Amritsar

Definition

Amritsar, or amrit sar, literally means pool of liberating nectar or a place from where liberation occurs. Amritsar is a city in the province of Punjab in Northwestern India. Today, it is one of the largest cities in the province functioning as a business, cultural, and spiritual center. Since the point of its founding, Amritsar has been an important historical, spiritual, and cultural center for Sikhs.

The City of Nectar and the Sikh Gurus

Amritsar, as it is known today, is the name of a town established by the fourth Sikh Guru, Ram Das (1534–1581). In 1564, Ram Das initiated the digging of a water tank with the approval of the third Sikh Guru, Amar Das (1479–1574). This tank was built in the proximity of three preexisting villages Tung, Gumtala, and Sultanvind. Sources differ in regards to how the land was acquired stating either that the land was purchased from the residents of Tung or that the land was given as a gift to Bibi Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das and wife...