Amritsar

Iz hribovskih predelov sem se odpravila nazaj v nižine, najprej v Amritsar, kjer je bil moj glavni cilj videti zlati tempelj. Nastanila sem se v prenočišču, potem pa jo mahnila peš proti templju. Ampak sem se že počasi navadila, da peš se v Indiji ne pride nikamor. Nenehno te oblegajo vozniki rikš in najlažji način, da se jih znebiš je pač tak, da enega najameš, da te pelje. Po nekaj časa potovanja po Indiji sem že vedela, koliko kaj stane in sem se znala dogovoriti za razumno ceno. Zlati tempelj je res prekrasen, nenazadnje tudi zato, ker je zelo lepo vzdrževan. Opazila sem, da je skupina delavcev obnavljala izrezljano kamnito ograjo, ki je postavljena okrog templja in zunanjega bazena. Vsak delavec je imel v roki pilo in z njo brusil delček ograje. Napredek je bil zelo počasen in ko sem to videla, sem bila prepričana, da bodo delavci potrebovali kakšno leto, da bodo končali brušenje celotne ograje, do takrat pa bo verjetno že čas, da začnejo spet znova. Ugibam, da je to eden izmed načinov, kako se v Indiji borijo proti brezposelnosti, namreč da zaposlijo več ljudi, ki vsak opravlja nekaj malega dela, verjetno za bolj majhno plačilo, a vsaj niso na cesti. Za ogled templja je treba imeti pokrivalo na glavi in to velja za ženske in moške. Ženske so večinoma imele rute ali tanke šale na glavi, saj je v Indiji to kar del vsakodnevnega oblačila, tudi jaz sem vedno nosila ruto s seboj. Moški pa so imeli večinoma turbane na glavi, saj je Amritsar središče Sikhovskega prebivalstva, kjer je za moške zapovedano, da si ne smejo striči las in pravzaprav zato nosijo turbane, da si zavijejo dolge lase. Opazila sem tudi, da si nekateri, predvsem starejši moški, tudi ne brijejo brade in zato nosijo nekakšno mrežo, v katero spravijo predolgo brado in jo imajo obešeno z zankami preko ušes. Preostali moški, ki niso imeli turbanov, pa so si na glavo poveznili robce iz blaga, zavozlane na vogalih, tako da je nastala nekakšna kapica. Prav smešno je izgledalo.

I decided to descend from the mountains into the lowlands, first to Amritsar where I especially wanted to see the Golden temple. I found a place to stay where I left my luggage and started walking towards the temple. But I already knew by now that you can't get anywhere on foot in India. Those rickshaw drivers are touting everywhere and the easiest way to get rid of them is to hire one. After traveling in India for some time it gets clearer how much something costs so I believe I got a good price. The Golden temple is indeed beautiful and well kept. I noticed that a group of workers was cleaning a carved stone fence that sorrounds the temple and the outdoor pool. Each worker held a file with which he polished small sections of the fence. It was obvious that their progress was very slow and when I noticed how much of the fence was still left to clean I estimated it would take them another year to finish polishing the fence and by that time it was probably time to start over. I thought this might be one of the ways they address unemployment in India, that they hire several people for a job. They each do a small part, I guess they aren't paid well but at least they have a job. In order to enter the temple both men and women have to cover their hair. The women generally wear headscarves, at least it seemed almost every woman in India wears one. I also always carried a scarf with me. Most of the men wore turbans on their heads, after all Amritsar is the center of the Sikh population where men are not allowed to cut their hair and the turbans are originally meant to wrap their long hair. I noticed that some, mostly older men also don't cut their beards and they wear a sort of net that keeps their long beard out of the way and the net is attached by loops over the ears. All other men without turbans still had to cover their hear when entering the temple and they were given handkerchiefs which they knotted at the corners and put on their heads. They looked somewhat silly.