When visiting India, the Golden Temple of Amritsar was at the top of our list of places to see. The holiest site in Sikhism is the Golden Temple of Amritsar, also known as the Darbar Sahib of Harmandir Sahib.
Everyone is invited to this temple to take in its beauty and spirituality. No matter what your race, religion, or culture is. All are welcomed.
Punjab's Amritsar is 25 kilometres from my house. We rode an auto-rickshaw for 30 minutes. Even before we came, we had a feeling that this occasion would be unique. Before entering the Golden Temple, both men and women are required to cover their heads out of respect. Shoulders and long pants should also be covered.
Like many other holy places around, shoes are not allowed in the temple complex. However, there is a unique twist to being barefoot at this sanctuary. You go through a foot bath to make sure your feet are clean before entering. It's free to enter the Golden Temple
About Sikhism
The Sikh religion, in my humble view, is likely one of the least understood religions in the world. The spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the faith's founding guru, and the nine Sikh gurus who followed him, led to the development of Sikhism. The Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib was designated as the tenth guru by Gobind Singh (1666–1708), ending the line of human gurus and designating it as the last eternally living guru and a source of religious inspiration for Sikhs. The Golden Temple demonstrates how inclusive the Sikhs are.
The Holy Tree
One of the holiest sites at the Golden Temple is the Holy Tree. One of the most revered Sikh Gurus, Baba Budha Ji laid the foundation of the Golden Temple after sleeping under a shrub. In 1506 he camped under this exact tree that is still standing today. And many people stop to pay their respects.
The Holy Tank
He also built the sacred tank-style moat that encircles the temple. People take baths in the tank, which is filled with holy water, to wash away their sins and ward off illness.
Men take their showers in the open, but ladies have a separate space to use. After taking a bath, visitors cross the biggest area to enter the main temple, the Harmandir Sahib.
Central Sikh Museum
Amritsar's Central Sikh Museum opened its doors in 1958. Paintings depicting Sikh gurus, saints, warriors, and other notable Sikh personalities who have improved the Sikh religion are on display at the Central Sikh Museum. It features an extensive collection of coins, antique weapons, and historic texts. It also has a top-notch library. Great Sikh painters' paintings, rare pencil sketches, musical instruments, the rarest stringed instrument, and Sikh Raj-era weapons are all on display in the museum.
The Holy Dukh Bhanjani Beri
Dukh Bhanjani Beri is a historic Beri tree in the Sri Harmandir Sahib complex associated with Bibi Rajni Ji.
History of Dukh Bhanjani Beri
Duni Chand Khatri, a wealthy landowner in the town of Patti, was the father of Bibi Rajni. Duni Chand had five daughters. All were beautiful and talented. Tell me who gives you food and shelter, Duni Chand questioned his daughters one day. Duni Chand had a large ego. The older four daughters readily acknowledged that their father was taking care of all of their needs. The eldest daughter's response, Bibi Rajni, was, "It is God who provides for everyone." When Duni Chand learned about this, he became furious and wed Rajni to a leper. But Bibi Rajni didn't care; she took the leper in as her husband and treated him with the utmost affection.
The Pilgrimage
One day, Bibi Rajni's husband asked her to take him on a pilgrimage to a place of worship so that they could earn salvation and end their suffering. Bibi Rajni procured a basket, put her husband into it, and tenderly bore him on her head to Hardwar, Tribeni, and other places of hindu pilgrimage in the hope of curing him of his malady.
Unfortunately, the hindu places of worship did not have the power to cure. At the time Sri Guru Ram Das Sahib Ji was constructing a new settlement at Amritsar. Wandering and wandering, Bibi Rajni by the divine guidance of piety and virtue arrived footsore and weary at the very spot which the third Guru had indicated and the fourth Guru had marked out as the site of his pool of nectar (Amritsar), and there laid down her burden.
Bibi Rajni and her husband needed food. After much discussion, during which the wife expressed her reluctance to leave her husband, it was decided that he should remain under a ber tree in the cool and grateful proximity of the water, while she departed to beg their daily meal.
Harmandir Sahib
The golden temple itself – Harmandir Sahib, is surrounded by other milky white temples and the moat. It is not a large temple, but it is stunning. Built in 1577, the temple’s dome is gilded with 750 kg of pure gold. It has lasted through the ages, but only because the Sikhs continued to rebuild it after it was destroyed by Afghan armies and the Mughal Empire. It was in 1809 that it was finally rebuilt by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and covered with gold foil which gave it its name The Golden Temple.
