Golden Temple

Amritsar:

Amritsar, literally means the Pool of Nectar. Amritsar derieves its name from Amrit Sarovar, the holy tank that surrounds the fabulous Golden Temple. The Sikh cult largely dominate the city. During centuries, this complex of Sikh culture grew from a sacred village pond into a spiritual-temporal center. The passionate pilgrims of the faith of Guru Nanak (15th century), who united Hindu and Muslim elements and initiated a reformation, flocked here generation after generation.

History unfolded:

Guru Arjan Sahib, the Fifth Nanak, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Golden temple also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib. Guru Arjan Sahib got its foundation laid by a muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir ji of Lahore in 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.

Golden Temple- 'The Shining Splendor':

The temple is located on a small island in the centre of a pool called the amrit-sar ('pool of nectar') and is connected to land by a marble causeway.The golden colour comes from the overlay of gold foil, hence the name. Golden Temple has a unique feature, here the devotees have to step down to offer their homage unlike other temples where the devotees have to climb up to offer their salutation. This wonderful temple of God has been built at the lowest level because it represents the humility of Guru Nanak. The architecture of the temple is considered as the epitome of dexterity and creativity and it represents a unique harmony between the Muslims and the Hindus. Patrolling guards are present all the time to ensure that visitors respect the basic rules when visiting the temple. As long as the rules are respected, visitors of all religions are given a warm welcome. Symbolically, it has entrances on all four sides to show that it is open to worshippers of all castes and creeds.