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Amritsar
Metropolis in Punjab, India
Metropolis in Punjab, India
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Amritsar |
| native_name | |
| native_name_lang | iso 15919 |
| settlement_type | Metropolis |
| image_skyline | {{multiple image |
| border | infobox |
| total_width | 290 |
| perrow | 1/3/2/2 |
| image1 | Golden Temple Amritsar Gurudwara (cropped).jpg |
| caption1 | Golden Temple |
| image2 | Baba Atal Amritsar (cropped).jpg |
| caption2 | Gurdwara Baba Atal |
| image3 | MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH STATUE-AMRITSAR-PUNJAB-10.jpg |
| caption3 | Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chowk in Heritage Street |
| image4 | Another look at the obelisk which commemorates the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (27161747959).jpg |
| caption4 | Jallianwala Bagh |
| image5 | Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal 05.jpg |
| caption5 | Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal |
| image6 | Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Amritsar, Punjab,India.jpg |
| caption6 | Ram Bagh Palace |
| image7 | Zamzama - Front View- Gobindgarh Fort, Amritsar.jpg |
| caption7 | Gobindgarh Fort |
| image8 | Amritsar 9124.jpg |
| caption8 | Partition Museum |
| mapframe | yes |
| mapframe-zoom | 12 |
| nicknames | |
| pushpin_map | India Punjab#India |
| pushpin_label_position | right |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of the city center in Punjab |
| pushpin_relief | yes |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | India |
| subdivision_type1 | State |
| subdivision_name1 | Emblem of Punjab (India) on a white background (1).png Punjab |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| subdivision_name2 | Amritsar |
| established_title | |
| established_date | 1574 |
| founder | Guru Ram Das |
| government_type | Municipality |
| governing_body | Amritsar Municipal Corporation |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_rank | 2nd in Punjab |
| area_total_km2 | 139 |
| population_total | 1159227 |
| population_as_of | 2011 |
| leader_title1 | Mayor |
| leader_name1 | Jatinder Singh Bhatia |
| leader_title2 | Deputy Commissioner |
| leader_name2 | Dalwinderjit Singh, IAS |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_demonym | Amritsariya, Ambarsariya, Amritsari |
| population_urban_footnotes | |
| population_blank1_title | Metro rank |
| population_blank1 | 44th |
| timezone1 | IST |
| utc_offset1 | +5:30 |
| postal_code_type | PIN |
| postal_code | 143-001 |
| area_code_type | Telephone code |
| area_code | 91 183 XXX XXXX |
| registration_plate | PB-01 (commercial vehicles), PB-02, PB-17, PB-89 |
| website |
| mapframe-zoom = 12 (AAP)
Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district. It is situated 217 km north-west of Chandigarh, and 455 km north-west of New Delhi. It is 28 km from the India-Pakistan border, and 47 km north-east of Lahore, Pakistan.
According to the 2011 census, the city had a population of 1,132,383. It is one of the ten municipal corporations in the state; Karamjit Singh Rintu is serving as the mayor of the city. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Amritsar is the second-most populous city in Punjab and the most populous metropolitan region in the state, with a population of roughly 2 million. Amritsar is the centre of the Amritsar Metropolitan Region.
Amritsar is the economic capital of Punjab. It is a major tourist centre with nearly a hundred thousand daily visitors. The city has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) program of the Government of India. It is home to the Golden Temple, the holiest site and most-visited gurudwara in Sikhism. The city is also known for its food, and for the manufacture of wooden chessboards and chess pieces.
Etymology
The term Amritsar was previously sometimes known as Rāmdāspur after Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru who is credited with founding the city. The name Amritsar was often mispronounced as Ambarsar by uneducated people in rural areas; the latter name has since become a colloquial term for the city.
Mythology
The Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal situated at Amritsar is believed to be the ashram site of Maharishi Valmiki, the writer of the Ramayana. As per the Ramayana, Sita gave birth to Lava and Kusha, sons of Rama at Ramtirath ashram. Numerous people visit Ramtirath Temple, Located 12 Km west of Amritsar on Chogawan road, dates back to the period of Ramayana, Rishi Valmiki's hermitage. at the annual fair. The nearby cities Lahore and Kasur were believed to be founded by Lava and Kusha, respectively. It is believed that during the ashvamedha yajna by Rama, Lava and Kusha caught the ritual horse and tied Hanuman to a tree near to today's Durgiana Temple.
