The Harmandir Sahib (or Hari Mandir) in Amritsar, Punjab, is the holiest shrine in Sikhism. Previously (and still more commonly) known as the Golden Temple, it was officially renamed Harmandir Sahib in March 2005. The temple (or gurdwara) is a major pilgrimage destination for Sikhs from all over the world, as well as an increasingly popular tourist attraction.
Unlike many historical sacred sites, the Golden Temple of Amritsar is still fully alive with religious fervor and sacredness, and visitors are welcomed to join in the experience. Although the building itself has great historical and architectural interest, it is the Golden Temple's great spiritual meaning for Sikh believers (and others) that is most memorable to visitors. In a country that is exceptionally rich with vibrant devotion, Frommer's rates the Golden Temple "the most tangibly spiritual place in the country."
Interesting Info about Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)
Architectural style: Sikh architecture
Location: Amritsar, Punjab, India
Client: Guru Arjan Dev & Sikhs
Faith: Sikhism
Features: Holiest
Category: Temples
Started: December 1585 AD
Completed: August 1604 AD
Architect: Guru Arjan Dev
Opening hours: Summer: daily 7:30am-7:30pm
Winter: 8am-7pm
Names: Golden Temple of Amritsar; Harmandir Sahib, Hari Mandir
HIstory of Harimandir
The Sri Harmandir Sahib was invaded and destroyed many a times by the Afghan and other invaders. Each and every time the Sikhs had to sacrifice their lives in order to liberate it and restore its sanctity. After the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh ji in 1737, Massa Ranghar, the Kotwal of Amritsar took charge of Sri Harmandir Sahib in 1740 and converted it into a civil court and began to hold notch parties.
This act created great resentment among the Sikhs. Two warriors, Sukha Singh and Mahtab Singh avenged the insult by a dare devil act. They entered the temple complex in guise of peasants, severed the head of Massa Ranghar with a single blow of kirpan and fled away with decapitated head on one of the their spears.Guru Arjan Sahib got its foundation laid by a muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir ji of Lahore on 1st of Magh, 1644 Bikrmi Samvat (December,1588). The construction work was directly supervised by Guru Arjan Sahib himself and he was assisted by the prominent Sikh personalities like Baba Budha ji, Bhai Gurdas ji, Bhai Sahlo ji and many other devoted Sikhs.
Unlike erecting the structure on the higher level(a tradition in Hindu Temple architecture), Guru Arjan Sahib got it built on the lower level and unlike Hindu Temples having only one gate for the entrance and exit, Guru Sahib got it open from four sides. Thus he created a symbol of new faith, Sikhism. Guru Sahib made it accessible to every person without any distinction of Caste, creed, sex and religion.
The Amritsar area
Amritsar is located in the Majha region of the Punjab. Majha is also known as the Bari Doab, since it is the Doab or the (fluvial) tract of land which lies between two of the five great rivers of the province, the Ravi and the Beas. As such, Majha lies in the heart of the ancient Punjab region, comprising Gurdaspur, Batala and Tarn Taran Sahib as well as Amritsar.
What to See
Despite its great sacred status, the Golden Temple is open to visitors, like all Sikh temples. The only restrictions are that visitors must not drink alcohol, eat meat or smoke in the shrine. And unlike many other Indian temples, visitors to the Harmandir Sahib are made to feel truly welcome and not pressured to buy anything. The information office left of the main gate gives helpful advice and information, as well as booklets on Sikhism.Most visitors to the Golden Temple, whether Sikh or not, are humbled by what is quite simply the most tangibly spiritual place in the country. Arrive with a few good hours set aside and get lost in its magical beauty. Visitors must leave their shoes at the facility near the entrance, cover their head (bandanas are provided, or you can buy a souvenir bandana from a vendor), and wash their feet by wading through the shallow pool before entering.
The most famous and sacred part of the Golden Temple complex is the Hari Mandir (Divine Temple) or Darbar Sahib (Court of the Lord), which is the beautiful golden structure at the center of a large body of water. The gold-plated building features copper cupolas and white marble walls encrusted with precious stones arranged in decorative Islamic-style floral patterns. The structure is decorated inside and out with verses from the Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy book).
The water that surrounds the Hari Mandir is a sacred pool known as the Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar). The temple is reached by following the Parikrama, which circumscribes the sacred pool in a clockwise direction. Connecting the pathway with the Hari Mandir is a marble causeway called the Guru's Bridge, which symbolizes the journey of the soul after death. The gateway to the bridge, the Darshani Deorhi, has magnificent silver doors.
