7
malvin Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: austria/chandigarh(punjab) Posts: 169	amritsar can get quite cold,normaly feb should be ok.

Oct 21st, 2004, 07:53	#9
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,474	spwrangler, The US Department of State provides constant updates on International Travel Warnings.. Check this site before you head out .. http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings_current.html Terrorists may prefer victims of a particular country.. so your risk will depend on their attitude towards the US citizens.. Although there are no travel for for India at this time, there are warnings issued for Pakistan.. Punjab does border Pakistan..

Oct 21st, 2004, 10:58	#10
wonderwomanusa Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 3,522	You can tell your teacher that a fellow traveller told me, in all seriousness, that Kolkata is not only horrible but also unsafe for visiting foreigners. She hadn't been there, but her Gujerati friends in New York told her so ... and she refused to take the opinions of anyone else as seriously.

Oct 21st, 2004, 13:39	#11
Arun zindabad! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Israel Posts: 170	Amritsar Sikhs were by far the friendliest people I met in the entire country. The days of Khalistan seem a distant memory.

Oct 21st, 2004, 15:34	#12
mira4bai4 Lost in Space Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: ND PaharGanj Permanently/Temporarily Posts: 1,188	There are idiots everywhere but there are very few terrorists by comparison. Every thing is pretty great now up in the Punjab and in Amritsar with buses and trains etc going up to Pakistan, all very relaxed. Singapore and Malaysian Airlines are flying into Amritsar now so that is a big plus. Go to the Golden Temple at dusk, it is magic. Keep something warm with you as February is nice but can turn real cold as well in that part of town, I 'chilled' out pretty bad there one year, not nice.

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Nov 4th, 2004, 02:15	#14
irsel Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 22	I have been in Amritsar last week and had a wonderful time. Exspecialy being in the Golden Temple was great. Watching the evening ceremony of bringing the holy book to bed is magic and very much worth to be attended. I staid many hours at the Golden Temple fascinated by the atmosphere and the people. Don´t miss this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jul 17th, 2005, 04:43	#15
Callous Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 113	Hello we have just returned from 4 weeks in the motherland.One week was spent in beautiful Punjab,for my money the friendliest state in India.Amritsar was wonderful and apart from being there at the totally wrong time[it was 47degrees],the Golden Temple ranks in my memory as an unforgettable sight to even rival the Taj Mahal.The Sikhs truly would be the most hospitable and friendliest people.Jalandhar a throughly modern quite wealthy city where we spent a few days with our friends and Chandigargh a lovely spot also.