History
Founding of Amritsar city

In the Sikh tradition, Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru, is credited with founding the holy city of Amritsar in 1574. Two versions of stories exist regarding the land where Guru Ram Das settled. In one, based on a Gazetteer record, the land was purchased, with Sikh donations, for 700 rupees from the owners of the village of Tung.
According to historical Sikh records, the site was chosen by Guru Amar Das and called Guru Da Chakk. The latter guru had asked Ram Das to find land to start a new town, and to create a man-made pool as its central point. After the coronation Guru Ram Das in 1574, who faced hostile opposition from the sons of Guru Amar Das, he founded the town; it was named after him as "Ramdaspur". He first completed the pool, and built his new official Guru centre and home next to it. He invited merchants and artisans from other parts of India to settle into the new town with him. The town expanded during the time of Guru Arjan Dev, financed by donations and constructed by volunteers. The town grew to become the city of Amritsar. After the son of Guru Amar Das built the gurdwara Harmandir Sahib, the pool area developed further as a temple complex. In 1604 Amar Das's son installed the scripture of Sikhism inside the new temple.
The period and achievements of construction between 1574 and 1604 are described in Mahima Prakash Vartak, a semi-historical Sikh hagiographic text likely composed in 1741. It is the earliest known document dealing with the lives of all the ten Gurus.
In 1762 and 1766–1767, Ahmad Shah of the Durrani Empire invaded the Sikh Confederacy. He besieged Amritsar, massacred the populace, and destroyed the city.
Old walled city

During the reign of the Sikh Empire, in 1822 Maharaja Ranjit Singh fortified the city, starting from a wall at Katra Maha Singh area.
Among the Katras (fortified residential societies) constructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh within the city were the following:
- Katra Moti Ram
- Katra Kanwar Kharak Singh (also known as 'Katra Nikkai')
- Katra Fateh Singh Kallianwala
- Katra Ahluwalia

Later, Sher Singh continued with construction of the city wall, adding twelve gates. He also had built a fort named Dhoor Kot; its fortification were yards broad and 7 yards high. The circumference of the walled city was around five miles. The twelve gates constructed during this era were known as (including later renamings):
- Lahori Darwaza (Lahori Gate)
- Khazana Darwaja (Khazana Gate)
- Deori Hakiman (Gate Hakeema/Darwaza Hakeema Wala)
- Gilwali Darwaza – no longer extant
- Darwaza Rangar Nanglian (Gate Bhagatawala) – no longer extant
- Darwaza Ramgarhian (Chattiwind Gate) – later restored
- Darwaza Ahluwalia (Darwaza Gheo Mandi) – was no longer extant but has since been restored
- Doburji Darwaza (Sultanwind Gate or Delhi Darwaza)
- Deorhi Kalan
- Darwaza Rambagh
- Deorhi Shazada (Hathi Darwaza/Darwaza Sehzada)
- Darwaza Lohgarh – no longer extant
When the British annexed Punjab in 1849, Amritsar was a walled city. The British built a thirteenth gate in 1866 known as Hall Gate, Neighborhood in Amritsar, Punjab.
The British rulers would later demolish some of the walls and gates or reconstruct some. An entire new wall of the city was completed in 1885. Many surviving gates have since been renamed and no longer bear their mid-19th century names, while others have since been demolished.
Jallianwala Bagh massacre

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, involving the killings of hundreds of Indian civilians on the orders of British Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, took place on 13 April 1919 in the heart of Amritsar, the holiest city of the Sikhs, on a day sacred to them as the birth anniversary of the Khalsa (Vaisakhi day).
In Punjab, during World War I (1914–18), there was considerable social unrest, particularly among the Sikhs. First, they opposed the demolition of a boundary wall of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj, a historic gurdwara near Parliament House in New Delhi. Later, they were disturbed about the activities and trials of the Ghadarites, almost all of whom were Sikhs. In India as a whole, political activity had arisen during the strains of war. Two leaders had emerged: Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), who after a period of struggle as a young man against the British in South Africa had returned to India in January 1915 to work there for change and Annie Besant (1847–1933), head of the Theosophical Society of India. On 11 April 1916 she established the Home Rule League with the goal of autonomy for India. In December 1916, the Indian National Congress, at its annual session held at Lucknow, passed a resolution asking the king to issue a proclamation announcing that it is the "aim and intention of British policy to confer self-government on India at an early date".
On 10 April 1919, Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, two popular proponents of the Satyagraha movement led by Gandhi, were called to the deputy commissioner's residence. There they were arrested and transported by car to Dharamsetla, a hill town, now in Himachal Pradesh. A general strike arose in response in Amritsar. Excited groups of citizens soon merged into a crowd of about 50,000 marching to protest these arrests to the deputy commissioner. The crowd, however, was stopped by British colonial forces and fired upon near the railway foot-bridge. The official version reported that the number of casualties were 12 dead and between 20 and 30 wounded. Based on evidence presented to an inquiry of the Indian National Congress, fatalities were reported as between 20 and 30.
Three days later, on 13 April, the traditional festival of Baisakhi, thousands of unarmed Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh. An hour after the meeting began as scheduled at 16:30, Dyer arrived with a group of sixty-five Gurkha soldiers (from the 9th Gorkha Rifles) and twenty-five Baluchi soldiers (from the 59th Scinde Rifles). Without warning the crowd to disperse, Dyer blocked the main exits from the Bagh and ordered his troops to begin shooting toward the densest sections of the crowd; the firing continued for approximately ten minutes. A British government inquiry into the massacre placed the death toll at 379. The Indian National Congress, on the other hand, estimated that approximately 1,000 people were killed.
Operation Blue Star
Amritsar was a center of unrest in the late 20th century. In the 1980s, Sikh militants occupied the Golden Temple there. Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, ordered Operation Blue Star (1 – 6 June 1984), an Indian military operation to remove the militants from the temple. The operation was carried out by Indian army troops equipped with tanks and armoured vehicles. While militarily successful, the operation aroused immense controversy. The government's justification for the timing and style of the attack are hotly debated. India Today magazine has ranked Operation Blue Star as among the Top 10 Political Disgraces in India.
Official reports put the number of deaths among the Indian army at 83, with 493 civilians killed, including Sikh militants, while independent estimates place the numbers upwards of 5,000 people, a majority of them pilgrims, including women and children. In addition, the CBI is considered responsible for seizing historical artefacts and manuscripts in the Sikh Reference Library before burning it down. Four months after the operation, on 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards in what is viewed as an act of vengeance. Following her assassination, more than 17,000 Sikhs were killed in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Geography
Amritsar is located at with an average elevation of 234 m in the Majha region of the state of Punjab in North India and lies about 15 mi east of the border with Pakistan. Administrative towns includes Ajnala, Attari, Beas, Budha Theh, Chheharta Sahib, Jandiala Guru, Majitha, Rajasansi, Ramdass, Rayya, Verka Town and Baba Bakala.
Climate
Typically for Northwestern India, Amritsar has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) bordering on a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa). Temperatures in Amritsar usually range from -1 to 45 C. It experiences four primary seasons: winter (December to March), when temperatures can drop to -1 C; summer (April to June), when temperatures can reach 45 C; monsoon (July to September); and post-monsoon (October to November). Annual rainfall is about 726.0 mm.{{cite web | access-date = 31 March 2020 | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205040301/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20(STATWISE).pdf#%5B%7B%22num%22%3A131%2C%22gen%22%3A0%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Fit%22%7D%5D | url-status = live | access-date = 31 March 2020 | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205040301/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20(STATWISE).pdf#%5B%7B%22num%22%3A131%2C%22gen%22%3A0%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Fit%22%7D%5D | url-status = live
Amritsar has been ranked 39th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'
Demographics
| 1868 | 133925 | 1871 | 136000 | 1881 | 151896 | 1891 | 136766 | 1901 | 162429 | 1911 | 152756 | 1921 | 160218 | 1931 | 264840 | 1941 | 391010 | 1951 | 336114 | 1961 | 390055 | 1971 | 454805 | 1981 | 594844 | 1991 | 708835 | 2001 | 979801 | 2011 | 1159227
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In 1871–72, Amritsar was the 11th most populous city in British India with a population of 136,000 and had a larger population than Lahore (99,000). As of the 2011 census, Amritsar municipality had a population of 1,159,227. The municipality had a sex ratio of 884 females per 1,000 males and 119,592 (10.32%) of the population were under six years old, with the child sex ratio being 826 females per 1000 males. Literacy was 83.81%; male literacy was 86.52% and female literacy was 80.76%. The scheduled caste population is 21.76%.
