Do you know which is the chief gurdwara or house of worship for the sikhs?
If you said, The Golden Temple. Then you are absolutely right. It is also called Harmandir Sahib & Darbar sahib.
It’s located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, and people from all over the world visit this most important pilgrimage site.
Although a lot of people visit The Golden Temple, they are still unaware of the history of this place.
Here in this post, we are going to discuss the complete history of Golden Temple in Amritsar and info for all those who are planning to travel to this place.
History of The Golden Temple
The first Harmandir Sahib was built in 1604 by Guru Arjan Dev ji, who was the fifth sikh guru.
When they built harmandir sahib, they symbolically placed it on a lower level so that even the humblest had to step down to enter it.
Also, he included entrance from all 4 sides through which they wanted to signify that it’s open for the worshipers from all the caste and creeds.
Quick fact: The foundation stone of The Golden Temple was laid by Mian Mir, a Muslim divine of Lahore (now in Pakistan).
The temple was destroyed various times by Afghans and was finally rebuilt in marble, copper and gold during 1801-39 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Due to the gold used as a construction material, the structure got famous by the name The Golden Temple.
The Golden Temple occupies a small island in the center of the tank which is known as Amrita Saras.
Every pilgrimage swim in it to get rid of all the bad deeds they have done in their life.
How to reach?
The best way to reach The Golden Temple is by road. You can either plan a trip in your car, or you can also opt for buses.
Firstly, you would have to travel to Amritsar, and then you can move to The Golden Temple.
Although the streets of Amritsar are congested so make sure you are traveling to open roads while traveling through a car.
Timings
The Golden Temple is open 24 hours every day. There are no time constraints, you can visit here as per your time schedule.
Additional info about The Golden Temple
On June 6, 1984 Indian troops fought their way to get into The Golden Temple to dislodge sikh extremists who had been using the temple as a refuge.
The Golden temple faced a lot of damages; hence both the buildings were repaired again.
Local cuisine
Amritsar is known for its local cuisine. You can find a number of food options on every street.
But before that make sure to have langar at The Golden Temple.
Then you can travel to other places to check out the local cuisine.
Although a few options in the local cuisine of Amritsar are as follows:
● Amritsari Kulcha
● Keema kulcha
● Mutton chaap
● Cholle bhature
Do’s & Don’ts
Whenever you are visiting the Golden Temple make sure that you are covering your head with a clean cloth.
It’s a ritual of sikhs to cover their head whenever they are visiting a gurdwara.
Also make sure that you are not bringing any type of food material insidie the Golden Temple, as it is not allowed. Instead of that you can have langar, which is always available.
In case if you want to spend a night within the temple then there are rooms available. But for that you would have to make an advance booking for yourself.
Important links
- https://www.yatra.com/utilities/temple/golden-temple-amritsar
- https://www.goldentempleamritsar.org/famous-temples-in-india/amritsar/golden-temple/daily-routine.php
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