The Golden Temple, Amritsar
Harmandir Sahib (the illustrious house of God), more commonly as the Golden Temple is located in the heart of the city of Amritsar and if it were not for the Taj Mahal, the temple would be monument of India. The Golden Temple is named due to the gold leaf covering the central temple which is the most sacred building of Sikh religion.
The Harmandir Sahib construction was ordered by Guru Arjan, the fifth spiritual leader of the Sikhs in 1601. The temple’s location was at the very spot where the first of Guru, Guru Nanak, came to meditate. The golden temple was destroyed during an Afghan invasion in 1757, but the complex was rebuilt eight years later. The Golden Temple houses the Sikh holy book, the Granth Sahib.
On the 5th June 1984, the golden temple was the scene of a military operation ordered by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi which aimed to dislodge the separatist Sikhs who were encamped in the complex. The massacre officially killed 84 and wounded 248 soldiers but the value was significantly different from the number counted by the pilgrims inside who counted had counted 493 killed (including 100 women and 75 children) and 86 wounded.
The Golden Temple is at one of the lowest points of Amritsar and the lake which surrounds the temple is natural occurring but was extended and excavated during remodeling of the temple. The name of the lake Amrit Sarovar (Basin of Nectar) gave rise to the name Amritsar as the city grew around the temple during the 16th century. Access to the pool is via four bathing entries which symbolizes the openness of the pilgrimage site to all peoples and faiths. The Harmandir Sahib is surrounded by a vast complex comprising of gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) the most iconic are the Akal Takht (the Immortal Throne) and the langar (vast dining halls). Kirtan, the sacred hymns of the Sikhs, are sung at all times of the day and musicians play devotional music.
The central golden temple is located in the centre of the lake and is connected to the gurdwaras by a marble bridge referred to as the Guru’s Bridge.The temple is a majestic three-story pavilion, whose upper parts were covered with sheets of gold leaf on the orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the nineteenth century. The building was constructed of marble of different colours and inlaid with mother of pearl and semi-precious stones.
The terrace, adorned with four chhatri (structures surmounted by a dome raised by four pillars), is surmounted by a golden dome shaped inverted lotus. The Sikh religion is welcoming to all visitors to the Golden temple, the Sikhs consider than any visitor to the temple is a pilgrim and offer food and lodgings to all. The kitchens which produce the meals are massive serving thousands of free meals a day to the pilgrims who come to worship at the golden temple.
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