Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

Amritsar remains our favorite destination in India. Darbar Sahib, The Golden Temple of Sikhism, is a welcoming pilgrimage site for all travelers made tired, hungry, and weak by the pre-monsoon heat. The white marble is worn smooth and feels cool against the soles of your feet. Extensive decorations feature inspirational symmetries and attest to the care and effort devoted to building and maintaining the complex. Most impressive was the Langar House which serves free meals to all who enter. Sitting in long rows, all guests are considered equal and are served their fill of savory dal, chapati and rice. The servers are volunteers, sewadars, performing their task of service to mankind. When we volunteered to help in serving, I was greeted with surprise and warm appreciation. In spite of pale skin and western dress, intrinsically we became less tourists and more partakers in the daily life of this holy site.