Namaste from Amritsar

My entrance into India has been quite exceptional. The first port of call was the aforementioned border ceremony. The Pakistani side of the border was mobbed by Pakistan Hindu pilgrims (apparantly 70% of the people travelling in India at any one time are pilgrims), but luckily a women adopted me and ushered me past everyone to the top of the queue. This is about standard in Pakistan where I have always been treated like some kind of royalty. Someone had warned me previously that the difference between the Indian and Pakistani border ceremonies is that you're not treated like royalty on the Indian side. Nothing could have been truer: As soon as I had passed through Indian customs and immigration, past the sign that said: 'Welcome to India, the largest democracy in the world', I tried my best to resist being thrown out into the crowds and tried to reserve myself a little seat before they let in the masses. However, I was no different to anyone else, and was duly ejected out into the waiting throngs.

At first, I wasn't too happy about this, but then I slowly began to realise that this is what makes India different from Pakistan. The throngs were different here: women mingling freely with men, music and dancing, a distinct lack of head-scarves and more western clothing. I got some stares but nothing compared with what I'm used to in Pakistan. I paid 60 rupees to get my bags looked after while I went to the border ceremony. Waiting for the floodgates to open, the masses were getting impatient, everyone pushing up against everyone else, babies crying etc. Eventually, they opened the gates, and the mob spilled into the border area. By this point I was quite elated... everyone was happy, smiling, laughing, singing, dancing... it seemed so much more liberated and at ease than the sometimes awkward formality of Pakistan. I ran to the grandstands to try to get a good seat. I could see some other Westerners being ushered into a VIP area but decided that I can sit with Westerners in the West. In the East, I wanted to sit with the Easterns, so I ignored all attempts to separate me from the crowd and made my way into the throws of the Indian section of the grandstand.

The ceremony went on for about half an hour, Pakistani crowds roaring, then Indian crowds roaring, soldiers from both sides goose stepping ridiculously into each others faces... At the end, I repatriated my bags and hopped on a local bus to Amritsar.

And it is from the Golden Temple in Amritsar that this post is now coming to you. I have never really been anywhere like this before. The Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib is to the Sikh religion what Mecca is to Islam. It is there holiest place.

I am staying with the pilgrims in the Temple's free hostel. The temple provides accommodation for thousands of people every night. Anyone, regardless of race or religion is allowed stay at the temple for free and is fed as many times as they like 24 hours a day. Everything is done on a grand scale here, the dining rooms catering for thousands of people every hour.

The place is maintained by an army of volunteer Sikhs, who wash it from head to toe every single day. Every shred of barrier is polished every night, every inch of marble buffed.

Everyone is very friendly and respectful here. I had heard this about the Sikhs and am very impressed by this complex. To read more about Sikhism (they're the ones with the Turbans), click here.

I'm off to Delhi tonite on the night train, and then directly to Kolkata tomorrow... I hope you can survive a few days without a posting (yeah, as if anyone will have a problem with that).

Ur man in India.... C.