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Read More on Golden Temple
History
As per the historical records, the temple was founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das. It was an initial idea after he founded the town of Amritsar and built a pool. However, the idea for the construction of the temple was given by the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, where all Sikhs could come and worship. Hence, the construction of the Golden Temple was initiated in 1581, and the construction was completed just 8 years later. Over the years the temple was destroyed due to the invasion of Afghan and Mughal armies. However the temple was reconstructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809, and the sanctum with gold leaf was laid in 1830, which led to the name the Golden Temple.
Architecture
The architecture of the temple reflects different architectural styles which are prevalent in the Indian subcontinent. The Temple is a mixture of the Indo-Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput architecture. The sanctum has two storeys and a gold leaf dome. This platform of the sanctum is made up of marble. It sits inside an almost square man-made pool called Amritsar or Amrit Sarovar. The pool is a circumambulatory marble passage that is circled clockwise. There is a causeway that connects the sanctum to the platform which is called the Darshani Ḍeorhi.
Activities
Pay your offerings - Explore the golden temple and pay your offerings by going inside the sanctum.
Take a dip in the pool - Taking a dip in the pool is considered to have restorative powers, purifying one's karma. Moreover, the Temple provides a half hexagonal shelter.
Visit the Sikh History Museum - The main north entrance has a Sikh history museum on the first floor that has a display of various paintings, of gurus and martyrs, many narrating the persecution of Sikhs over their history, as well as historical items such as swords, Kartar, comb, chakkars.
Tips for visiting
- Cover your full body to enter the temple.
- Wash hands and feet before entering the temple.
- Remove shoes and walk through the shallow foot pool.
- The head must be covered before entering the temple.
Best time to visit
Amritsar has a reasonably extreme climate, with very hot summers and very cold winters. Therefore the best months to visit are October and November, February and March when the temperature is pleasant and cool.
Nearby Atractions
- Jallianwala Bagh
- Partition Museum
- Akal Takht
- Gobindgarh Fort
- Central Sikh Museum
- Swarn Mandir
Nearby market/ shopping places
- Lahori Gate Market- This market has shops and showrooms that offer everything from ladies’ wear, cotton suits, and dress materials to Pashmina shawls.
- Katra Jaimal Singh Bazaar- This market has a variety of shops that has a huge collection of sarees, Pashmina shawls, footwear, woodwork, jewelry, Phulkari design dress materials, wedding attire for men and women, and handicraft items.
- Hall Bazaar- This market has a wide collection of Juttis, Phulkari designer dresses, Electronic items, and Lamps.
Nearby Hotels
- Hotel Golden Lagoon
- One Earth GG Regency
- Hotel City Park
- Golden Tulip
- Hotel Darbar View
Interesting Facts About Golden Temple
- The construction of the Golden Temple Amritsar was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, in 1577.
- The temple was destroyed several times by the Mughals and Afghan armies.
- The temple was reconstructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809, the sanctum with gold leaf was laid in 1830, which led to the name the Golden Temple.
- The Temple is a mixture of the Indo-Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput architecture.