A marble walkway surrounds the temple protecting it on all four sides. It is the best place where my mind feels satisfied. Punjab is filled with some of India’s wealthiest people . It is easy to spend hours at the Golden Temple. Located in the center of the city of Amritsar, the complex is large and can be seen from everywhere.
As you walk around the marble walkway, the soothing song of the musicians and priests singing from the holy scripture; the Guru Granth Sahib play from the loudspeakers.
Don’t worry, Sikhs don’t believe in noise pollution, so the speakers are set at a comfortable volume. They are respectful of not having the sound travel far from the complex walls.
Huge Crowd at Golden Temple
After a few hours, we finally made our way to the causeway that leads to the entrance of the Golden Temple itself, the Harmandir Sahib. The crowd was thick but orderly and we slowly made our way across the Tank to one of the four entrances to the temple. Once we reached the temple, the pushing and shoving began to get inside. But I guess people were excited to see the inside of what we waited so long for in the queue. The main level has musicians with holy men sitting in the middle. They are in a constant state of playing and singing from sun-up to sundown. They take turns reciting in two-hour intervals. The book(Guru) is on display under a white cloth and people throw money into the center as if their life depended on it.
The Clock Tower
We walked up to the other two levels and spent time enjoying the view while others around us prayed and listened to the words. From the temple, we had a beautiful view of the clocktower. From up here the Golden Temple of Amritsar was peaceful and we felt almost tranquil. *## **
Significance of the four doors of Sri Harmandir Sahib
Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple has four doors opening in all four directions. The doors serve a symbolic purpose. They represent that people from all walks of life, from all around the world, and members of all four varnas are equally welcome in this place of worship. The four doors are termed as the Door of Peace, the Door of Livelihood, the Door of Learning and the Door of Grace.
Crowd of people eating
For the past 450 years, up to 100k people have eaten here each day. The temple is open to everyone without payment. The Golden Temple is open to everyone, and as a thank you for coming, they will even feed you. Up to 100,000 people are fed at the Golden Temple dining hall each day from the free kitchen, which is staffed by volunteers. Perhaps though it is a remarkable achievement in and of itself, the fact that it has continued uninterrupted for 450 years is even more remarkable. Everyone eats together on the floor, regardless of their social status. You might be seated next to a famous person, a member of the royal family, or the president. No matter who you are, you will all receive the same treatment. They can feed thousands of people at once in less than 10 minutes, and their 450 years of experience is reflected in the food's cleanliness and deliciousness.
Once you are finished, you scoop up your stainless steel tray and take it to the wash station as the next wave of pilgrims file in. It is a fascinating experience and one not to be missed. Everyone is friendly and Welcoming in Punjab. This one is incredibly impressive and beautiful place. In our opinion, it is the number one must-see temple in India. We made sure that you enjoy its beauty and different energies at different times of the day. Night time is not to be missed. The temple glistens under the lights and the mood is calm and quiet.
Golden Temple at Night
The temple has a completely different feel at night. There is a calmness at night, despite the fact that life goes on as usual with people taking baths in the tank, chants coming from the temple, and people roaming around the outside of the moat.
It is amazing to see it at night. A peaceful atmosphere is created by the lights of the temple reflecting on the river. Even if everything looks to be quieter and more relaxed at night, nothing changes. As more volunteers sign up for shifts, the food is still being served in the dining hall. In this busy country known as India, there is a haven called the Golden Temple of Amritsar. Our favourite place to visit in the nation, without a doubt. It was a more sincere experience and less of a tourist destination and more of a place of pilgrimage.
More Things To See In Amritsar
At the Wagah Border, Amritsar is home to a well-known border ceremonial. The Pakistani and Indian armies close the border each evening while putting on a lavish spectacle.
The Durgiana temple, a Hindu temple with comparable construction to the Golden Temple, is another significant temple in the city of Amritsar. And if you want to shop in a bustling Indian market, a trip to Hall Bazaar is a must. You can't miss it either entering or departing Amritsar because it is directly across from the train station. The Golden Temple is the centrepiece of any trip to Punjab, despite the fact that there are many other things to do in Amritsar.
Make sure to include The Golden Temple in your itinerary if you are planning a lengthy vacation to India.
I hope this information on India's Golden Temple was interesting to you. Thank you for reading.