While I was in Amritsar, I made an excursion to the India-Pakistan border at Wagah to watch the famous border closing ceremony. This visit was a prelude to crossing the border for real two days later. Around sunset, the Indian and Pakistani border guards took their places for an elaborate ritual full of posturing and fist-shaking.
Everything here is designed to outdo the other side. The pillars supporting the Pakistani gate are a little taller, the Indian music a little louder. There are stadiums on both sides of the border for each evening’s spectators. The Indian stadium is larger and being expanded even more, and viewing the ceremony from this side is decidedly more popular. Three hours before the event begins, the seats are already packed. Hindi music blasts over the loudspeakers, drowning out the small crowd on the Pakistani side. The emcee in all white comes out and whips up the crowd into chants of “Hindustan! Hindustan! Hindustan!” before an all-female dance party begins in the middle of the arena. (Males attempting to join were removed by guards.) The mood over the fence seemed much more somber, with the occupants of the half-empty stadium arriving much later and doing no dancing at all. Finally the ceremony itself began, with the guards of each side furiously trying to kick higher and march more aggressively than the other. Aggressive fist-shaking was a staple of the event. Finally, the flags were lowered and the event concluded.
Several days later, I had the eerie experience of returning to the stadium to cross the border. This time, the stadium was empty. The Indian and Pakistani guards both allowed me to take photos at the fence.
The Indian stadium, now deserted:
And the equally deserted Pakistani side:
And after a short walk past the gate, I was in Pakistan.