Religion
According to 2011 Census of India, Hinduism and Sikhism are the main religions of the Amritsar city followed by 49.36% and 48.00% of the population, respectively. Christianity is followed by 1.23% and Islam 0.51%. Around 0.9% of the population of the city stated 'No Particular Religion' or other religion.
Amritsar is the holiest city in Sikhism and about 30 million people visit it each year for pilgrimage.
| Religious | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| group | 1868 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1941 | 2011 | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Total population | 133,925 | 151,896 | 136,766 | 162,429 | 152,756 | 160,218 | 264,840 | 391,010 | 1,159,227 | |
| Islam [[File:Star and Crescent.svg | 15px]] | 61,193 | 75,891 | 63,366 | 77,795 | 71,851 | 71,180 | 132,362 | 184,055 | 5,862 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hinduism [[File:Om.svg | 15px]] | 49,115 | 61,274 | 56,652 | 65,117 | 58,720 | 65,313 | 98,001 | 144,522 | 572,189 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sikhism [[File:Khanda.svg | 15px]] | 19,267 | 13,876 | 15,751 | 17,860 | 20,357 | 21,478 | 32,009 | 58,779 | 556,431 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Christianity [[File:Christian cross.svg | 15px]] | 130 | 848 | 1,104 | 1,128 | 1,446 | 1,819 | 2,611 | 14,280 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buddhism [[File:Dharma_Wheel_(2).svg | 15px]] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 773 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jainism [[File:Jain_Prateek_Chihna.svg | 15px]] | 9 | 143 | 532 | 652 | 738 | 604 | 974 | 1,143 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zoroastrianism [[File:Faravahar.svg | 15px]] | 5 | 19 | 48 | 58 | 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Judaism [[File:Star_of_David.svg | 15px]] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Others | 4,220 | 846 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 8,549 |
At the time of the 2011 census, 91.12% of the population spoke Punjabi and 7.90% Hindi as their first language.
Government and politics
Politics
The city is part of the Amritsar (Lok Sabha constituency).
| Constituency number | Constituency name | Reserved for (SC/None) | Electors (2017) | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Amritsar North | None | Amritsar | |
| 16 | Amritsar West | SC | Amritsar | |
| 17 | Amritsar Central | None | Amritsar | |
| 18 | Amritsar East | None | Amritsar | |
| 19 | Amritsar South | None | Amritsar | |
| 20 | Attari | SC | Amritsar |
Amritsar Municipal Corporation
Amritsar was notified as a city on 29 March 1977 under the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, following which the Municipal Corporation replaced the earlier Municipal Committee.
The city’s first local administrative body was established as a Town Committee in 1858, which was later upgraded to a Municipal Committee in 1868. The first election to the Municipal Corporation was conducted in 1991, when the city was divided into 50 wards. Sh. O. P. Soni was elected Mayor on 25 June 1991, with S. Raminder Singh Bularia as Senior Deputy Mayor and Sh. Subash Sharma as Deputy Mayor. This elected body remained in office until its dissolution on 18 June 1996.
Subsequently, the number of wards was increased to 60, and elections were held on 28 May 1997. Sh. Subash Sharma, S. Lakha Singh, and Kumari Raj Sharma were elected as Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor respectively. Following the resignation of Sh. Subash Sharma, Sh. Brij Mohan Kapur was elected Mayor on 18 October 2000.
