What makes Diwali of Punjab so unique and exquisite is the Bandi Chhod Diwas celebrated by the Sikhs on the day. The Bandi Chhod Diwas has a bitter-sweet story associated with it. Legend says that on this day, the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji and 52 other princes came back to Amritsar after being released from prison by Mughal Emperor Jahangir.

Golden Temple, in itself, is a beautiful marvel to see. But on the day of Diwali, Golden Temple is so illuminated and serene as if gods themselves were showering the light. One must visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar on this day. Purchase some earthen lamps, light them around the sarovar and partake langar when here. It will prove to be so surreal and an experience like you’ve never had before. One can also go shopping around the Heritage street market to purchase Parandis, Phulkari dupattas, Punjabi Juttis and many more such items.

Diwali and the Bandi Chhod Diwas are celebrated in the Hindu Month of Kartik. The festival is generally celebrated for 4-7 days. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on October 24.

What to expect

There is no holding back with the Diwali Celebrations at the Golden Temple. It is marked with spectacular lights which makes the sky seem excessively stunning. Streets are lit with beautiful lighting. The entire edge of the holy Sarovar is illuminated with countless oil lamps and candles signifying the Festival of Lights. It depicts the victory of light over darkness.

Thousands of pilgrims congregate for a spectacular night of celebration. The night kicks off with a wonderful display of fireworks best seen from the roof tops of surrounding buildings. Within the Golden temple Complex, pilgrims light thousands of candles around the holy pond and many brave the chilly weather and take a dip in the pond as well. After the Diwali festival comes Govardhan Puja which is celebrated to commemorate the day when Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan Parvat to provide shelter from torrential rains caused by Lord Indra to destroy the villages of Vrindavan. On this day, Annakut is prepared which is a combination of 56 varieties (Chappan Bhog) of vegetarian food and sweets as a mark of gratitude. Make sure to go to a Golden temple where you can savour this amazing meal.

Where

Though the festival of Diwali is celebrated across Punjab, but to experience it in the best way possible, head to the Golden Temple at Amritsar and celebrate it along with the rest of Pilgrims. You can also visit cities like Patiala, Anandpur Sahib and Ludhiana to experience a Punjabi Diwali.

Stay

a. Citrus County: Chhauni Farms, Ram colony camp, Hoshiarpur is a gorgeous farm stay lined with lemon and poplar trees and kinnow orchards. It offers nine luxury tents sprawled around a huge manicured garden.

b. Neemrana's Baradari Palace: Location Baradari Gardens, Tel 2304433 cell 09781111107. A former palace and now converted into heritage hotel is a perfect place to be when in Patiala.

Getting there

1. Anandpur Sahib:

a. AIR: Nearest Airport, Chandigarh Airport (80kms/2hrs), connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Jammu, Srinagar, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad.

b. RAIL: Anandpur Sahib Railway Station, has good rail links with Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Kolkata.

c. ROAD: Anandpur Sahib lies 10 km off NH503 on Chandigarh- Manali Highway. Take a left at the ruins of Kiratpur to get to Anandpur Sahib.

d. BUS: Regular services operates between Chandigarh and Anandpur Sahib.

2. Amritsar:

a. AIR: Amritsar’s Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport is linked to Delhi, Mumbai, Nanded, Srinagar, Hyderabad, Goa and Dehradun by Air India, Indigo and Vistara.

b. RAIL: Amritsar junction is well connected to major cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and many more.

c. ROAD: Amritsar is well connected by road, thanks to the highways.

d. BUS: Regular busses ply from Chandigarh, Delhi and other nearby areas.

3. Patiala:

a. AIR: Nearest Airport- Chandigarh International Airport, Mohali (86km/2hrs)

b. RAIL: Patiala Railway Station is well connected to New Delhi, Nanded, Jammu, and cities in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

c. ROAD: From Chandigarh get to Patiala via Zirakpur on NH22

d. BUS: Patiala is connected to Delhi, Ludhiana, Amritsar by PEPSU buses.

4. Ludhiana:

a. AIR: Sahnewal Airport, Ludhiana which is connected to New Delhi.

b. RAIL: Ludhiana Railway Station is well connected to New Delhi, Nanded, Jammu, and cities in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

c. ROAD: From Chandigarh take SH 12A and Sirhind Bypass to NH 44 and proceed to Ludhiana

d. BUS: Good connections by Punjab Roadways from Chandigarh.

Contact

a. Patiala : Tourist Information Centre Old commissioner office, Near District court, Mall road, Patiala . Tourist officer-Patiala- Hardeep-Cell: 09872407040, STD Code 01763

b. Anandpur Sahib: Tourist Information Centre, Near Takht Sri Kesh Garh Gurudwara, Guru Tej Bahadur Mansion, Anandpur Sahib, Cell: 09779167832; Chandigarh Ropar Road, Head Works, Near Water Lily Restaurant, Ropar, Tourist Officer-Kanwardeep-cell 09779167832

c. Amritsar: Punjab Tourism, Exit Gate Amritsar Railway Station Tel 0183-2382131; Tourist Information Centre, Wagah Border, Amritsar, Tel 0183-2382131, Cell 09592342444, STD Code 0183

d. Ludhiana: inside clock tower, near railway station, Ludhiana Tourist officer Ludhiana-Cell: 09316900016, STD Code 0161.