Amritsar

Amritsar ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ
Night view of the Harmandir Sahib
Amritsar Show map of Punjab Amritsar Show map of India
Coordinates: 31°38′N 74°52′E / 31.64°N 74.86°E / 31.64; 74.86Coordinates: 31°38′N 74°52′E / 31.64°N 74.86°E / 31.64; 74.86
Country	India
State	Punjab
District	Amritsar
Founded by	Guru Ram Das
Government
• Commissioner of Police	Sh. Amar Singh Chahal, IPS
• Deputy commissioner	Dr Basant Garg
Population (2011)
• Urban	1,132,761
• Metro	1,183,705
Demonym(s)	Amritsari (Ambarsariya)
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	143-001
Telephone code	91 183 XXX XXXX
Vehicle registration	PB-02
Website	www.amritsarcorp.com

Amritsar ( pronunciation ; Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ; Punjabi pronunciation: [əmːɾɪt̪səɾ]), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as Ambarsar, is a city in north-western India which is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district - located in the Majha region of the Indian state of Punjab.

According to the 2011 census, the population of Amritsar was 1,132,761. The city is situated 217 km (135 mi) northwest of state capital Chandigarh. It is near Pakistan, with the Wagah Border being only 28 km (17.4 mi) away. The nearest city is Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan, located 50 km (31.1 mi) to the west.

Hinduism and Sikhism are the main religions of Amritsar city, practised by 49.4% and 48% of the total population, respectively.

Amritsar is home to the Harmandir Sahib (commonly known as the Golden Temple), the spiritual and cultural centre for the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal with more than 100,000 visitors on weekdays alone and is the most popular destination for non-resident Indians (NRI) in the whole of India. The city also houses the Akal Takht, the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa, and the committee responsible for the upkeep of Gurdwaras.