The fascinating scene inside the Hari Mandir is televised throughout India for Sikh viewers. Amidst a crowd of fervent and solemn devotees, scriptures from the Holy Book are sung beneath a canopy studded with jewels. A chauri (whisk) is continually waved above the Book as lines of Sikhs pay their respects by touching their foreheads to the temple floor and walls, continuing in a clockwise direction at a relaxed pace.
Another major highlight of the Golden Temple complex is the Guru- ka-Langar, a dining hall where around 35,000 people a day are fed for free by temple volunteers. Everyone is invited to join this communal breaking of bread. All participants sit on the floor, regardless of caste, status, wealth or creed, powerfully symbolizing the central Sikh doctrine of the equality of all people.
Guest quarters are also available for international Sikh visitors (for a nominal fee), and at least 400 simple rooms are provided (free of charge) to Sikh pilgrims. In the Central Sikh Museum at the main entrance, galleries display images and remembrances of Sikh gurus, warriors, and saints; it includes some graphic portraits of the torture and execution of gurus.
Artwork and monument sculptures
North Entrance gate near Ath-sath Tirath (68 Sacred Places) (Point 15 on map) Much of the present decorative gilding and marblework dates from the early 1800s. All the gold and exquisite marble work were conducted under the patronage of Hukam Singh Chimni and Emperor Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab. The Darshani Deorhi Arch stands at the beginning of the causeway to the Harmandir Sahib; it is 202 feet (62 m) high and 21 feet (6 m) in width.
The gold plating on the Harmandir Sahib was begun by Emperor Ranjit Singh and was finished in 1830 AD. The Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of the Punjab), was a heavy donor of wealth and materials for the shrine and is remembered with much affection by the Punjabi people in general and the Sikh community in particular. Maharaja Ranjit Singh also built two of the other most sacred temples in Sikhism. This was due to Maharaja Ranjit Singh having a deep love for the tenth Guru of Sikhism Guru Gobind Singh. The other two most sacred temples in Sikhism, which he built, are Takht Sri Patna Sahib (intiation or birth place of Guru Gobind Singh) and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib the place of Guru Gobind Singh's Sikh ascension into heaven.
Foundation
Though Siri Guru Arjan Dev Ji's role was central to the realization of idea of a sacred shrine, the Darbar Sahib does not reflect the concept of a single designer or master builder. The complex evolved over the centuries. It grew as the passionate adherents of the faith poured their energies, resources and skills into building something wondrous. Ironically, the calamitous events that were to befall the Sikhs, and the savagery and wantonness with which the shrine they revered was repeatedly destroyed, contributed towards its increasing magnificence as they embellished and adorned it still further each time it was rebuilt. Its ultimate grandeur was the outcome of the labor and love of the many generations who reconstructed it after each attempt at its destruction.
There is no agreement on who actually laid the foundation stone of the Harmandir, nor the year in which it was laid. Some hold it was Mian Mir, a Sufi saint of Lahore who performed the ceremony at the invitation of the guru. With many written records destroyed in the unending battles fought over the Darbar Sahib, oral tradition remains the source for much of the information of that period.
Sarowar By the time the Harmandir's foundation stone was laid, the sarowar had been lined with bricks and steps had been built along its sides so that the devout could bathe in the immortal pool. The original structure in the pool was modest in scale, and built with simple materials, in stunning contrast both to the Renaissance buildings of that period in Europe, with their ornamentation and richness, and to the splendor and scale of those that India's Islamic rulers were building.
It offered its adherents something more inspiring: an abiding sense of spiritual reassurance, an unshakeable confidence in the Sikh gospel of God's accessibility to all and, by a philosophy of reconciliation, a convincing way out of the mood of despair generated by the claims of the competing religions of that time.
Because of his emphasis on the spiritual rather than the material, Siri Guru Arjan Dev Ji chose to build a small structure in burnt brick and lime, in the center of this "pool of nectar" and to construct a causeway over the water to reach it. He wanted its design to reflect the directness and simplicity that he felt to be characteristic of Sikh beliefs. The gilding, marble, mirror and inlay work were to come much later, in the nineteenth century, when a proud people, having reached the pinnacle of their power and affluence during Maharajah Ranjit Singh's reign (1799-1839), lavished their wealth on increasing the magnificence of their shrine at Amritsar.
