Amritsar is home to the Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal in Agra and is the number one destination for non-resident-Indians (NRI) in the whole of India.The 9th Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur was killed by the Mughals in Delhi where the Guru Sish Ganj Gurudwara was built to commemorate him. Baba Jivan Singh ji walked from Anandpur toDelhi and managed to capture the head (sis) of Guru Teg Bahadur and presented that to Guru Gobind Singh.

One of Bhagvan Valmiki's or Nirankar Valmiki's ashram was considered to have been situated close to Amritsar. It is said that Goddess Sita, wife of Lord Rama gave birth to Lava and Kush. The forest around the ashram was considered Valmiki's "Tapo van" (forest of meditation). TheDurgiana temple is also a very famous Hindu temple located on the city.

Amritsar is also known for the incidents of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 under British Rule and Operation Bluestar in 1984 under the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. The main commercial activities include tourism, carpets and fabrics, farm produce, handicrafts, service trades and light engineering. The city is known for its food and culture. Amritsar is also home to Central Khalsa Orphanage, which was once a home for Shaheed Udham Singh, a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement.