Golden Temple Amritsar

One of the most special and famous places of Amritsar, Punjab is Gurudwara Harminder Sahib. Which is also known by the name Golden Temple or Darbar Sahib. This gurudwara is famous all over the world for its beauty and religious unity. This religious place is not only very beautiful, but it is also very special from the point of view of history. It attracts millions of people from all over the world, not only people of Sikhism but also people of other religions.

The Golden Temple has been destroyed many times, but due to devotion and faith, the Sikhs rebuilt it. It is believed that Afghan invaders completely destroyed this temple in the 19th century. Then it was rebuilt by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and decorated with a layer of 750 Kg gold.

Golden Temple History

• Name of the temple – Golden Temple / Shri Darbar Sahib / Shri Harminder Saheb
• Where is the temple located – Amritsar
• When was the Golden Temple built? – 1577
• Who started the construction work – Guru Ramdas
• Who did the architecture and completion of the temple – Guru Arjun Dev

The history of this world-famous Golden Temple located in Amritsar is more than 400 years old. Some land was donated by the fourth Sikh Guru Ramdas Sahib Ji for the construction of this temple, while the first Sikh Guru Nanak and the fifth Sikh Guru Arjun Sahib designed the unique architecture of the Golden Temple. After which the construction work of this temple was started in 1577 AD. Guru Arjan Sahib installed the newly created Guru Granth Sahib, in Sri Harmandir Sahib and appointed Baba Budha Ji as its first Granthi i.e. the reader of Guru Granth Sahib.

This famous Golden Temple has been constructed in the middle of the holy tank, ie the pond called Amrit Sarovar, in which later the holy book Adi Granth of Sikhism has also been installed. An Akal Takht is also located inside this holy place of pilgrimage of Sikhism, which is considered to be the home of Hargovind Ji, the sixth Guru of Sikhism.

The construction work of this temple was completed in 1604 AD, although this temple was attacked many times, causing considerable damage to the building of this temple. But later again Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia got the temple rebuilt and made a significant contribution in giving it its present form. Ahluwalia was the commander of the Khalsa party and the head chief of the Missal.

Golden Temple Architecture

The Golden Temple in Amritsar is known for its amazing artistry and unique craftsmanship. The design of the roofs and walls of Harminder Saheb attracts everyone. The work done in the walls of the Golden Temple is very spectacular.

Shri Harminder Saheb has been constructed in an area of ​​about 67 feet square feet, it is built in the middle of a pond, in which the gurudwara is spread over an area of ​​about 40.5 square feet. The four doors of the Gurudhara have excellent carvings, which look quite attractive. Darshani Deori (an arch) is located on the edge of the road.

The door pan of this gurudwara is decorated in an artistic way, which opens towards the bridge and this bridge opens towards the main building of Shri Harminder Sahib. The length of this bridge is about 202 feet and its width is 21 feet. The bridge is connected with the 13 feet wide ‘Pardakshna’ (circumambulatory path). It runs around the main shrine and leads to the ‘Har ki Pauri’ (steps of God). On the first floor of “Har Ki Pauri”, there is continuous reading of Guru Granth Sahib.

Connected with the faith of millions of devotees, the building of this holy shrine is three-storeyed, with a ceiling of 26 feet and a height of 9 inches on the first floor. On the first floor, there is a continuous recitation of Guru Granth Sahib. The huge reservoir of the Golden Temple is known as Amrit Sarovar and Amrit Lake.

The architecture of the Golden Temple at Amritsar is a masterpiece representing the love and harmony between Hindu and Muslim, which is technically considered one of the finest craftsmanship in the world.

The Central Sikh Museum is located near the entrance of Harmandir Saheb. It is one of the main attractions of the Golden Temple. Any person can get complete information about this grand Gurudhara history by visiting this museum.

Operation Blue Star caused a lot of damage to Akal Takht

During the time of Operation Blue Star in 1984, this grand Golden Temple and Akal Takht had suffered a lot of damage. In this operation, India’s first woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to launch Operation Blue Star, simultaneously attacking scores of Sikh temples across Punjab which led to a lot of conflict between the army soldiers and the Sikhs.