Architecture of the Golden Temple
Sri Harmandir Sahib, is built on a 67ft. square platform in the centre of the Sarovar(tank). The temple itself is 40.5ft. square. It has a door each on the East, West, North and South. The Darshani Deori (an arch) stands at the shore end of the causeway. The door frame of the arch is about 10ft in height and 8ft 6inches in breath. The door panes are decorated with artistic style. It opens on to the causeway or bridge that leads to the main building of Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is 202 feet in length and 21 feet in width.
The bridge is connected with the 13 feet wide 'Pardakshna' (circumambulatory path). It runs round the main shrine and it leads to the 'Har ki Paure' (steps of God). On the first floor of 'Har ki Paure', there is continuous reading of Guru Granth Sahib.The main structure of Sri Harmandir Sahib, functionally as well as technically is a three-storied one. The front, which faces the bridge, is decorated with repeated cusped arches and the roof of the first floor is at the height of the 26 feet and 9 inches. At the top of the first floor 4 feet high parapet rises on all the sides which has also four 'Mamtees' on the four corners and exactly on the top of the central hall of the main sanctuary rises the third story. It is a small square room and have three gates. A regular recitation of Guru Granth Sahib is also held there. On the top of this room stands the low fluted 'Gumbaz'(dome) having lotus petal motif in relief at the base inverted lotus at the top which supports the 'Kalash' having a beautiful 'Chhatri' at the end. Its architecture represents a unique harmony between the Muslims and the Hindus way of construction work and this is considered the best architectural specimens of the world. It is often quoted that this architecture has created an independent Sikh school of architecture in the history of art in India.
The Construction of the Harmandir
In 1589 the scope of the project was confined to building the Harmandir in the pool. First, a solid brick and lime foundation above the bed of the pool was erected. On it came thick supporting walls. The causeway connecting to the western bank of the pool was built over aqueducts-(52 in number). Along the four sides of the pool, the ground was leveled for the parkarma, (circumambulation). Since the steps going down into the pool had already been built for bathing, the core of the complex had now taken shape.
Whether through design or accident, the visual relationship of the pool with the Harmandir in its center, the length of the causeway that connects the shrine to the parkarma, which in turn takes devotees around the sacred waters, all seem part of a rational progression. It is easy to relate to it, since neither the scale of the parkarma around the pool, nor the proportions of the buildings surrounding it, appear designed to dominate. Yet a feeling of quiet strength, a sense of drama comes through with the first view of the Darbar Sahib as it is experienced by those who step down the stairs that lead to the level of the parkarma. There, shimmering in the hallowed pool, proud and serene, stands the redoubtable Harmandir. It takes a while to absorb the scene, to come to grips with the long-awaited sight every Sikh has yearned for. But even this is only the beginning, for the feeling of excitement does not end here. If anything, it is the start of yet another level of expectation, as the established custom of turning left along the parkarma is followed. The clockwise circumambulation to the Harmandir, alongside the hallowed pool, gives time for contemplation, for a necessary spiritual reorientation, for adjusting to and marveling at this reality that has thus far been a dream the devout have nurtured.
Compilation of The Siri Guru Granth Sahib Siri Guru Arjan Dev Ji was convinced that the devotion of a people, who came for a profound experience to the fountainhead of their faith, would not be sustained by an empty structure. With that in mind, he had already embarked on an ambitious project of compiling the Sikh scriptures: an anthology of the teachings, hymns, thoughts and verses of the first five gurus, and of Hindu and Muslim scholars and saints, like Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, Sheikh Farid and others.He wanted the Harmandir to be synonymous with the best that men of wisdom and divine inspiration had to offer. It must become the repository of rational thought, not blind belief. People no doubt had to be held in thrall by the devotional dimension of the scriptures recited in it. Even more, the message of the scriptures had to be logical, set to the ragas (the classical system of Indian music), so that the rationality of thought was rendered lyrically.
