Discovering Amritsar’s Secret Tunnels

Amritsar is known for its magnificent monuments like the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Durgiana Temple and Gobindgarh Fort. But dig a little deeper, especially inside the walled city, and you will find a secret world beneath your feet. It’s a labyrinth of passages and tunnels, which played a vital role during the city’s bloody and battle-scarred past.

For centuries, Amritsar was practically a war zone, whether during the Sikh-Mughal conflicts of the 17th century, the Afghan invasion in the early 18th century, or when the misls were battling each other in the latter part of the same century. Thus, building fortifications, fortified neighbourhoods – and secret tunnels – was a dire necessity, to save both Amritsar itself and the interests of the religious and political entities that ruled the city.