The Golden Temple or Harmandir Sahib, which is the home of the Guru Granth Sahib, is the spiritual and cultural hub of the holy city of the Sikhs – Amritsar or “Pool of the nectar of immortality”, attracting visitors and worshippers from across the world. The temple is the seat of the Akal Takht, the highest authority of the Khalsa. This Punjabi speaking city is located at 768 feet above the sea level. Amritsar is the 34th most populated city of India, with a population of 1.1 million and lies in the Amritsar District. According to the 2011 census, the population of the entire district is 2.4 million. 15.58 percent of the population is in the working segment out of which, 24 percent are engaged in agricultural activities, 8 percent in the household industry and 67 percent are engaged in other activities such as tourism, carpet manufacture, handicrafts and trade. Since earlier times, the markets of Amritsar were full of merchants from across the world, trading their goods for local wares. This city famous for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 under British Rule is historically also famous as the place of birth of Lord Rams sons Luva and Kusha at the Ramtirth Temple site, which is also famous as Guru Valmikis Ashram. With the Wagah Border just at a distance of 28 kilometers, Amritsar is geographically one of the closest cities to neighboring Pakistan.
