Amritsar, historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as Ambarsar, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha region of Punjab. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Amritsar district.
According to the 2011 census, the population of Amritsar was 1,489,761. It is one of the ten Municipal Corporations in the state, and Karamjit Singh Rintu is the current Mayor of the city. The city is situated 217 km (135 mi) north-west of state capital Chandigarh, 455 km (283 miles) north-west of New Delhi, the national capital, and 47 km (29.2 miles) north-east of Lahore, Pakistan, with the Indo-Pak Border (Attari-Wagah) being only 28 km (17.4 mi) away.
Amritsar was the economic capital of Punjab. It is a major tourist centre with nearly a hundred thousand daily visitors. The city has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY scheme of the Government of India. Amritsar is home to Sri Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as "the Golden Temple", one of Sikhism religion's most spiritually significant and most-visited gurudwaras. The city is also known for Amritsari food, its wooden chessboards and chess pieces manufacturing industry.