Wagah

Wagah (Hindi: वाघा, Urdu: Nastaliq|واہگہ, Punjabi: ਵਾਘਾ) is the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan, and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Amritsar, India and Lahore, Pakistan.Wagah itself is a village where the controversial Radcliffe Line was drawn. The village was unified before partition in 1947. Today, the eastern half of the village remains in India whilst the other half is in Pakistan.

The Wagah border is a ceremonial border where each evening, there is a ceremony called 'lowering of the flags'. At that time there is very energetic and thrilling parade done by Border Security Force (B.S.F), India and Pakistan Rangers soldiers. It may seem slightly aggressive to foreigners, but it really is just entertainment for the crowds from both sides. Border officers from the two countries sometimes walk over to the offices on the other side for day to day affairs. A bus service operating within the partitioned state of Punjab between Amritsar and Lahore was started in 2004, as relations between the two countries improve. [ [http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?155538 Manmohan looks forward to trade ties with Pakistan via Wagah - Pakistan Tribune] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66972icv5sk Video of guards shaking hands]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=india&ie=UTF8&ll=31.604344,74.573243&spn=0.004541,0.007296&t=h&z=17&om=1 Google Maps Satellite Image]
* [http://www.indeaparis.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=68 Pictures of independence's 60th anniversary celebration at Wagah Border]