Qibla · Punjab
Qibla direction in Amritsar
To face the Kaaba in Amritsar, turn to 260.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (9.4° south of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,649 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Amritsar should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Amritsar as a needle at 260.6°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 261°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Amritsar
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 9.4° towards south: the result is the bearing of 260.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 9° off.
The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Amritsar, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Amritsar to Mecca points to 251.9° (west), 8.6° away from the correct 260.6°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 12 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 260.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 31.6223° N, 74.8753° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.
Distance from Amritsar to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,649 km from Amritsar as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,535 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 48 min, although most pilgrims from Amritsar connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Amritsar run 2.5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Amritsar rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Amritsar
On 218 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Amritsar while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 March 2027 it happens at 17:42 local time.
On 135 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in May (31 days), for instance on 1 May 2027 at 06:55.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | — | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 17:42 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 16:56 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 16:19 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 15:39 | 06:55 |
| 15 May 2027 | 15:09 | 07:24 |
| 1 June 2027 | 14:43 | 07:53 |
| 15 June 2027 | 14:33 | 08:08 |
| 1 July 2027 | 14:39 | 08:10 |
| 15 July 2027 | 14:56 | 07:57 |
| 1 August 2027 | 15:26 | 07:28 |
| 15 August 2027 | 15:54 | 06:57 |
| 1 September 2027 | 16:28 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 16:57 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 17:30 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | — | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Amritsar: at 14:48 and 14:57 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Amritsar compared with other cities
Compared with New Delhi, 402 km away, the Qibla in Amritsar is turned 6.0° further anticlockwise (260.6° against 266.6°), and Mecca is 187 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Batāla (37 km), prays towards 260.6°, the same bearing to the tenth of a degree.
Across the 442 cities in India on this site, the Qibla ranges from 256.8° in Srinagar to 294.3° in Nagercoil, a spread of 37.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for India.
Qibla in cities near Amritsar
Qibla in Amritsar: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Amritsar?
It is 260.6° from true north, which is west: 9.4° south of west.
How far is Amritsar from Mecca?
3,649 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,535 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Amritsar?
On 218 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Amritsar not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 251.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Amritsar at 260.6°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 260.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.