About:
Dr. Bharatkumar Bhate is M.S. General Surgeon (Gold Medalist) by qualification with an experience of 30,000+ operations and is based at Rajkot, Gujarat. He is an avid reader and a passionate writer. In this blog, he shares his travel experiences and creative writings.
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Blog:
Our tour started from Amritsar. We arrived at Amritsar
airport from Ahmedabad at around 01-40 P.M.
and started sightseeing right from there to save time. We had pre-booked
taxi for our whole tour of 12 days in Himachal Pradesh. Gobindgarh Fort was our
first destination.
Gobindgarh Fort is one of the famous tourist
destinations of Amritsar.
It is a historic military fort spread over 43
acres and located in the centre of the city of Amritsar. The fort was until
recently occupied by Indian army but was opened to the public from 10 February
2017.
Punjab Government gave the fort to one Private Limited Company who opened a theme park in 2017. Two museums of the fort were also opened for the public by the Government. The fort has been renovated and numerous attractions have been added to make Qila Gobindgarh a live tourist destination. Currently, the fort houses museums, a vibrant bazaar and several food stalls. It also serves as an entertainment hub where you can immerse yourself in fun rides, games, exciting activities, 7D shows, handicraft shopping, folk dances, live performances and much more. There is a stage at the centre of the Fort which is alive all day with the performances of gatka, gidda, bhangra, comedy, games etc.
There are various combo tickets available at the entrance of the Fort. We had no interest in rides and food. So, we selected combo of Pagdi Museum, 7-D high tech show, Whispering Walls Show (multimedia sound and light show) and Punjabi cultural activities like Bhangra, Gidda, and Gatka. One can book online tickets for different shows in Gobindgarh Fort from their official website. Other websites like BookMyShow, PayTM, and ClearTrip also book tickets. Fort is open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm every day but museums close at 7-30 pm. Toshakhana and War Museum are closed on Mondays and government holidays. We missed these two as our tour started on Monday.
The fort was originally built by Gujjar Singh and later Maharaja Ranjit Singh strengthened it in 1760. It is standing as the symbol of bravery and devotion of centuries. Much of these revamps were based on French military fortification plans. Fort has a square layout and is made using bricks and lime. Fort has multiple gates including Nalwa Gate (main entrance). It also has an underground tunnel that is said to lead towards Lahore. It has a deep moat filled with water that encircles the walls.
This fort is popularly known as the Bhangian da Killa (fort of the Bhangis) after its 18th century founder belonging to Bhangi of Dhillon Jats rulers. Maharaja renamed it in the early 19th century after the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.
One of the main reasons to erect the fort was to save Harmandir Sahib. The fort had five cannons which included the two famous massive Zamzama cannons which were the largest, strongest, and heaviest cannons ever made in the sub-continent. These guns were cast at Lahore.
Sher-e-Punjab is the name of the main entrance of Toshakhana. It is now a coin museum for old and rare coins. A replica of the Kohinoor as it was worn by the Maharaja is displayed here. The circular structure of the roof that was made using the original Nanak Shahi brick is intact till date and it is a marvellous sight. It is reported that Maharaja Ranjit Singh kept his treasure at the Toshakhana in the fort. It also included food and arms supplies for an army of 2000 soldiers of the fort. The fort also housed a coin mint of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The old Anglo-Sikh bungalow has been converted to an ancient warfare museum and is another attraction for the visitors. Artilleries were also produced at the fort. The fort also had a watch tower which was fifty meters tall and completed in 1874. It was later demolished by the Indian Army after independence for security reasons. The museum has many real, lifelike figurines that are so realistic they seem they would come alive if touched. You can see rare war instruments and replicas of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s personal sword as well as the Zamzama, the largest cannon of its time.
'Sher e Punjab' is a 7-D show in which glorious history on the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (called Sher e Punjab) is depicted through technology. Being directed by Ketan Mehta, it takes you back to the 19th century in an entertaining and informative manner. Timings are throughout the day and it is in Punjabi Language with English subtitles.
'Spirit of Punjab’ is a stage show that keeps the fort alive all day long with live performances of bhangra, gatka, gidda, comedy, games, dholi etc. Several prizes are here to be won each day.
Watch video below:
Ambarsari Zaika - People here engage themselves in the various food shops and stalls that offer the choicest of Amritsari and Punjabi cuisine along with some other eatery options as well.
Whispering Walls - Kanda Boldiyan Ne or Whispering Walls is a show using state of the art projection mapping technologies and laser lights. A show of this quality has never been seen pan India and we can certainly state that it will surely take your breath away. This show is held every evening post sunset. There is a Punjabi as well as an English show each day.
VR Shows: Virtual Reality (VR) shows that offer a high-tech experience and take you on a trip through the fort’s history. It is shown throughout the day.
Pagdi Museum, where interesting forms of turbans from across Punjab are kept on display.
All in all, Gobindgarh Fort, Amritsar is a perfect
one-day trip destination. Avoid to visit on Monday.
- Dr. Bharatkumar Bhate
bcbhate@gmail.com