About:
Dr. Bharatkumar Bhate is M.S. General Surgeon (Gold Medalist) by qualification with an experience of 30,000+ operations and is based at Rajkot, Gujarat. He is an avid reader and a passionate writer. In this blog, he shares his travel experiences and creative writings.
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Blog:
The Golden Temple at Amritsar is one of the
most sacred pilgrim spots for Sikhs. It is also fondly referred to as Harmandir
Sahib which means, “the house (mandir) of God (Hari).” It also represents the
distinct identity, glory and heritage of the Sikhs. The Sikhs all over the
world wish to visit this divine place to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib
in their Ardas (prayer). They certainly get teary-eyed on setting foot in the
premises of this holy abode.
The Golden Temple at Amritsar is the epitome of
breathtaking architecture, warm hospitality, and heart touching spirituality.
It secretes tranquillity and modesty that can calm a restless soul.
Everybody, irrespective of caste, creed, gender, and race-religion can visit the temple and seek spiritual solace and religious fulfilment without any hindrance. It is a symbol of human brotherhood and equality. The temple is constructed with four entrances that face the North, East, West and South which symbolise a welcoming aura of acceptance and openness. The Golden Temple at Amritsar indeed welcomes everyone. In fact, 35 per cent of the pilgrims who visit the Golden Temple are non-Sikhs like me.
Watch video below:
The fifth Guru Arjun Sahib, conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and he himself designed the architecture of Sri Harmandir Sahib. Earlier, the planning to excavate the holy Amrit Sarovar was executed by Guru Ramdas Sahib. The plan to establish a town settlement was also made. The land for site was bought by Guru Ram Das Sahib from the land owners of the villages.
Guru Arjan Sahib got the foundation laid by Muslim Saint Hazrat Mian Mir ji of Lahore in December, 1588. The construction work was directly supervised by Guru Arjan Sahib himself and was completed in 1601.
Guru Arjan Sahib installed the Guru Granth Sahib in Sri Harmandir Sahib and appointed Baba Budha ji as its first Granthi i.e., the reader of Guru Granth Sahib. After this event, the temple attained the status of ‘Ath Sath Tirath.’ Now the Sikhs had their own Tirath, a pilgrimage centre.
Guru Granth Sahib is the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. This scripture is a collection of devotional poems, prayers, and hymns composed by the ten Sikh gurus and various Muslim and Hindu saints.
In the year 1762, this religious heritage site was destroyed by Islamic rulers. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a brave Sikh ruler, rebuilt the entire temple. He added a sparkling outer covering of gold to the marble structure. About 500 kg of pure 24-karat gold worth ₹130 crores covered the temple in all its glory. Since then, it is called as the Golden Temple.
It is said that Gautam Buddha found this place to be an ideal and divine spot for meditation. Buddha, meditated at the exact spot where the Golden Temple stands today.
The Harmandir Sahib itself sustained some minor damage on June 6, 1984, when Indian troops fought their way into the temple complex to dislodge Sikh extremists, who were using this temple as a fortress for refuge. The Akal Takht, however, was heavily damaged in the attack. Both buildings were repaired subsequently.
With this historical background, I entered the Golden temple at night time. The temple appears implausibly attractive at night, with its stunning shadow on the pool which is a beauty to behold.
Watch Video below:
In my previous visit to Golden temple, I had come here early in the morning. During that time, the Palki procession had taken place, which had a charm of its own. The Granth Sahib was carried in a Palki and the devotees followed it in a grand procession singing the Gurbani.
I was already aware of instructions at the entrance as I was visiting the temple for the second time.
✓ Pilgrims can visit the temple from 04-00 AM. The temple is never closed.
✓ Both men and women need to cover their head.
✓ There is an arrangement for keeping footwear outside the temple. One needs to then clean their feet in a stream of continuously flowing clean water, before entering the causeway underneath a decorated arch.
✓ There is a cloak room, free of cost, for the devotees to keep their luggage. One must get a token after depositing one’s shoes/belongings at the cloak room.
✓ Please switch-off your mobiles before entering the Sanctum.
✓ Cigarette,
Bidi, Tobacco, Liquor, or other intoxicants, chewing gum etc. are strictly
prohibited inside the holy premises.
