I had been in Dharamsala for three months straight: I knew that I wanted to visit some other places in India before I went home and for some reason Amritsar won out. It might have been the geographical proximity, it might have been my curiosity about the Seikh religion but one way or the other, I'm very glad we settled on the heartland of this noble religion.

The main draw of Amritsar is, of course, the Golden Temple. This is a pilgrimage point for Seikhs from all over the world and a hallowed place for that faith. The original name for the temple is Harmandir Sahib which literally means the home of God...and no better home for him here on Earth. I was stunned.

It is at once spectacular, majestic, sacred and awe inspiring yet somehow kind of humble. The temple itself is in the centre of a complex that hosts all sorts of support functions for the droves of pilgrims and tourists. Thankfully not many of these support functions include tacky souveneirs.

The Temple itself is surrounded by a pool of water where many male devotees choose to bathe. Also on the second floor of the complex is a museum that, I wouldn't go out of my way to see again, but isn't bad if you have time.

In the spirit of what is (I'm told) a very open faith, the Seikhs not only invite but in fact encourage others to come and visit, enjoy a meal and even spend the night at the temple and for free! Though donations are appreciated and recommended. There are special rooms put aside for foreigners and a large communal meal dished up regularly. I must confess I felt a bit sheepish going to the comfort of my room to sleep when there were literally hundreds of pilgrims sleeping outside on the ground, but I've heard many tourists justify it in many different ways so perhaps better ask one of them.

Amritsar is otherwise a fairly quiet place...well quiet in an Indian sense anyway. I found it fascinating to wander around and look at all the shops selling matching turban- shirt- tie combos and all the beard wax and hair products needed for the faithful Seikh male. There is also a wealth of bookshops with histories of the religion for the curious.

The Golden Temple however is worth calling into a few times during the day. Prayers are read inside the temple for much of the day, music can be heard at night (not to mention that the view is almost more spectacular after dark) and people watching doesn't get much better than on the edges of this great building.

It should be emphasised that because this is a holy place there is a strict etiquette to be followed that tourists would be well advised to remember. Take bread and dishes during any meals with both hands, keep your hair covered in the temple (women and men) and use your common sense and be respectful.

An easy day trip from Amritsar is the India-Pakistan border at Wagah. This is pomp and ceremony like pomp and ceremony has never been seen before. Catching the changing of the guard is really quite a sight and one that rivals only football (or perhaps more appropriately cricket) as an outpouring of nationalist sentiment. The atmosphere is remarkably bouyant and positive and, well, fun. Being less than an hour's drive from Amritsar and there being an abundance of drivers willing to take you this experience also comes highly recommended.

Amritsar will be one of those wonderful places that allows you to change gear in India. If you are heading from North to South or vice versa you really need to stop in here for a few days. India is so multi-faceted and so multi- cultural that it can make your head spin; but a few days in Amritsar will at least help you to get to grips with some of it!