Dear Editor,
The Akali Dal showcased the beautification around the Golden Temple as a party feat. And it does look pretty in pictures, but my visit there recently came as a reality check. Unmanned traffic choked entry lanes. The periphery certainly looks clean and impressive, with monotone structures that go with the gurdwara’s domes, and gigantic statues. The stoned floor and walks are well maintained.
However, in the heavily cold-stoned surrounding, there is not a single tree or potted plant to let the place breathe. In fact, the whole old city of Amritsar lacks green plantations.
Lack of proper signage to guide visitors adds to the confusion, perhaps to benefit battery-pulled rickshaws that misguide people by taking them round dirty lanes to drop them at the same point they started from!
BalVinder,
Via-e-mail