The third municipal election took place on 27 April 2002, with the mayoral election held on 15 June 2002. Sh. Sunil Dutti, Sh. Sawinder Singh, and Sh. Om Parkash were elected as Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor respectively.
Prior to the fourth municipal election, the number of wards was increased to 65. Elections were held on 8 August 2007, and the election for the office of Mayor took place on 6 September 2007. Sh. Shwait Malik was elected Mayor, with Sh. Ajaybir Pal Singh Randhawa as Senior Deputy Mayor and Sh. Kashmir Singh as Deputy Mayor.
To enhance representation, 33 per cent of seats in the Municipal Corporation are reserved for women on a rotational basis. Seats are also reserved for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes in accordance with government policy.
The present Municipal House was constituted on 19 September 2012. Sh. Bakshi Ram Arora was elected Mayor, Sh. Avtar Singh (Trucka Wala) as Senior Deputy Mayor, and Sh. Avinash Jolly as Deputy Mayor.
List Of Mayors
The Mayor of Amritsar is the elected head of the Municipal Corporation of Amritsar and is regarded as the first citizen of the city. The position is primarily ceremonial, as executive authority rests with the Municipal Commissioner. The mayor represents the city in official functions and presides over meetings and deliberations of the Municipal Corporation, ensuring orderly conduct and upholding the dignity of the office.
| S. No. | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Tenure | Party | Ward No. | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Om Prakash Soni | 25 June 1991 | 18 June 1996 | 4 years- 359 days | INC | title=Amritsar Municipal Corporation | url=https://www.amritsarcorp.com/historyMCA.htm}} | |
| 2 | Subash Sharma | 28 May 1997 | 18 October 2000 | 3 years- 143 days | BJP | |||
| 3 | Brij Mohan Kapur | 18 October 2000 | 27 April 2002 | 1 year- 191 days | BJP | |||
| 4 | Sunil Dutti | 15 June 2002 | 2007 | 5 years | INC | |||
| 5 | Shwait Malik | 6 September 2007 | 2012 | 5 years | BJP | |||
| 6 | Bakshi Ram Arora | 19 September 2012 | 2017 | 5 years | BJP | |||
| 7 | Karamjit Singh Rintu | 23 January 2018 | 27 January 2025 | 7 years- 361 days | AAP | |||
| 8 | Jatinder Singh | 27 January 2025 | Incubent | 359 days | AAP | 26 |
Current Members
The Amritsar Municipal Corporation consists of 85 councillors, who are directly elected for a five-year term. The council is headed by a mayor. The most recent municipal elections were conducted on 21 December 2024. Jatinder Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party currently serves as the Mayor of Amritsar. The positions of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor are held by Priyanka Sharma and Anita Devi respectively, both of whom are members of the Aam Aadmi Party.
| Mayor- Jatinder Singh | Senior Deputy Mayor- Priyanka Sharma | Junior Deputy Mayor- Anita Rani | Ward Number | Name of Councillor | Party | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuljit Kaur | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 2 | Amarjit Singh | ||||||
| 3 | Navdeep Kaur | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 4 | Mandeep Singh Aujla | Aam Aadmi Party | title=Times of India. Retrieved 14 January 2025 | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/in-amritsar-mayoral-election-aap-gains-ground-despite-having-fewer-councillors-than-factionalism-hit-congress/articleshow/117243310.cms}} | |||
| 5 | Kriti Arora | Bhartiya Janta Party | |||||
| 6 | Amandeep Aery | ||||||
| 7 | Kajal Devi | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 8 | Balwinder Singh | ||||||
| 9 | Shobit Kaur | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 10 | Shruti Vij | Bhartiya Janta Party | |||||
| 11 | Priyanka Sharma | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 12 | Narinder Singh | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 13 | Gurwinder Kaur | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 14 | Rajkanwal Preetpal Singh Sandhu | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 15 | Rama Devi | Bhartiya Janta Party | |||||
| 16 | Sandeep Sharma | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 17 | Anita Kumari | ||||||
| 18 | Navdeep Singh | ||||||
| 19 | Navjeet Kaur | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 20 | Gurinder Singh | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 21 | Kulwinder Kaur | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 22 | Sujinder Bidlan | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 23 | Kulwinder Kaur | ||||||
| 24 | Satnam Singh Sabha | ||||||
| 25 | Monika Sharma | ||||||
| 26 | Jatinder Singh | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 27 | Preet Kaur | Elected as BJP councilor, later joined AAP | |||||
| 28 | Saurabh Madaan Mithu | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 29 | Shweta Devi | ||||||
