Golden Temple also is known as Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib, in Amritsar is one of the most important pilgrimage places for Sikhs. It is also one of the most religious and holy places in India, which is being visited by everyone.
Moreover, this shrine is Sikh’s holiest city that has divine vibes and aura all around. People flock here from all over India in all the seasons to seek the blessings of Guru Grant Sahib.
When was Golden Temple built?
This temple was built by the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev placed the copy of Adi Granth, the Guru Granth Sahib (religious scriptures) bestowing on it the paramountcy of the religious shrine in Sikhism.
It is believed that Harmandir Sahib opens its doors to everyone irrespective of caste, religion, and gender. Everyone has a strong faith and belief here and pays a visit here at least once in a lifetime. This temple is open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day.
Shri Guru Granth Sahib is the central religious scriptures of Sikhism, regarded by the Sikhs as the final sovereign and eternal living Guru following the lineage of the ten human Gurus of the religion. Adi Granth is the first rendition compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev 1563-1606. Source Wikipedia.
So, after a lot of planning, I finally made it to Golden Temple in the winter month. After landing at the airport we headed straight to our hotel and after check-in, we went to our room. Moreover, after resting for a while, we headed straight to the promenade of the Golden Temple. The whole area was vibrant, and lively with lots of people around. After relishing our delicious lunch, we started with some shopping in the narrow lanes and market of Amritsar. We didn’t realize how time flew by in shopping and how much we ended up buying clothes and jewelry. It was already night by then and after keeping all the pieces of stuff in the hotel room, we headed towards to magnificent Golden Temple at night time. Let me tell you guys that the Golden Temple looks so beautiful at night. You surely need to witness it to believe your eyes. Hope my pictures will do a little bit of justice to it.
Features of this temple
This magnificent Golden Temple is built around a man-made pool and has a square structure that has a collection of small buildings. This Golden temple stands tall and poised in the middle of the lake. The whole atmosphere here is so calm and peaceful. The cool white marble flooring gives a soothing effect when you enter the temple and the red carpet guides you well to the temple gate. This temple is usually crowded all the time and ideally, there is a long queue here most of the time.
Some important points to keep in mind while entering the Golden Temple
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- Always cover your head with a scarf or a dupatta for women and for men turban or a handkerchief, if you don’t have one, you can buy it from outside the temple.
- Please don’t wear short dresses, sleeveless outfits or any kind of revealing clothes.
- Carry clothes as per the season, we had gone during winters, so had to carry woolen jackets as it was very cold.
- However, if you are visiting in summer, then Amritsar gets pretty hot too, so carry light cotton clothes and a cotton scarf will do to cover the head.
- You have to remove your footwear outside at the counters and walk barefoot towards the temple and inside the temple too.
- You will have to wash your feet at the small pool before entering the temple. So it’s better to remove your socks as well along with the shoes.
- Provisions are made to keep your luggage, bags, and any of your valuables at the counter, and don’t forget to collect your deposit.
- Photography is allowed on the premises of the temple, however, they are very strict these days.
- Photography inside the temple is strictly not allowed.
- Please do not violate any religious sentiments inside the temple premises.
- You must not eat chewing gums or any other eatables in the temple.
So these are some of the important tips and guidelines before you are entering the Golden Temple.
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