It was 3AM, when I was entering the holy setting of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Morning prayers were being sung in a low, soft tone that touched the core of my heart. I took a few steps around the temple with my cold feet, as I was trying to absorb the spiritual vibes slowly. I paid my tribute inside the temple and just when I stepped out, I felt like sitting for some more time.

I was going through a personal loss. Something I didn’t experience up until then. What could I have done wrong? How could I save it from happening? Questions poured in my mind, as if I was conversing with The Almighty. Whatever has happened cannot be relived. Whatever that has been lost cannot be regained. I certainly knew the facts, but my heart kept asking why. And, I couldn’t control my tears.

Finding faith. For a die-hard dreamer like me, losing hope from life was a big thing. From moving to Gurgaon (away from my family) to losing a part of me, made me erase all the hope at that time. But I didn’t give up. My eyes were looking for hope. And I could see it. I could see hope when the aged lady was drinking her morning tea. I could see hope when an old man was sweeping the floor at a corner. I could sense hope when people softly asked me to get aside and give them the way for them to walk. That’s the magic of this place. As I folded my hands before the temple, I only wished to understand His ways better and trust Him. I took a deep breath and started walking away.

Amritsar surprised me in one more way. It offered me soulful food. Before coming to this city, frankly, I thought, what special would the streets had for me? I was wrong, and how! A simple dish like paneer paratha and raita at Bharawan da Dhaba felt heavenly in taste. It was winters, and it was even more better in the cold season. The langar at the temple was simple and lacked no flavour. I specially loved the tea that was available at one of the corners.

My husband’s love for sweets went wild when he had Gurdas Ram’s jalebis. No wonder he kept coming back to the shop to enjoy his plate of hot jalebis. Yes, all in one day.

The next crisp morning, we excitedly left to have our breakfast at Kanha Sweets. We were accompanied by an enthusiast couple, who were foodies like us. That doubled the fun altogether. The wait outside Kanha was a sweet one, as I couldn’t help but enjoy the sight of super hot puris fried in a large kadai. My thali that mainly comprised puri, chola, and sweet aloo ki sabzi was to die for, dear readers.

Our trip was incomplete without a visit to the Sarhad restuarant. The Lahori chai, Peshawari naan, and paneer curry blew our minds, and we call it one of our best restaurant moments. And the Kulfa that we had at A-One Kulfa for dessert was our best street food moment.

Which is why, while coming back to Delhi, I felt content having found a pocketful of faith. Something that I took with me from the beautiful city of Amritsar.