| 30 | Avtar Singh | Shiromani Akali Dal | |||||
| 31 | Sukhbir Kaur | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 32 | Jagmeet Singh Ghulli | Elected as independent councilor; later joined AAP | |||||
| 33 | Ashnoor Kaur | ||||||
| 34 | Amritpal Singh | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 35 | Amarji Kaur | Bharatiya Janata Party | |||||
| 36 | Ashok Kumar | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 37 | Gurjit Kaur | ||||||
| 38 | Bhagwant Singh | ||||||
| 39 | Manpreet Kaur | ||||||
| 40 | Gurwinder Singh | ||||||
| 41 | Sukhwinder Kaur | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 42 | Gagandeep Singh | ||||||
| 43 | Inderjit Singh | Shiromani Akali Dal | |||||
| 44 | Jaswinder Singh Gill | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 45 | Sukhbir Kaur | ||||||
| 46 | Navpreet Singh | ||||||
| 47 | Kiranjit Kaur | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 48 | Ashwani Kumar | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 49 | Ritu Kundra | ||||||
| 50 | Ritu Devi | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 51 | Sarita Devi | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 52 | Vikas Soni | ||||||
| 53 | Komal Shah | ||||||
| 54 | Amit Kumar | ||||||
| 55 | Kulbir Kaur | ||||||
| 56 | Varinder Vicky Datta | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 57 | Manju Mehra Pappal | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 58 | Jarnail Singh | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 59 | Gurmeet Kaur | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 60 | Gaurav Gill | Bharatiya Janata Party | |||||
| 61 | Rajni Devi | ||||||
| 62 | Sameer Dutta | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 63 | Usha Rani | Aam Aadmi Party | Elected as independent councilor; later joined AAP | ||||
| 64 | Nitu Tangri | Independent | |||||
| 65 | Neeraj Chaudhary | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 66 | Virat Devgan | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 67 | Anita Devi | Elected as independent councilor; later joined AAP | |||||
| 68 | Vikas Gill | Bharatiya Janata Party | |||||
| 69 | Gurpreet Kaur | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 70 | Vijay Kumar Bhagat | Aam Aadmi Party | Elected as independent councilor; later joined AAP | ||||
| 71 | Surjit Kaur | ||||||
| 72 | Avtar Singh | Indian National Congress | Elected as INC councilor; later joined AAP, then returned to INC | ||||
| 73 | Kuldeep Singh | ||||||
| 74 | Paramjeet Kaur Dhillon | Shiromani Akali Dal | |||||
| 75 | Kashmir Singh | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 76 | Sukhbir Singh | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 77 | Sunita Devi | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 78 | Anita Sharma | Aam Aadmi Party | Elected as independent councilor; later joined AAP | ||||
| 79 | Shivali Devi | Elected as INC councilor; later joined AAP | |||||
| 80 | Raman Kumar | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 81 | Nisha Dhillon | ||||||
| 82 | Sandeep Singh | Aam Aadmi Party | |||||
| 83 | Nagwant Kaur | Shiromani Akali Dal | |||||
| 84 | Rashpal Singh | Indian National Congress | |||||
| 85 | Natasha Gill | Aam Aadmi Party | Elected as independent councilor; later joined AAP |
Administrative setup
Source:
Tehsils
Amritsar district is divided into 6 Tehsils:
- Ajnala
- Amritsar-I
- Amritsar-II
- Baba Bakala
- Majitha
- Lopoke
Blocks
Amritsar district is divided into 10 blocks
- Ajnala
- Attari
- Chogawan
- Harsha China
- Jandiala Guru
- Majitha
- Rayya
- Tarsika
- Verka
- Ramdas
Civic utilities
Medical facilities
- Dr. Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health, a government mental hospital
- Government Medical College
- Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences
Economy
Main article: Economy of Amritsar
Amritsar is the second-largest city and district of Punjab. It is also one of the fastest-growing cities of Punjab. In the mid-1980s the city was famous for its textile industry. Amritsar's trade and industry faced a blow during militancy period in 1980s, but there are still many textile mills, knitting units and embroidery factories functional in the city. It is famous for its pashmina shawls, woolen clothes, blankets, etc. Among handicrafts, the craft of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru in Amritsar district got enlisted on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014, and the effort to revive this craft under the umbrella of Project Virasat is among India's biggest government-sponsored craft revival programs. Tourism and hospitality have recently become the backbone of local economy due to heavy tourist arrivals. Hundreds of small and some large hotels have sprung up to cater to the increased tourist inflow. Restaurants, taxi operators, local shopkeepers have all benefited from the tourist boom.
Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Amritsar
- Golden Temple and Heritage Street
- Khalsa College
- Durgiana Mandir and Bada Hanuman Mandir
- Mata Lal Devi Mandir, Model Town
- Shri Ram Tirath and Valmiki Tirath
- Shivala Bagh Bhaiyan
- Punjab State War Heroes' Memorial & Museum
- Sadda Pind
- Urban Haat Food Street
- Gobindgarh Fort
- Ram Bagh Palace and
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum
- Wagah border
- Gurudwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib
- Partition Museum
- Jallianwala Bagh
- Pul Kanjri
- VR Ambarsar, Circular Road
- Mall of Amritsar, near Hyatt
- Jang-e-Azadi Memorial near Kartarpur, India
Transport
Air

Amritsar hosts Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport. The airport is connected to other parts of India and other countries with direct international flights to cities and is the 12th busiest airport in the country in terms of international traffic. It serves Amritsar and several other districts in Punjab and neighbouring states.
Rail
Amritsar Junction railway station is the main station serving Amritsar. It is the busiest railway station in Indian state of Punjab and one of the highest revenue-generating station of Northern Railways. Due to high traffic at the Amritsar Junction railway station, Indian Railways has planned to develop two satellite stations-Chheharta and Bhagtanwala, in order to decongest traffic at this station. As many as 6 trains would be shifted to Chheharta railway station in the first phase. The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation has also planned to make the Amritsar Junction railway station a world-class railway station on lines of the international airport based on PPP model. The project has received an overwhelming response with bids from 7 private firms, including GMR.
Road
Amritsar is located on the historic Grand Trunk Road (G.T. Road), also known as NH 1 now renumbered as National Highway 3. An expressway by name of Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway at the cost of 25,000 crore is approved under Bharatmala scheme which will cut the travel time from Amritsar to New Delhi by road from current 8 hours, to 4 hours. Another expressway, called Amritsar–Jamnagar Expressway is under construction which will connect Amritsar to Jamnagar in Gujarat. Additionally, NH 54 (Old NH15), NH 354 and NH 503A connect Amritsar to other parts of state and rest of India. A ring road will also be built surrounding all 4 sides of Amritsar
450,000,000 is being spent to expand the Amritsar-Jalandhar stretch of G.T. Road to four lanes. In 2010, elevated road with four lanes connected to the National highway for better access to the Golden Temple has been started.
Amritsar MetroBus

Amritsar has a bus rapid transit service, the Amritsar Metrobus which was launched on 28 January 2019. 93 fully air-conditioned Tata Marcopolo buses are used for the service connecting places like
- Golden Temple
- Jallianwala Bagh
- Guru Nanak Dev University
- Golden Gate
- India Gate, Amritsar
- Durgiana Temple
- Khalsa College
Educational institutions
- BBK DAV College for Women
- D.A.V College
- D.A.V Public School
- Delhi Public School
- Government Medical College
- Guru Nanak Dev University
- Khalsa College
- Khalsa College of Law
- Indian Institute of Management
- Spring Dale Senior School
Sister cities
Following cities are sister cities of Amritsar:
- Bakersfield, California, United States
- Sandwell, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom
- Thetford, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom
Notes
References
Bibliography
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