Heritage Street, Amritsar

The makeover of the stretch from the Town Hall to the Sri Harmandir Sahib has dramatically transformed the street that every visitor to Amritsar will invariably tread upon. Neatly tiled pathways have replaced the road, while tall statues of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Sh. B.R Ambedkar, and a marble sculpture depicting the martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh showcase the heritage and history of Punjab. Building facades around the attractive boulevard have been given a facelift .A huge LED screen plays a live telecast of the Gurubani Kirtan taking place in the Golden Temple.

A general sense of disorderliness was characteristic of the street from the iconic Bharawan Da Dhaba to the Golden Temple, with pedestrians competing with rickshaw-pullers, hawkers and vendors selling Amritsar specialties.Having experienced this, the revamped heritage street is as much a shock to the senses as it is a delight.Beginning at the old Town Hall building, which now houses the Partition Museum, going towards Jallianwala Bagh and then up to the Golden Temple, the one-kilometre stretch feels like a walk through an open monument.Bright lampposts, buildings with Rajputana and Mughal architectural domes and Jharokhas, LED lights illuminating the façades and just the right number of people make it appear almost like the production set of a period film.