Golden Temple

Golden Temple is a prominent Gurudwara of Sikhs and located in the holy city of Amritsar, Punjab. In India it is most popular as Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib. The Temple or Gurudwara is a major pilgrimage destination for Sikhs.

Every year, it is visited by thousands of tourists belonging to different sects, religions, castes and creeds from the world over.

The construction of this famous Temple began in 1574 and it was completed in 1601. Guru Arjan Dev is believed to have completed the Adi Granth (Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs) and installed them in the Gurudwara.

It is widely known that the land for the temple was donated by the Mughal emperor Akbar and the construction process was supervised by the fourth and fifth Sikh Gurus.

The famous temple is designed in such a way that it houses four doors that symbolize its openness to all the religions in the world. The temple complex includes a Sarovar (pond), which is believed to consist of Amrit (the holy water or the immortal nectar). Religious pilgrims from the town as well as outside take a dip here in the morning hours. It is believed that a bath in the Sarovar enlightens the worshipper for leading a truthful and selfless life.

 In the early 19th century, the famous Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh installed the upper floors of the temple complex with gold and hence the name the Golden Temple.

Guru Granth Sahib, the holiest text of the Sikh religion is always present inside the worship area. Many religious tourists the world over visit this beautiful temple annually and pay their obeisance to the Almighty. The temple complex is a home to many shrines dedicated to the late Sikh Gurus, Saints and martyrs and numerous memorial plaques depicting the past Sikh historical incidents.