The Fascinating Golden Temple of Amritsar

The Golden Temple in Amritsar is the most sacred place for Sikhism in India. Located in the state of Punjab, this Sikh temple or Gurudwara  welcomes people from all religions and faith. Called Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib, this temple (Gurudwara) has a sacred water tank  – Amrit Sarovar that surrounds it. Interestingly the city of Amritsar gets its name from this water tank. An underground spring feeds this sacred lake. The pilgrims immerse themselves in water, which is said to have healing powers.

Note – there is also a Golden Temple for Hindus in Vellore in the state of Tamilnadu!

Built in the center of the tank, the temple has a marble walkway leading to it. The temple has beautifully carved gold panels followed with a gilded gold dome at the top. One can enter the temple from four different sides thus potraying openness and acceptance.

Kept in the inner sanctum of the Golden Temple is the holy book – ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. This holy book is kept in the sanctum every morning and returned to the ‘Akal Takht’ by the night. The Akal Takht is the chief center of religious authority of Sikhism.

Next to the temple complex are dormitories and dining halls where lodging and food is free (langar) for all pilgrims. In addition to the above, the temple complex has a clock tower, a museum and offices.

History around the Golden Temple:

The first guru and founder of the Sikh religion ‘Guru Nanak’ meditated by the water tank surrounding the temple. The subsequent gurus continued to visit this place thus becoming the primary shrine for the Sikhs. The fourth guru ‘Guru Ram Das’ championed the enlargement of the tank in 1577.

The Harmandir was built under the leadership of the fifth guru ‘Guru Arjan’. At the request of Guru Arjan, Sai Mir Mian Mohammed, a Muslim Pir of Lahore laid the foundation of the temple in 1588. Built in 1604, this brick temple took 8 years to complete. Guru Ajran then placed a copy of the Adi Granth (sacred scripture of Sikhism) in the temple.

The  Afghan armies and Mughal forces destroyed the temple many a times between the 17th and 18th centuries. Every destruction led to the rebuilding of a more beautiful temple. Finally Maharaja Ranjit Singh – the founder of the Sikh empire went on to rebuild the temple in 1830. Rebuilt in marble and copper, the temple’s sanctum has a gold foil and hence the name  ‘Golden Temple’

The temple complex underwent substantial damage as a part of ‘Operational Bluestar’ in 1984. Extremists had taken over the temple complex and made it their refuge. This led to the Indian army storming the complex to flush them out. This operation led to the damage of the Akal Takht, Golden Temple and buildings in the complex. Reduced to rubble, the Akal Takht was rebuilt along with damaged buildings.

Langar:

Langar (free community kitchen) is very popular in Gurudwaras. The langar at the Golden Temple is at a much larger scale. It can feed 50,000 visitors a day and 100,000 on special occasions! Regardless of religion, caste or class, all the visitors sit on the floor and eat together. The first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak started the concept of langar in the 16th century. One can volunteer to help (seva) in the kitchen or be a part of any other community service at the Gurudwara.

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Best time to visit Amritsar

The best time to visit Amritsar is from November to March.

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How to reach Amritsar?

By Air:

Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport is the nearest airport. The Golden temple is 13 km away from the airport.

By Rail:

Amritsar is the nearest railway station. The Golden temple is 2 km away from the railway station.

By Road:

Amritsar is well connected from major cities like Delhi, Shimla, Dharamshala and Dalhousie.

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For more such spiritual experiences, check out the religious places in India. And if history is your interest, check out some of the historical places to visit in India.

In case you are keen on traveling to Golden Temple, you could take a look at the Himachal itinerary and cover  Amritsar by adding a couple of additional days as a part of this itinerary.

India is not just about spirituality. There are many more facets to this ancient land – culture, mystery, history, nature, wildlife and so on. Check out the travel packages representing the different facets of India travel.

For more such off-the-beaten track sights in India and the rest of the World, visit Beyonder Travel.