Travel StoriesWe started our day with plans to visit Jallianwala Bagh Memorial, Partition Museum, and witness the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah-Attari border. We didn’t want to start too early, as both Jallianwala Bagh and Partition Museum are conveniently located near each other. The drive to the Wagah-Attari border will take around an hour after I finish touring the two museums. Jallianwala Bagh and Partition Museum are close to the Golden Temple. We arrived at Jallianwala Bagh by 11 AM.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, a devastating event in India's history, took place on April 13, 1919. The tragedy was brought about by a British police officer, Brigadier General Dyer, and resulted in a significant loss of life. This fateful day is remembered as a pivotal moment in India's pursuit of independence.
On April 13, 1919, General Dyer issued a ban on all gatherings due to fears of potential riots. However, he discovered that 20,000 people were peacefully assembled at Jallianwala Bagh, and he arrived there with his Gurkha regiment. Without any provocation, Dyer ordered his soldiers to start shooting at the crowd. The firing lasted for ten minutes, and the soldiers are believed to have fired approximately 1,650 rounds. According to official British records, 379 people were killed and over a thousand were injured, but it is widely believed that the actual death toll was over 1,000. The number of casualties was determined by counting the discarded bullet casings found at the site.
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is considered a turning point in the ending of British rule in India. General Dyer was removed from his position for the killing of hundreds of innocent people. Despite this, he received support from the pro-British population in Britain, who viewed him as a hero. In recent times, British Prime Minister David Cameron recognized the tragedy as "the most shameful event in the history of British India" during a trip to India.
The entry to Jallianwala Bagh was through a narrow passage. The walls on either side displayed images of the massacre. The inner grounds were lush with trees and greenery. Despite the solemnity of the site, it was quite crowded inside. The central attraction was the monument, located in the center of the ground surrounded by a lotus pond. Some of the walls, which were pockmarked by bullets during the firing, still stand as a testament to the brutality of that day. These remnants provide a vivid illustration of the violence that took place.
Next, we went to see the nearby Partition Museum
The partition of British India in 1947 led to the establishment of India and Pakistan. The partition documents, created by British lawyer Cyril Radcliffe, divided the state of Punjab into West Punjab and East Punjab based on religion. Millions of people found themselves on the wrong side of the border, leading to widespread violence and riots, resulting in numerous deaths and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. To honor those impacted by the Partition, the Government of Punjab and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust of the UK have established a museum dedicated to preserving the memory of this significant event. Visitors to the museum can witness the first-hand accounts of the suffering and struggles faced by individuals during the Partition and riots. However, it is difficult to fully grasp the experiences of those who were separated between two countries.It’s advisable to visit the Golden Temple area in the evening, as the heat during the day can be tiring from sight-seeing and walking.
Wagah Border
Our tour ended at 2 PM and we headed to the Wagah-Attari border to attend the flag lowering ceremony. Our relative in the Air Force had made reservations for us, and we had to pick up our booking number from the BSF station in Khasa. The soldiers there were polite and helped us as the list had not arrived yet. When they found out we were from Kerala, they told us that another small group from kerala had already passed there. We waited until 2:30 PM when the list arrived and continued our journey, reaching the border at 3 PM. A man approached us and drew the flag on our hands for 40 rupees before we entered the building that housed a hotel and cloakroom for our belongings. Bags were not allowed inside the parade ground, but phones, cameras, and wallets were permitted.
After 4 PM, people were permitted to enter the parade ground. The walk from where the car parked was about a kilometer. We met the group of Keralites that were previously mentioned at the Khasa BSF station. We were seated near the parade ground for the flag lowering ceremony, which was scheduled between 5 PM and 6 PM. The Indian and Pakistani sides had large, closed gates. To pass the time before the ceremony, songs were played loudly starting at 4:30 PM and a BSF jawan invited women to dance. Divya joined in the group and danced for a while.
The atmosphere on the Indian side was lively with singing, dancing and more, while the Pakistani side was relatively quiet with limited attendance, mostly composed of VIPs and lacking women. At the start of the ceremony, the gates were opened and soldiers from both sides yelled out while making energetic gestures.
This is the process of the ceremony. The soldiers from India and Pakistan would engage in a shouting match before parting ways with their flags and exchanging handshakes. This was accompanied by the cheers of the onlookers. Witnessing the ceremony in person is a unique experience. Indian side was leading, where the noise was strongest. The crowd on the Pakistani side was smaller, and the thousands of spectators on the Indian side easily outmatched them. At six o’clock, the flags were lowered in unison, folded, and held by the soldiers. The ceremony ended with a handshake between the two sides.
After leaving the ceremony, we encountered a bike with an Ernakulam license plate. After waiting a bit, we met the owner, Prabeen from Kochi, who was on vacation from abroad and exploring the area. We chatted for a while and decided to travel together to Khatra, Jammu the next day.
After dinner, we went to bed early as we had to start early the next day.
(To be continued…)
