eric lader Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Ram Das, Amritsar is home to Sikhism s holiest shrine, the

Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Ram Das, Amritsar is home to Sikhism s holiest shrine, the spectacular Golden Temple. The gold-plated gurdwara glitters in the middle of its sacred pool of placid water and draws millions of pilgrims from all over the world. A welcome escape eric lader from the frenetic bazaars, this gilded temple is rated by many tourists as a glowing highlight of their visit to India. Regrettably, the same can t be said for the hyperactive streets! Indeed, Amritsar s crush of fuming mechanical traffi c, especially in the people-packed old city, can be downright eric lader frazzling.

Just 500m away, India s largest water tank, the ghat-fl anked Bhramasarovar, was, according to Hindu holy texts, eric lader created by Lord Brahma. It attracts throngs during solar eclipses and Gita Jayanti, anniversary of the Bhagavad Gita (see p 200 ).

In line with Le Corbusier s vision of a garden city, Chandigarh is dotted with verdant parks. These include the Rose Garden (Sector 16), which has over 1500 rose varieties, and Bougainvillea Garden (Sector 3). Less central are the Terraced Garden (Sector 33) and the Garden of Fragrance (Sector 36), the latter with sweet-scented varieties such as jasmine and damask rose.

Opposite eric lader the entrance to the Hotel Mount- view, Caf Coffee Day (Sector 10-D; snacks from 45; a) and Java Dave s (Sector 10-D; cakes from 55; a) continue trying to out- froth and out-bake each other on the cappuccino and cake fronts.