Amritsar
Amritsar (Punjabi pronunciation: [əmːˈɾɪtsəɾ] ⓘ), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as Ambarsar, is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha region of Punjab. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district. It is situated 217 km (135 mi) north-west of Chandigarh, and 455 km (283 mi) north-west of New Delhi. It is 28 km (17.4 mi) from the India-Pakistan border, and 47 km (29 mi) north-east of Lahore, Pakistan.
Amritsar | |
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Metropolis | |
Clockwise from top: The Golden Temple, Partition Museum, Jallianwala Bagh, Ram Bagh Palace, Gurdwara Baba Atal, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chowk in Heritage Street | |
| Nicknames: Nicknames
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Amritsar Location of the city center in Punjab Amritsar Amritsar (India) | |
| Coordinates: 31.64°N 74.86°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Punjab |
| District | Amritsar |
| Founded by | Guru Ram Das |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Amritsar Municipal Corporation |
| • Mayor | Karamjit Singh Rintu (AAP) |
| • Deputy Commissioner | Gurpreet SIngh Khaira |
| Area | |
| • Total | 139 km2 (54 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 2nd in Punjab |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,159,227 |
| • Density | 8,300/km2 (22,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro rank | 44th |
| Demonym(s) | Amritsariya, Ambarsariya, Amritsari |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 143-001 |
| Telephone code | 91 183 XXX XXXX |
| Vehicle registration | PB-01 (commercial vehicles), PB-02 |
| Website | www |
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 of the Golden Temple, one of Sikhism religion's most spiritually significant and most-visited gurudwaras. The city is also known for Amritsari food, and wooden chessboards and the chess pieces manufacturing industry.