While many Indians lost their lives in this operation, the Indira Gandhi Sikh bodyguard was killed by this ruthless operation. However, later in the year 1986 AD, Rajiv Gandhi had again constructed the Akal Takht in this wonderful Golden Temple, but then in the year 1989, this Takht was removed. After this, in the year 1999, Kar Sevaks again got the Akal Takht constructed.

Suggested Read: Noble Teachings of Sikhism

Some interesting and important facts related to the Golden Temple

• The land was purchased with Sikh donations of 700 rupees from the owners of the village of Tung. While in another version it is said that the land was donated by the Muslim ruler Akbar for the construction of the Golden Temple.

• The most interesting thing about this world-famous Golden Temple associated with the faith of Sikhism is that its foundation was laid by Sai Mian Mir, a Muslim Sufi, while Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, founded it in 1577 and Arjun Dev, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, started its design and construction work.

• The Golden Temple of Amritsar was first built of bricks and stones, but later it was used with white marble, and then in the 19th-century gold dome was added to the dome of this temple.

• Maharaja Ranjit Singh had gold plated on the walls here almost 2 centuries after the construction of the temple.

• During the First World War, the British government had a monolithic text for victory here.

• Ahmad Shah Abdali’s commander Jahan Khan attacked this temple, in response to which his entire army was destroyed by the Sikh army.

• The four doors in the Golden Temple represent the four religions, which means that people of every religion can come here to pay obeisance.

• Harmandir Saheb is the largest kitchen in the world in Gurudwara, where more than 1 lakh people are anchored daily. It is believed that the Mughal Emperor

• Akbar also took the prasad with the common people in the Guru’s langar.

• There is a 24-hour halwa arrangement in this temple. According to estimates, two lakh rotis are made here every day.

• The biggest feature of this world-famous Golden Temple is that the stairs of this temple do not go upwards, but downwards, which teach a man to come down from the top.

• This Golden Temple situated in Punjab is famous all over the world due to its amazing design and attractive painting. The artistry of this Golden Temple reflects the blended form of Mughal and Indian architecture.

• The Golden Temple was damaged several times, but this center of devotion and faith was rebuilt. It is believed that Afghan invaders completely destroyed this temple in the 19th century. Then Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with its renovation, offered a gold layer on its dome.

• When and when the temple was destroyed and when it was built, it shows from the inscriptions there.

• This huge Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, never sleeps at night, it shines with its artificial light 24 hours a day.

• The name of Shri Harmandir Sahib means “Temple of God” and people of all caste and religions come to this temple without any discrimination and do devotion to God.

• Festivals like Baisakhi, Prakashotsav, Lohri, Sankranti, Martyrdom Day are celebrated with great pomp in this Golden Temple associated with the faith of Sikhism. At the same time, in this holy Gurudwara, devotees also have to follow many rules.

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Suggested Read: The Ten Gurus of Sikhism

Golden Temple Rules

Every devotee coming to the Golden Temple located in Amritsar has to follow certain rules here, which are as follows-

• Wearing a shoe is not allowed inside the Gurudwara, people can come here only after taking out the shoes.

• There is a provision for keeping shoes, and luggage of the devotees, free of cost at the entrance. One must get a token after depositing the belongings.

• It is forbidden to enter the Gurudwara premises without the head covered, you can enter only after wearing a scarf or a handkerchief covering your head.

• Cover your head properly and wash your hands/feet before entering the holy complex.

• Eating non-vegetarian food, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, etc. are strictly prohibited inside this holy shrine associated with the faith of Sikhism.

• To listen to Guruvani inside the Darbar Sahib, devotees should sit on the ground.

• Anyone can take a holy dip in Amrit Sarovar, but the use of soap and shampoo is prohibited.  Swimming is strictly prohibited in the Sarovar.

• Inside the Golden Temple chewing gum, sunglasses, and photography are prohibited.

Suggested Read: Famous Religious Places In India

How to reach Golden Temple

The Golden Temple located in Amritsar, Punjab can be reached by air, road, and rail easily. Amritsar is located about 500 km from Delhi. It takes about 9 hours to reach Amritsar from Delhi by train or bus. There are many trains and buses to reach Amritsar from Delhi. Apart from this, there is also a very good bus facility from Amritsar to all major cities in India.

Amritsar can also be reached easily by the air route. From Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport in Amritsar, the Golden Temple can be reached in just 15 minutes by taxi.