Golden Temple
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Overview:
The Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib) is found in the holy city of Amritsar and stands as the grandest of the Sikh Temples with the walls being covered in almost of 750kg of pure 24 karat gold – which along with the multiple beautiful Sikh architectural buildings and the stunning holy lake that surrounds the Temple makes the Golden Temple not just a spiritually invoking and awe inspiring temple, but a truly unique and serene wonder of the world.
Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh Guru Ram Das Sahib, the golden temple attracts some 3 million visitors every month – and is constantly undergoing regeneration work to ensure the quality of the gold remains unblemished and of the highest standard, with the cost of this work made solely
through donations, allowing the Golden Temple to embody the best of the Sikh principles of openness, brotherhood and equality, with there being no restrictions or cost to enter the magnificent temple.
These principles are further on display as the Golden Temple is also home to the Langar – the worlds biggest free kitchen, that serves more than a 100,000 free meals each day to visitors to the temple – with the Temple itself being quite spectacular with the immense gold reflection and beautiful lake combined with the evening ceremony that creates not just a place of religious and spiritual fulfilment but also an awe inspiring experience as you journey through this holy and truly magnificent wonder of the world.
Where:
The Golden Temple is found in the beautiful stunning city of Amritsar in the north of India in the state of Punjab – you can find the temple down the Golden Temple lane in the centre of the city.
Getting there:
From the town of Amritsar the Golden Temple is easily found – in fact it’s walkable in 15 minutes from just about anywhere in the city – just follow the signs and look for the aptly named Golden Temple lane – or for those with sore feet or who get easily lost you can hail a Tuk Tuk to be dropped off at the gates – from which you can freely enter through the turnstiles and be face to face with the fantastic temple.
In terms of getting to Amritsar, while there is an airport – we’d strongly recommend a train to get there – it’s only 6 hours from Delhi, and if you get yourself a carriage you’ll be saving a lot of money while traveling in luxury.
Best time to Visit:
The temple is open from 3am – 11pm and is open to all regardless of race, religion and gender – we’d recommend getting there earlyish after a light breakfast and then spending a few hours touring the temple and the surrounding buildings, before grabbing an early lunch at Guru Ka Langar – and the returning in the evening for a viewing of the temple at night against the backdrop of the spectacular lake.
In terms of the best months to visit, India is very hot – sometime uncomfortably so in the summer months, so if you can time your visit for October – March when the temperature is cooler that’s recommended for a much more enjoyable experience around the wonder.
Explore:
As soon as you pass through the turnstiles you’ll see the Golden temple in front of you – and you won’t be able to resist going up to the waters edge and grabbing a series of photos.
As you then take a step back and start to travel round the walkway you’ll see the splendour of the Sri Harmandir Sahib unfold before you, with the bright 24 karat Gold temple and it’s unique patterns and Sikh architecture easily observed.
From here you have the option to bathe in the lake (no shampoo or soap) or continue your walk around the lake to the causeway which allows access to each of the four entrances that allow access to the centre of the Harmandir Sahib temple.
Upon going inside – be sure to remove your shoes before you do, you’ll find the famous Sikh scripture of the Guru Granth Sahib along with monuments to the Sikh idols, and take a moment to appreciate the magnitude and splendour of the temple before exiting and continuing your journey around the lake and the Golden Temple Complex.
Central Sikh museum
As you exit the Harmandir Sahib temple you’ll find yourself walking along the causeway to the fantastic Central Sikh museum, which houses the best of Sikh art, portraits of Sikh leaders, uniforms and weapons of Sikh warriors and what is believed to be the hair comb of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh — as you wonder through the museum and deepen your understanding of the Sikh religion and gain further appreciation for the splendour of the great Golden temple.
Akal Takht
The seat of kings, the building of Akal Takht is not just a 17th Century fantastic example of Sikh architecture and a former resting room for royalty, but also an important place in the Golden Temple, with an evening ceremony where a priest recites a prayer while decked out in traditional Sikh uniform and while demonstrating a variety of Sikh weapons against a backdrop of singing ballads.
Langar:
As you exit the Harmandir Sahib temple, and having seen the Central Sikh museum and Akal Takht – you’ll have worked up a bit of an appetite and it’s time to experience the Langar – the worlds biggest and tastiest free kitchen, which caters for 100,000 people each day with completely free, vegetarian food where everybody is welcome !
Found inside the gurdwara – the large hall of the Langar on the far right of the temple complex, you’ll be given a tray, cutlery and cup as you enter and then can make your way mat before receiving your rohti’s, dahl, yoghurts and fruit – which are prepared around the clock by a team of volunteers – for a truly incredible meal amongst not only fantastic and beautiful scenery of the temple, but also no doubt amongst newfound Sikh friends.
The Temple at Night:
Alongside experiencing the magnificence of the temple during the day and the stunning architecture and history found in the museum and Akal Takht- we’d strongly recommend coming back to see the temple during the night – when the temple is illuminated and the reflection of the temple in the lake creates a stunning photo setting.
You’ll also be in for the nightly performance and prayer ceremony – where the holy book of shikism is moved into the temple for a rest accompanied by prayers, chanting and song for an awe inspiring and spiritual experience.
Spend a night at the Temple:
Finally for those who want a truly unique experience at the temple, you can spend a night (or three) in the temple complex for free, just approach the bright tourist information centre and tell them you are looking for dormitory accommodation – you’ll then be taken to your shared bed – just be sure to keep your valuable close by and expect to be interrupted occasionally be people seeking to engage you in conversation.
How long to stay:
We’d recommend allocating a full day for the Golden Temple – a couple of hours during the day to soak in the beauty of the temple, tour the museum and buildings in the complex and grab a meal at the Guru Ka Langar – before returning in the evening after a rest to observe the reflective beauty of the Temple in the evening for a truly serene experience.
Top Tip:
We’d recommend visiting twice a day – once during the day, to experience the temple at its busiest and once in the night to see the beauty of the temple illuminated by the evening and in the glowing reflection of the lake.
Also, while access to the temple is free, be sure to have clean hands and good hygiene when you enter, cover your whole body with clothes (scarves are provided for those with long hair) and above all respect and absorb the beauty of the Sikh Culture.
Cost:
Admission to the Golden Temple is completely free ! – but donations are very welcome and it’s expected that a donation of 15% of one’s earning will be made to the temple when visiting by tourists !
There’s also no costs for both the great food from the kitchen or for the lockers, you are simply given a token when you arrive – just be sure to tip generously and keep your valuables with you.
Fun Fact:
The Guru Ka Langar is the worlds largest and most impressive free kitchen – turning out on average 100,000 meals a day (more on holidays) – all of which are of a high quality and cooked by volunteers – when visiting we’d really recommend sampling some of the food there, especially the roti’s !
Best photo spot:
As soon as you enter the Sri Harmandir Sahib complex you’ll come face to face with the beauty of the Golden temple and can walk to the Water’s edge to grab you snaps – with the temple looking great from all sides of the complex – and multiple photos recommended!
We’d also recommend grabbing a photo in the night time, when the Temple is illuminated and reflected against the holy water – making it even more special and spiritual – and for those who want an ariel view a series of steps next to the Guru Ka Langar lead you to a balcony – from where you can both people watch and grab a snap of the Golden Temple in all its splendour from above.
