There's more to the surroundings of Amritsar than the notorious Wagah Border: about 50 kilometres from the city on the Tarn Taran-Attari road, is the little known Sarai Amanath Khan.

The story goes that Amanath Khan, the calligrapher of the Taj Mahal, was given this piece of land in Punjab after finishing his work on the world's wonder. He built the sarai (village, shelter), and the beautiful calligraphy decorating the two main gateways - Lahori Darwasa and Delhi Darwaza - and the mosque would be the work of the same master who decorated the Taj.

The sarai has recently been restored (the work is partially still in progress) and though on some of the buildings the calligraphy is quite damaged, what remains of it and of the original structures is worth a visit. The sarai is made even more interesting by the fact that people have kept living inside it, and inside the ruins the village is very much alive: the daily life going on and the curiosity with which the villagers welcome the rare tourists make you feel like you've stumbled upon a secret, authentic treasure.