Amritsar << uhm RIHT suhr >> (pop. 1,132,383; met. area pop. 1,183,705) is a manufacturing center in Punjab, a state in northern India. Amritsar was founded in 1577. It is the holy city of Sikhism, an Indian religion. The city grew up around the famous Golden Temple, the main center of Sikh devotion. The temple stands in a tank (pool) of constantly changing fresh water. The city was named for the tank, which was called Amritsar—meaning the tank of nectar or immortality. Sikhs and Hindus live in Amritsar. Factories include steel mills, cement plants, spinning mills, carpet and silk-weaving firms, and factories that manufacture electrical and chemical products.
