The beating retreat ceremony was started in 1959 and it was agreed by the government of both the countries. Wagah is about 29 km from amritsar in punjab province. The wagah attari border is currently the only open land border crossing between india and pakistan, two longterm rivals ever since their independence in 1947. The border has a huge arch named swarn jayanti dwar, and gates of both the countries. The wagah border ceremony, formally known as beating the retreat, is a popular tourist attraction and side trip from amritsar in punjab state. It is a symbol of the rivalry between the two countries. On 2 november 2014, approximately 60 people were killed and at least 110 people were injured in a suicide attack on the pakistan side of the wagah attari border. The wagah railway station is 400 metres 1,300 ft to the south and 100 metres 330 ft from the border. All grammar errors and broken english appear exactly as written on the sign.
Posts about history of wagah border written by besttouristplacesintheworld. Visiting the wagah border ceremony from pakistan and india. Being just 28km from the border, amritsar is literally at the. From amritsar, a 30km drive west brought us to the town of atari, on the wagah border, the only legal crossing between india and pakistan. The entrance ticket price of this place is the official fee for entry to and visit of the place during its opening times. Crossing the wagah border from amritsar india to lahore. Wagah border, amritsar ticket price timings address. Wagah border duration and timings advice appreciated. The lowering of the flags of india and pakistan occurs every evening before sunset. If you need to cross yourself, for obvious reasons make sure to do so before 4pm. The wagah border ceremony will give you goosebumps kohl.
Every afternoon indian and pakistani border guards meet at the border post between attari and wagah to engage in a 30minute display of military showmanship that verges on pure theatre. It is a symbol of the rivalry between the two nations, as well as the cooperation and brotherhood of both the nations. The history of jcp joint check post attari and wagha. From there are a large number of buses that run from amritsar to attari village where the border lies each day and once you reach the village there are autorikshaws that run here which take you to the border. City on pedals conducts a popular daily guided tour to the wagah border ceremony and mata lal devi mandir psychedelic cave. This resulted in relatively cordial relations between the upper echelons of both armies post. Daily retreat ceremony along attari wagah border cancelled. The wagah border is a post between india and pakistan. Approaching the wagah border from atari as you begin closing in on atari, army bunkers will begin to dot either side of the road. The closing ceremony at wagah border, also known as lowering of the flags ceremony, is a custom that india border security force and pakistan pakistan rangers have followed since 1959. India pakistan wagah attari border closing ceremony by.
A little history before we go into further details of the ceremony. This has been the ritual since 1959 when field marshal ayub khan initiated it. The largest cities either side of the border are lahore in pakistan and amritsar in india. Independence day celebrated at attariwagah border with. Wagah border post, about 29 km from amritsar on the grand trunk road, has become famous for the ceremonial closing of gates and lowering of. Everyday of the year, just before sunset, a flag lowering ceremony takes place at the wagah border between india and pakistan. You dont necessarily need any passes to watch wagah border ceremony, its free and open to everyone. Be prepared to face traffic jams and delays as you would at any heavily attended event. To understand the drama of the attari wagah border ceremony, its necessary to understand a bit about the history of india and pakistan. A border security force bsf jawan during celebration of 73rd independence day at the indiapakistan attari wagah border post on august 15, 2019. Wagah border ceremony timings and vip tickets india. This ceremony is organised by the indian bsf and pakistani rangers since 1959 on daily. I watched the bizarre india pakistan border closing ceremony. This ceremony is organised by the indian bsf and pakistani rangers since 1959 on.
It was hard to believe that every evening, the border post at wagah transformed itself into a theater where india and pakistan rehearsed their chauvinistic hatred for each other. The wagahattari border ceremony happens at the border gate, two hours before sunset each day. When one reaches the wagah border on lahores side, one can easily imagine how close the general was from lahore gymkhana. The border is located 24 kilometres 15 mi from lahore and 32 kilometres 20 mi from amritsar. Since this is an international border, there are no ticket prices for wagah border, however, if you take up tours, they will be able to help you with the history and relevance with the help of a guide.
Explore indiapakistan border at attariwagah holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. Wagah is situated 600 metres west of the border and lies on the historic grand trunk road between lahore and amritsar in india. Wagah border, amritsar timings, history, best time to visit. Hundreds of indian nationals were already gathered.
