ASIANOVERLAND.NET SYDNEY TO LONDON  DAY 119/317/31: INDIA/PAKISTAN BORDER

The border between India and Pakistan on the Grand Trunk Road features the daily lowering of the flags ceremony which is colourful, action packed and full of pomp and ceremony. You have to walk in “no man’s land” on both sides of the Attari-Wagah border, where there is a daily military show that the security forces of India (Border Security Force) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have jointly followed since 1959. The drill includes elaborate and rapid dance-like manoeuvres and raising legs as high as possible. It is a symbol of the two countries’ rivalry, as well as brotherhood and cooperation between the two nations, carried out militantly.

Sikhism developed and evolved in times of religious persecution, gaining converts from both Hinduism and Islam, from the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the faith's first guru, and the nine Sikh gurus who succeeded him.

Guru Nanak taught that Sikhism is living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity". 

The tenth guru, Gobind Singh (1666–1708), named the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib as his successor, terminating the line of human gurus and establishing the scripture as the 11th and last eternally living guru.

The core beliefs of Sikhism include faith and meditation in the name of the one creator; divine unity and equality of all humankind; engaging in seva ('selfless service'); striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all; and honest conduct and livelihood.

Sikhism rejects claims that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly on Absolute Truth and teaches followers to transform or avoid the "Five Thieves" (lust, rage, greed, attachment, and ego).

The Sikh scriptures use Hindu names of gods and goddesses including Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Parvati, Lakshmi, Rama, and Krishna, but not to worship. It also refers to the concept of God in Islam (Allah) to assert that these are just "alternate names for the Almighty One".

The Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India, is the preeminent spiritual site of Sikhism.

The man-made pool around the temple was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, in 1577.  The Golden Temple was repeatedly rebuilt by the Sikhs after it was destroyed by the Mughal and invading Afghan armies.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after founding the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830, leading to the name Golden Temple.

The Golden Temple is the location for the historic Sikh practice of the community meal, open to anyone of any faith for a free meal, always vegetarian.  We avoid the huge queues for the free meals and instead, enter the Golden Temple through the side door, where we leave our humble offerings for the community meal. People eat together, and the kitchen is maintained and serviced by Sikh community volunteers.

Upon a Sikh child's birth, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at a random point and the child is named using the first letter on the top left hand corner of the left page. All boys are given the last name Singh, and all girls are given the last name Kaur.

Sikhs wear five items, called the Five Ks, at all times. The five items are: kēs (uncut hair), kaṅghā (small wooden comb), kaṛā (circular steel or iron bracelet), kirpān (sword/dagger), and kacchera (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes. The Sikh bangle is a rite of passage for Top Deck crew and punters, who put it to practical effect as a permanently worn beer bottle opener.

Pakistan gained independence in 1947 as a homeland for Indian sub-continent Muslims following the Pakistan Movement, which sought statehood for the Muslim-majority regions of British India through partition.  An ethnic civil war and Indian military intervention in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh. In 1973, Pakistan adopted a new constitution which stipulated that all laws are to conform to the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Quran.

The stark contrast between Hindu and multicultural India, and Islamic Pakistan, is immediately apparent to travellers, who must clothe themselves and behave in a manner befitting an Islamic culture in Pakistan, whereas the dress code is more relaxed in India.

Our 1980 westbound overland trip book records:

“18 October, 1980

Arrived Amritsar early for breakfast.

Taxis to the border.

Then mini bus to Lahore.

Mini mini mini bus.

We actually did some trekking on this glorious hot day.

 ½ km was a bit suspect for most of us.

Thank god for the porters.”

↑ Day 316 ↓ Day 318