Amritsar Golden Temple – The Glittering Abode

Golden Temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, is a prominent spiritual centre in Punjab, India and is considered the holiest shrine in Sikhism. Located right in the heart of Amritsar, Golden Temple is visited by people from all over the world who come here to seek spiritual solace and religious fulfillment. In spite of the thousands of daily visitors, often the only voice you will hear around you is sweet silence, interspersed with chants of the Sikh prayers.

The first Harmandir Sahib was built in 1604 by Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru and subsequently the temple was destroyed several times by Afghan invaders. It was rebuilt in marble and copper, overlaid with gold foil, during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1801–39). This structure came to be known as the Golden Temple. The Harmandir Sahib itself sustained damages on June 6, 1984, when Indian troops fought their way into the temple complex to dislodge Sikh extremists who had been using it as a fortress and refuge. The Akal Takht was heavily damaged in the attack. Both buildings were subsequently repaired.

The Harmandir Sahib is the focus of a complex of buildings that form the heart of Sikhism. The temple itself occupies a small island in the centre of the tank, or pool, called the Amrita Saras (“Pool of Nectar”) - the source of the city’s name - and is connected to land on its west side by a marble pathway running across the water of the pool. Situated facing the entrance to the pathway is the Akal Takht, the chief center of authority of Sikhism and the headquarters of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Supreme Akali Party), the main political party of the Sikhs in Punjab. On the north side of the tank is the main entrance to the complex and the Teja Singh Samudri Hall (Clock Tower), which houses the main offices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (Supreme Committee of Temple Management), which oversees the main Sikh gurdwaras. Among several buildings on the east side of the tank are the Assembly Hall and the Guru Ram Das Langar - a large dining hall that serves free meals to thousands of pilgrims and other visitors each day.

Since the time of Guru Nanak, the first guru of the Sikh people who started the tradition in 1481, the Golden Temple in Amritsar has been serving free hot meals, also known as langar, to people of all religions and faiths who come to its doors every day. Free langars are served at all Sikh gurudwaras, wherever they may be in the world. But the langar at the Golden Temple is special indeed. This aspect is beyond the quality of the food, which is always delicious, but for the sheer scale of the operation and the number of devoted volunteers who prepare it with much love, every single day of the week. It has been termed as the largest free kitchen / community kitchen in the world. Meals in the langar are vegetarian, and are simple, nourishing and nutritious. They usually consist of rotis (bread), rice, daal (lentils), a vegetable dish, and kheer (dessert). The langar at the Golden Temple serves a massive number – 50,000 people a day! On holidays/religious occasions, the number often goes up to 100,000! Usually, 90% of the working staff is made up of volunteers who, along with the 300 permanent workers, ensure the food is cooked and delivered on time. Some people volunteer for a few hours, some for a day, while others volunteer for days on end! On holidays and religious occasions, a roti making machine (donated by a Lebanon based devotee) is used, which can churn out 25,000 rotis in just 1 hour! Hygiene is of utmost importance, both before and after meals. Dirty plates are handed over to another set of volunteers. Each plate is washed 5 times before being used again.

Here are a few pictures of the wonderful experience of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.