The border here was created in 1947, when the british colonial rulers left the indian subcontinent, dividing this are up into hindumajority india and muslimmajority pakistan. History of wagah border ceremony the wagah border ceremony, more popularly known as beating retreat ceremony, was started in 1959 and it was agreed by the government of both the countries. It is a symbol of the rivalry between the two nations, as well as the cooperation and brotherhood of. Atari wagah border ceremony india, lowering the flag. Stepping across the line at wagah border the new york times. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. Wagah border became famous for the ceremonial closing of the gates and the lowering of the flags of india and pakistan. It takes place in the state of punjab, which was bisected in the partition of india in 1947 and created the independent countries of pakistan and india. At the time of the independence in 1947, migrants from india entered pakistan through this border crossing. Wagah border, also referred to as the berlin wall of asia, is the only road border crossing between pakistan and india which lies on the grand trunk road flanked by the cities of amritsar, punjab in india and lahore, punjab in pakistan. Wagah border rings a bell among every indian, but just to reiterate, it is famous for its border closing ceremony. If you are wondering how much it costs for entry to wagah border, we have the answer.
Wagah border amritsar 2020 what to know before you go. Because of the tense relations between india and pakistan, few foreigners actually cross the border between attari and wagah, 30km west of amritsar, though it is possible to do so, providing you have a pakistan visa, of course. Wagah border comes to life around sunset every day, just before the flag lowering ceremony is conducted. The timing changes depending on the season and begins one hour earlier at 4. The music and dancing began just after 4 pm and the official ceremony began a 5. While sandwiched in between thousands of indians on the road leading to the wagha border ceremony, i spotted a sign with a full history of the attari wagha border between india and pakistan. Wagah border amritsar entry fee, wagah border ticket. The ceremony of flag collecting on the wagah border is a daily military practice, since 1959, between the security forces of india and pakistan.
Wagah border amritsar 2020 all you need to know before. But due to the famous border closing ceremony that takes place every afternoon in the stadium purposebuilt on the border, you cant cross after 15. Meanwhile the wagah atari border remains the only overland option for foreigners to cross between india and pakistan. Bbc travel india and pakistans beautiful border ritual. The border security force bsf conducts the ceremony in coordination with their cross border counterparts pak rangers. Golden temple and wagah border with punjabi lunch from usd 62. Given the history of partition in india, wagah border has become an attraction of interest in amritsar. We visited the ceremony in winters when the timing was 55.
As i understand it, many of the officers leading the indian and pakistani armies postindependence served together in the indian army before independence. Between the hours of 10am and 4pm the border is open and functions as a regular, albeit quiet border between india and pakistan. We went to the india pakistan border wagah border closing ceremony duration. The retreat ceremony at wagah atari border is a fabulous patriotism stirring ceremony held daily at the indopak border about an hour away from the heart of amritsar. An 18 to 20 yearold attacker detonated a 5 kg 11 lb explosive in his vest 500 metres 1,600 ft from the crossing point in the evening right after the wagah attari border ceremony ended. Borderclosing ceremony india attractions lonely planet. How to cross the wagah border between pakistan and india.
According to tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience wagah border. There are money changers on the pak side of the border and atms in atari the closest village on the indian side. A large number of visitors come to the indiapakistan border which lies around 30 kms. How to visit the wagah border ceremony wandering welsh girl. The wagah border is situated at a distance of 29 km from lahore pakistan and 27 km from amritsar india. You should try to reach there early to get proper seats as it is usually crowded with tourists from around the world. It has become famous for the beating the retreat ceremony which includes the closing of international gates and the lowering of the flags of. We are planning to visit the wagah border during our 1day trip to amritsar, during the winters in dec11 our domestic flight departing amritsar to delhi is scheduled 7. Also known as attari, wagah is mainly known for its beating retreat ceremony. Amritsar to enjoy the closing ceremony each day and some even go across if they have permits. Crossing into pakistan, hours before thousands of spectators arrive to attend the closing ceremony. I have been to the wagah border closing ceremony a few times with relatives and friends but did not feel the need to get vip passes for wagah border ever because the seats at the back are higher up and give a lot better view of the whole thing including a better look at what is going on on the other side of the border. About 1,000 people leave the area at the same time to head back to amritsar after the flag ceremony has finished.