Amritsar - The Golden Temple (Part 1)

On Day 2, I got up early in the morning and reached the Golden Temple by 0530.

The Golden Temple is the informal name for Harmandir Sahib, also called Darbar Sahib. It is located in Amritsar and is the most important shrine for Sikhs, both spiritually and administratively. The only other place with similar importance is the Nankana Sahib (in present day Pakistan), which is the birthplace of Guru Nanak.

The Golden Temple, I found, is one of the most well organised, managed and clean places of worship in India. This is especially commendable as it is also one of the most visited shrines, both by devotees and tourists, in India. As advised by some friends, I reached well before sunrise as the crowd would be much less and one can really enjoy the beauty of the place. As the day dawned and darkness faded, I saw the place transform.

 **********History of Amritsar and the Golden Temple***********

It was common for each Sikh Guru to establish a township for his missionary work. The present site of Amritsar, near the village Tung, was chosen by Guru Amar Das, the third guru, as the site for missionary work for his successor, Guru Ram Das. In 1574, Guru Ram Das, the fourth guru bought some land from the villagers of Tung for Rs.700 and soon commenced work on excavating a tank. By 1577, the tank, Amrit Sarovar was dug to his satisfaction and he exhorted all devotees to visit the holy tank. He also encouraged people to settle in the newly established township. The town came to be called Ramdaspur or Chakk Ramdas or simpy Guru da Chakk. After his death, his successor, Guru Arjan Dev continued to work from the same place. 

Guru Arjan Dev was keen on building a Gurudwara and asked his representatives to collect one-tenth of the income of all followers for building it in the middle of the tank. Work on the Haramandir Sahib began in 1588 and was completed in 1601. The entire construction was personally supervised by him. Guru Arjan also started compiling the authentic bani (words) of his predecessors, adding to their compositions not only his own but also the compositions of Sants, Bhagats, Shaikhs and Bhakts. He completed the work, called Adi Granth, in 1604 and installed it in the Harmandir Sahib. For the next 200 years, the sacred pool (Amrit Sarovar or Amar Sarovar) and Gurudwara were referred to as Amritsar. However, in the nineteenth century, the entire township came to be known by this name.

The Harmandir Sahib was destroyed by Mughals, Afghans and various other invaders at least seven times. But each time it was rebuilt by the Sikhs. The present day Gurudwara was built in 1764 by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy. Maharaja Ranjit Singh covered the upper parts of the temple with gold in the nineteenth century, giving it the name, Golden temple.

The Sikh history is another extremely interesting and important part of Indian History. The following link is one of the good sites to visit if you are interested in a more detailed account. 

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/events/amritsar.html

*********History Ends*******************************************

There are four entrances to the complex, one in each cardinal point. I entered through the eastern gateway. There is a pool of clean flowing water to wash your feet before entering.

The moment I entered the gateway, I noticed that the entire wall was plastered with marble plaques, based on offerings of various army units. These included Sikh, Punjab, Marathas, Madras, artillery, EME, etc. The same unit was repeated a number of times. It has probably become a tradition among many regiments with a donation being made by each new Commanding Officer on taking over.

As I stood inside the complex, the view was breathtaking.

Though I am including a panoramic view of the complex, it does not do justice to the magnificence of the sight in the breaking dawn.

Well. I also have a panorama, taken later in the day, which I couldn't resist showing. So again......

Let us now look at the important structures within the complex.

(Source : www.sikhmuseum.com)

Harmandir Sahib

Let us start with the Sri Harmandir Sahib or Sri Darbar Sahib or The Golden Temple itself.

Sri Harmandir Sahib, is built on a square platform in the centre of the Amrit Sarovar. The temple is a square marble structure. It has a door each on the East, West, North and South. The Darshani Deori (an arched doorway) opens on to the causeway or bridge that leads to the main building of Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is around 20 feet long. The bridge is connected with the ‘Pardakshna’ (circumambulatory path) that runs round the main shrine.

Everything in the causeway, including the fans, lights fittings and the wires leading to them have been painted  or covered in gold color. Though there is a large crowd and a longish wait, it is not uncomfortable as there are fans all along the path and the crowd is very well behaved. The entry is well planned and organised causing minimum inconvenience. We had to wait around 30 min,but that is nothing compared to many other shrines with such large number of visitors. The place is also maintained very well. A child ahead of us vomited onto the pathway. Within minutes, there were volunteers present with cleaning material to mop it up.

The Sri Harmandir Sahib itself is a domed three-storied marble structure. The upper storeys are covered in copper plates with gold leaf over them. The following snap shows the lower marble structure and the upper gold covered portion.

I dont have any further photographs of my own as photography is prohibited inside the temple. Here are a few snaps of the inside from the internet.

As can be seen, the inner sanctum is opulent, to say the least. The Guru Granth Sahib is being recited continuously. Unlike other places, there is nobody trying to push or shove you out of the place. You can spend as much time inside as you wish. Of course, since it has three storeys and a balcony, the place does not get overcrowded. I am not sure how they handle the situation during the day when the crowd would be much more.

***************General Information**********************************

As you know, there is no idol or deity in a Gurudwara. The focal point of a Gurudwara is the Adi Granth. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, just before his death, conferred the title 'Guru of the Sikhs' on the Adi Granth. Since then, it has been called the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and is considered the living guru and the head of the Sikh community. In a Gurudwara, the Guru Granth Sahib is placed on an raised platform called a Takht (Throne). It is attended with all signs of royalty. It is placed upon a throne, and the congregation sits on the floor. Above it, an implement called Chaur Sahib, made of Yak hair, is waved and a canopy is always placed over it. The devotees bow before the Guru as a sign of respect. The Guru Granth Sahib ji is taken care of by a Granthi. He is responsible for reciting from it and leading the Sikh prayer. The Granthi also acts as the caretaker of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. In Harmandir Sahib, the Granth is taken at night to the Akal Takht and brought back early in the morning.

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Bunga Ramgarhia

When the temple was demolished the last time, the Sardars of the 12 Misls (Sovereign states in the Sikh Confederacy) assembled at the Akal Bunga (situated in the front of the temple) to consult about the reconstruction of the temple. it was decided that it would be no use to rebuild the temple unless some of the Khalsa leaders remained in it for its protection against their enemies. The Bhangi's, the Ahluwalia's and the Ramgarhia's were selected to dwell in the sacred precincts with their forces as the guardians of the temple. They were directed to call on the other Sardars for help in case of any great danger.

Each of the six great Misls also gave also one man to serve in the temple. The present priests are descendants of those six men. The income of the temple, after deducting other expenses, is divided and distributed in due proportion among the descendants of the six priests.

The Bunga, which means mansion, was built for housing the Ramgarhia family. The two towers were built as watch-towers for advance warning of the enemy's approach.

The Bunga also houses the Coronation Slab of the Mughal Emperors which Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia brought from Delhi when he had sacked it.

I will stop here for the sake of avoiding an overdose. But do join me for the next episode where we will see the Akal Takht and explore the Golden Temple a little more. 

As they say in Punjab, Sat Sri Akal

Continue reading in Part 2 and Part 3..........