Amritsar is a popular city of the state of Punjab. This city is reportedly very close to the country's western part of the country's border along Pakistan. Amritsar, holy city of the Sikhs, was founded in the year 1579 by Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru. The origin of its name is from a sacred tank, 'The Ocean of the Nectar', by which the famous Golden Temple was built. As the name of the pool implies, it is a very sacred temple and hold religious significance in the Sikh religion. Amritsar houses Golden Temple or more popularly known as 'Harmandir Sahib'. It is one of the most popular monuments and tourist attractions of India. This holy Sikh shrine attracts a large number of people from various parts of the world. 'Durgiana Mandir' is another very famous monument of the country located in Amritsar. The monuments of Amritsar reflect rich history associated with this city. Like for instance, this place is known for the Jallianwalabagh Massacre of the year 1919 under colonial rule. Amritsar, which is popular for its commercial activities that comprise carpets and fabrics, tourism, farm produce, light engineering, handicrafts and service trades, is also renowned for its various monuments and historical sites.
The Islamic and European sites of Amritsar are generally of secondary importance to the Sikh shrines. This old city is now enclosed by the circular road, 18 of the gates still survive, but only the gate to the Ram Bagh gardens is original. Saragarhi Memorial is here, which was raised to commemorate the Sikh soldiers who died defending the Saragarhi Fort on the North-West Frontier in the year 1897. The famous Ram Bagh Public Gardens is also here in this city that offers a medley of walks and fountains. It is of around 16-hectare. A short distance to the south-west of Amritsar is the Govindgarh Fort, which was completed in the year 1809 with the assistance of French officers. That is why French names can be seen on its fortified walls. Moreover, this city has St Paul's Anglican Church, several missionary institutions and the Roman Catholic Church. On the Grand Trunk Road is Khalsa College, founded in the year 1882, a large institution affiliated to the East Punjab University of Arts and Science.
