Five minutes walk from the Golden Temple is Jallianwala Bagh, the site of the cold-blooded massacre on April 13, 1919.
World War I had come to an end in 1918. British Govt. introduced Rowlett Act in 1919 under which people suspected of so-called 'Sedition' could be imprisoned without trial. This resulted in frustration amongst Indians and there was great unrest.
On April 13, 1919, on the occasion of Baisakhi, a public meeting was being held in evening in Jallianwala Bagh.
Brig Gen REH Dyer, came to Jallianwala Bagh with a column of 150 British troops. The troops took a position on an elevated area next to the only entrance to the park which was through a narrow lane. At 6 minutes to sunset, on the orders of Gen Dyer, the troops opened indiscriminate fire on the gathering of over 20,000 people without giving them a warning. The gathering was of innocent, unarmed men, women and children.
The story of this appalling massacre is told in the martyr's gallery at Jallianwala Bagh.
More than 1526 people were shot dead, while over a thousand were injured. To escape the bullets, a large number of people jumped and drowned in the well within the premises of the park. To this day, the bullet holes can be seen on the walls of the adjoining buildings.
British Raj records placed the fatalities at a much lower figure of 379, with over 1100 wounded.
The flame ignited at Jallianwala Bagh ultimately set the whole of India aflame. It is a landmark in India's struggle for independence. The incident gave a strong impetus to Satyagraha movement which ultimately won freedom for India on 15 Aug 1947.
Jallianwala Bagh now houses a memorial, established in 1951, as a tribute to the hundreds of innocents massacred there.
A visit to Amritsar is incomplete without a visit to Jallianwala Bagh.