Amritsar strives to abide by founder Guru Ramdas’s ideals

As the city of Amritsar celebrates the birth anniversary of its founder, the fourth Sikh master, Guru Ramdas, the sacred city — once known as Ramdaspur — stands as a living tribute to his vision. More than 448 years after Guru Ramdas laid its foundation, Amritsar — lovingly called Ambarsar by local residents—continues to carry the soul of its origins even as it evolves with time.

Despite the modern skyline and changing lifestyles, the old city’s heartbeat still echoes through its historic lanes and names. The street pattern that Guru Ramdas and his successors envisioned remains largely intact.

One of the earliest neighbourhoods, Chowk Passian, still bears a witness to that legacy. The name originates from Passa, a traditional gold ornament worn by women on their heads. “The area was once home to goldsmiths. The term Passian comes from Passa, as the gold they worked with — ingots or lumps — was also called Passa,” locals explain.

While Guru Ramdas began the sacred task of founding the city, it was under the guidance of the fifth Sikh Master, Guru Arjan Dev, after 1581, that Amritsar truly began to take shape. The walled city, covering about 3.5 square kilometres, flourished during this period, with its lanes, katras (neighbourhoods), and bustling markets named after trades and communities.

Each lane tells its own story: Gali Mochian and Gali Acharjan were named after those who performed cremation rites, while Telian Wali Gali was home to oil pressers. The city’s unique design included narrow lanes that suddenly opened into courtyards with trees—surprising open spaces, as architects now describe them

Centuries of invasions between 1628 and 1765 brought destruction to many original structures, yet the resilient city rebuilt itself. The Sikh misls that followed constructed new katras, forts, bungas (rest-houses for pilgrims), gardens and havelis. The city’s famous markets — Ghee Mandi, Gur Mandi and Gha Mandi — still bear the names of the trades that once defined them.

In 1825, during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the city was encircled by a 12-gated wall with double moats — a fortification 25 yards thick and seven yards high. Later, under British rule, the wall was demolished and rebuilt as the city transitioned into a district headquarters in 1849 and eventually a municipal corporation in 1868.

As the city lights up to honour Prakash Purb of Guru Ramdas, Amritsar stands not just as a city of marble and markets, but as a living testament to faith, resilience, and timeless community spirit—the very ideals its founder envisioned centuries ago.