The original volume of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji consisted of 1,948 pages containing more than 7,000 hymns. The writings of the gurus, in chronological order, are followed by the works of the saints and sufis. They are composed in 31 ragas, with the compositions framed to an exacting method, corresponding to the time of the day and the different moods. Yet, since faith must lead to a balanced outlook, the joyous and the sad are subtly interwoven with moods of yearning and rejoicing. The Gurmukhi script was used throughout the book, even where the original hymns were composed in medieval Punjabi, Hindi and other languages of the time.Siri Guru Arjan Dev Ji's efforts at compilation were prodigious, and his own contribution to the text of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji enormous. His editing standards were also meticulous, both with regard to the content and to the syntax, style and rhythm that would help the natural flow of the text. Thus was born the Adi Granth, the holy book of the Sikhs -generally known as the Siri Guru Granth Sahib-which would be installed in the Harmandir in 1604, three years after the completion of the shrine in the pool.
The manuscript on which Siri Guru Arjan Dev worked still exists at Kartarpur. Though the manuscript to which Siri Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last guru, added the hymns of his father Tegh Bahadur was destroyed, a copy made by his followers fortunately survives.
The high level of sanctity and reverence accorded to the Harmandir could not have been possible without the Siri Guru Granth Sahib located in it. A religion that stresses rationality, like Sikhism, would have been unable to sustain its momentum in a vacuum. A compilation of the philosophical and ethical insights of the wise men of that age was as logical a move as its installation at the Harmandir.
The Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was made the fountainhead of the Sikh religion by Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Just before his death in 1708, he ended a hundred years of the guru tradition by enjoining his followers to look to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib as the supreme Guru. They were to worship its wisdom and knowledge from then on. The elevation of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib to the status of a guru, which was an unusual concept of leadership, was to work admirably over the centuries, with the scriptures providing spiritual direction to the Sikhs. Whether in tragedy or triumph, rejoicing or grief, the people would turn to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib for philosophical insights and guidance, and it would, in time, find a place in most Sikh homes. As the art of calligraphy yielded to newer methods of printing, the size of the book was fixed at 1,430 pages, with every copy anywhere in the world standardized to this length.
From the very day the first copy of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib was taken ceremonially to the Harmandir, till the present time, it is customary to take it with the same ceremony every morning from the Akal Takht-where it is kept each night-to the Harmandir. Passages are read from it throughout the day, interspersed with the singing of excerpts, so that those who come to sit and listen will leave enriched by the words of their spiritual forefathers.
About Guru Arjan Dev ji
Guru Arjan dev had tremendous work for the mankind. The most kind hearted, full of love for all, had to face even the enmity of his elder brother Prithi Chand and other relatives. Attempts were made even to misguide the Sikh Sangat to break away from the Guru. Simplicity and kindness of Guru Arjan and sincerity and devotion of the wise leading Sikhs and the Sikhs in general proved the futility of the enmity of Prithi Chand against the Guru.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji established the most famous place of worship called 'Hari Mandir Sahib' - House of God - also called 'Golden Temple' and 'Darbar Sahib' in Amritsar in the year 1588 AD. There can be no better example of love and co existence between all the persons of all the religions than what Guru Arjan Dev did. A Muslim saint and friend of the Guru 'Sanyen Mian Meer' laid the foundation stone of Golden Temple in the year 1588 AD. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE EXAMPLE IN THE WORLD THAT THE MOST SACRED PLACE OF A RELIGION IS FOUNDED BY A SAINT OF OTHER RELIGION.
In 1590 AD the Guru started work for constructing a holy tank 'Sarovar' and Gurdwara at Taran Taaran Sahib. In the year 1604 AD, he composed the holy book, later on called 'Guru Granth Sahib' and installed the same in Golden Temple in his own place and he sat by its side. Thus in his own life, he treated the Word of Gurus and numbers of Muslim and Hindu saints higher than himself.
At the time of Emperor Jahangir, some of the so called high caste Hindus and a few narrow minded fanatic Muslims complained to Jahangir about the increasing influence of Guru Arjan Dev and his followers. As Jahangir himself was of the same narrow and fanatic nature, he ordered for the arrest of the Guru. Looking into the conditions and circumstances and foreseeing his time of departure from the world, he selected his only son as the next capable personality to carry on the message of Guru Nanak, bowed himself to Har Gobind and declared him the 6 th Guru of the Sikhs in the year 1606 AD, advised him to take to weapons as it was becoming the need of the time, and offered himself for arrest.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was asked to:
- Accept Muslim religion.
- Add praise to Hazrat Muhammad Sahib in the Holy Book (Guru Granth Sahib)
- Pay a fine of Rupees 2 lacs for helping the rebellious emperor Khusro.
- Accept death.
- Choice of religion is a right of an individual.