✓ Sun glasses and photography are prohibited
inside the main temple.
✓ Anyone can take a dip in the holy Sarovar but
the use of soap or shampoo is not allowed. Swimming is strictly prohibited in
the Sarovar. Several devotees opt to take a holy bath in the pool before
visiting the temple. A separate enclosed bathing area is available for the ladies.
✓ Offerings in cash and kind are accepted. Please
get a receipt on offering donations for langar.
There is no dress code in the Golden temple
but there are certain guidelines to follow:
* Cover your head with handkerchief / scarf /
dupatta
* Wear closed shoulder dresses (Avoid wearing
sleeveless dresses)
* Avoid wearing shorts or dresses above the knees.
Unlike Hindu temples, this Gurudwara can be
visited by the girls during their menstruating periods too. They do not believe
in barring anyone from worshiping inside the temple.
The main temple of Harmandir Sahib is in the
centre of Amrut Sarovar. A causeway leads to the main temple. Causeway is 202
feet in length and 21 feet in width. The temple is built on a 67ft. square
platform in the centre of Amrita Saras or Sarovar (“Pool of Nectar”). The
temple itself is 40.5ft. square.
The main structure of Sri Harmandir Sahib, functionally as well as technically is a three-storied one. The front is decorated with repeated cusped arches and the roof of the first floor is at the height of the 26 feet.
There is a bridge being connected with the wide ‘Pradakshina’. It runs round the main shrine and it leads to the ‘Har ki Paure’ meaning steps of God. There is continuous reading of Guru Granth Sahib on the first floor.
There is also continuous singing of Gurbani Kirtan (The songs sung for the God). These hymns are chanted in association of music flutes, drums, and stringed instruments. Echoing of this beautiful music across the serene lake induces a delicate yet powerful state of trance in the pilgrims.
On the top of the temple stands the low fluted ‘Gumbaz’ (dome) having lotus petals and it supports the "Kalash" having a beautiful "Chhatri" at the end.
After Darshan, as you step out of the enchanting Gurudwara, you see volunteers serving water and Kadha prasad, which is probably the yummiest food one could taste. Prepared with wheat flour, sugar, and lots of ghee, the prasad turns out to be extremely tasty and divine.
List of other places one must visit inside the Golden temple are:
~ Akal Takhat which is the highest site of authority that addresses the spiritual, temporal, and political concerns of the Sikh community.
~ Langar named after Guru Ram Das Sahib is the world’s largest free community kitchen where more than 50,000 pilgrims eat Prashad every day, which is usually roti, langar dal and rice. On special occasions, they serve sweet rice, rice pudding and sweets too. The kitchen also serves tea throughout the day separately to its guests and also serve sugarless tea for Diabetic patients. This has been going on continuously for every day of the past 450 years. All are treated equally in Langar. It does not matter who you are, you will all be treated the same. Another unique point of the langar seva is the selfless services, rendered by the countless volunteers.
~ Dukh Bhanjani Beri: It is a sacred tree which is believed to have
miraculous power. In 1506, Sikh Guru, Baba Budha Ji camped under this tree that
is still standing today. Many people stop here to pay their respects.
Lastly, there are seven Niwas Asthans (inns) which
provide lodging facilities for pilgrims, maintained by Sri Harmandir Sahib
authorities. The reception counter works round the clock to attend to the
devotees. The booking is offered on first-come first-serve basis.
Before I conclude my blog on Golden Temple, let me tell a fact which will inspire readers to visit this place at least once in
their lifetime. It is one of the most visited religious sites in the world
according to the UK-based World Book of Records. Moreover, while Taj Mahal is
one of the wonders of the world and biggest attraction to foreign tourists, yet
it is not the most visited place in India. Taj Mahal witnessed 3 million
visitors in the whole of 2013. The Golden Temple of Amritsar witnessed 3
million people in just a month. Around 70,000 to 80,000 people visit the holy Gurudwara
every day and about 1,50,000 in weekends. That is nothing short of fascinating.
The Golden Temple also ranked higher than the Taj Mahal on BBC’s list of the
places to visit before dying.
I am sure, once you visit this heaven on Earth,
you would agree to me that it is a place you would want to come repeatedly,
like how I did.
Dr. Bharatkumar Bhate
bcbhate@gmail.com