- Praise of an individual, whosoever big he may be, cannot be added in Guru Granth Sahib.
- The house of Guru is open for all. It gives food and shelter to the needy, irrespective of their omissions and commissions. There is no question of paying fine as no crime is made and the money is the offerings of the poor people and not the personal assets of the Guru.
- Death is acceptable.
Attractions Around the Golden Temple
A visit to the Golden Temple is incomplete without a visit to the following among others AKAL TAKHAT - It rightly faces the Golden Temple. Built by the Sixth Master Guru Hargobind (1606-44) in 1609, has been the nerve centre or the Sikhism ever since. All commandments affecting the community as a whole were and are issued from here. The Akal Takhat was used for holding court and Sikh congregations in the days of its builder.
The Akal Takhat was pulled down several times by the Muslim raiders. The ground floor of the present building was constructed in 1874. Three storeys were subsequently added by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. A number of weapons used by Guru Hargobind, Guru Gobind Singh and other Sikh heroes are preserved at Akal Takhat. In 1984 during Operation Blue Star Akal Takhat was badly damaged by the Indian Army.
BABA ATAL - A nine-storeyed tower, built in memory of Atal Rai (D. 1628), a son of Hargobind, is called Baba Atal. Atal Rai died at nine. He was called 'Baba' (an old man) head over young shulders. The tower was built between 1778 and 1784. It is the only of its kind in the city with 108 ft. height.
GURU KA LANGAR - A Sikh temple without a Community Kitchen is inconceivable. Cooked food is serviced in the kitchen of the Golden Temple 24 hours to all visitors irrespective of religion, caste, creed and nationality. The expenses are met out of the Temple funds. Approximately 40,000 visitors share the meals everyday presently.
SRI GURU RAM DAS NIWAS -The Niwas is a free hostel for the pilgrims maintained by the Temple authorities. It has been built by the Gurdwara Committee. It has 228 rooms and 18 big halls. Unlike the ordinary 'Daramsalas' the Niwas supplies the facilities of free beddings, cots, lights and fans etc. to the lodgers. A lodger is not generally allowed to stay here for more than three days at a time. The doors of the hostels are open to all.
The lodgers however must not do anything repugnant to the teachings of Sikhism.
Festivals and Events - Every night, the Granth Sahib is carried in procession along this bridge to its "bed" in the Akal Takht, the seat of the Sikh parliament (built 1609). Called the Palki Sahib, this nightly ceremony provides a chance for all male pilgrims and visitors to actively participate in the veneration of the Holy Book. Lines form in front of and behind the heavy palanquin and each man shoulders the burden for a few seconds before passing it along, forming a human conveyer belt that allows everyone to participate and everyone to rest. The ceremony usually takes place at 11pm in summer at 9:30pm in winter.
Reaching the Harmandir Sahib from abroad
For the global Sikh pilgrim or international tourist visitor the fastest way to reach the Harmandir Sahib is by air-travel. The holy city of Amritsar, where the Harmandir Sahib is located, has a rapidly expanding modern Airport called, Amritsar International Airport. The airport can be reached direct, by the international traveller, from most major cities of the world including, London and Toronto.
Moreover, there is a rapidly expanding array of international hotels in the holy city that can be booked for overnight stays. Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008 has voted the Harmandir Sahib as one of the world’s best spiritual sites.
THE SGPC OFFICES - The headquarters of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee are located in the Teja Singh Samundri Hall near the Golden Temple.
The Gurdwara Act 1925, transferred the control of the historical Sikh Shrines in the Punjab to the SGPC. It is a representative body of the Sikhs elected by adult franchise.
Among the other objects of interest in and around the Golden Temple worth mentioning are : Dukh Bhanjni Ber (Jujube Tree)
- Thara Sahib
- Ber Baba Budha Ji
- Gurdwara llachi Ber
- Ath Sath Tirath (Sixty eight holy places condensed into one)
- Gurdwara Shaheed Bunga Baba Deep Singh
- The Causeway to the Harmandir Sahib (Point 10 on map) Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of the United Kingdom - October 1997
- Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs - John Manley - January 2002
- Former Prime Minister of Canada - Jean Chrétien - October 2003
- Indian President - A.P.J. Abdul Kalam - August 2004
- Indian Prime Minister - Manmohan Singh - September 2004
- British Foreign Secretary - Jack Straw - February 2005
- Dalai Lama - Tenzin Gyatso - November 2007
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