In the Indian state of Punjab, in the center of the small Indian city of Amritsar, which is located in the north-west of the country, one of the main attractions of the country is located - Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, which is the religious center of the Sikhs. More than twenty thousand people visit it daily.
History
The temple was built in the middle of a man-made lake that was dug out in 1577 by Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru who blessed and named the lake Amritsar. This name translates as "the source of the nectar of immortality." Judging by the legend that the locals love to tell, the place for this sacred lake was not chosen by chance. Here, on the shore of a small forest pond, the great Buddha meditated, and after him, the founder of the Sikh faith on the equality of all religions and unity, Guru Nanak, meditated on the essence of being.
Building a temple
Blessing the lake, Ram Das began construction of the Sikh temple complex. Later, the upper tiers of the grandiose structure were covered with gold. Completed constructionof the magnificent Arjan Dev complex, calling it Harmandir Sahib, which translates as "God's temple." Very quickly, the rumor about the unusual structure spread among the Sikhs. And they reached the beautiful complex with an endless stream of pilgrims.
Many remained to live near the temple. As a result, such a number of inhabitants gathered that a city was formed on this place, which received the same name as the sacred lake. The Harmandir Sahib temple acquired its current appearance after a reconstruction carried out in 1764 at the initiative of Sultan Ul Kwam Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, a well-known spiritual leader of the Sikhs.
In the 19th century, another leader of the Sikhs, the ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ordered that the upper floors of the temple be covered with gilding. This gave rise to the second name of the Harmandir Sahib temple in Amritsar - the Golden Temple. Today it is the main attraction of the city, the state and the whole country.
Golden Temple Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar (India): description
The temple is built of marble with bronze and gold leaf. The walls and the dome are covered with copper plates and covered with gilding on top. According to historians, more than four hundred kilograms of precious metal were used to create the dome.
The temple complex of Harmandir Sahib, the photo of which you can see below, is located in the center of the lake, the water of which is considered to be curative. Pilgrims, as well as local residents, believe that it contains the elixir of immortality and holy water. A narrow marble bridge, symbolizing the long journey thatpasses the soul that left the mortal body, connects the temple of Harmandir Sahib with the shore of the lake.
How does the temple work?
The Golden Temple harmoniously combines elements of Hindu and Islamic styles, as well as its own unique features. The complex consists of ten different structures with four entrances from the west and east, from the north and south. They symbolize the invitation to the sanctuary of people of various faiths, classes and walks of life.
The walls of the temple are decorated with ornaments and paintings, inlaid with precious stones. Before entering the sanctuary, pilgrims perform a ritual bath in the waters of the sacred lake and take off their shoes. Women, men and children must cover their heads with a scarf before entering the temple. On each floor of the temple, a trained reader from sunrise to sunset reads old copies of the Guru Granth Sahib, flipping through huge pages. Regardless of religion, anyone can visit the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.
Those who wish can go up to the prayer hall. Here, sitting on the carpet, you can, while reading prayers, make personal requests to the Almighty. The Harmandir Sahib temple differs from many places of worship in its constantly sounding exquisite accompaniment. This is sung by a gentle flute, stringed instruments and the rhythmic beat of drums is heard. The melody is so mesmerizing that, according to people who have been here, it can lead to a state of deep trance.
Pilgrims slowly walk clockwise around the temple, periodicallyplunging into the waters of the lake to purify your soul. People come here to pray, to indulge in their own thoughts, to meditate. The entrance to the sanctuary is open to men and women, poor and rich, because all people are close to God. An ordinary tourist can enter the temple, provided that he does not eat meat, is completely indifferent to alcohol and does not smoke on the territory of the complex.
Interior decoration
Visitors are amazed and delighted by the beauty and extraordinary luxury of the temple. The Golden Temple fully justifies its name, since its outer walls are lined with plates covered with gold. Inside, the structure is even more impressive: the walls, decorated with precious stones, covered with wonderful inlays, gilding and ornaments, are in no way inferior to the external appearance.
You can enjoy the beauty of this marvelous place not only during the day, but also at night, when the building is originally and very skillfully illuminated. Reflected in the water surface of the lake, it creates a stunning and bewitching picture.
Charity mission
Undoubtedly, a distinctive feature of this temple is the presence of a free refectory, where all visitors are fed in the main hall. For Sikhs, eating together is considered highly symbolic. In their opinion, nothing unites people of different faiths, different social status like a joint meal. Sikhism does not accept the division into castes that preachHindu beliefs. This principle is embodied during the joint meal of people who have different statuses and preach different religions.
Such principles were laid down in the teachings of the first Sikh guru Nanak back in the 15th century, who was sure that eating together could equalize people. The Harmandir Sahib is the largest eatery in the world, serving about 30,000 free meals every day, with the number doubling on holidays and weekends.
In the refectory, food is taken sitting on the floor, as there is no dining room furniture. Volunteers distribute dishes prepared according to national Indian recipes. The most common are chapati bread, rice with vegetables, and mashed bean soup.
Volunteers
One of the main principles of Sikh teaching is selflessness. Every day, about a thousand volunteers prepare food for visitors, regardless of different religions, social status, prestigious work and financial we alth. Among those who volunteer to prepare meals and clean up after meals, you can meet a street vendor and a manager of a reputable bank, a supermarket salesman and a teacher, a doctor and an engineer.
These people go to work in the langar, as they call the refectory of the temple, at the call of the heart, without any coercion. Donations are not accepted here, relying only on the blessing of the Almighty. Known fact: once Emperor Akbar, staying in the complex, wanted to give Guru Amar Das a dish filled with gold coins. But he doesn'taccepted donations, citing that the kitchen is maintained by the will of the Almighty.
After the meal is over, volunteers clean and wash the main hall. Each visitor to the temple can be sure that they will not leave him hungry.
Tourist rooms
The temple complex includes rooms for tourists and pilgrims, where you can stay overnight. Europeans, of course, will not feel comfortable here: they will have to sleep on the floor among the same pilgrims and tourists, without basic amenities. But many believe that it is in these conditions that one can feel the unusually benevolent atmosphere that has reigned here for many centuries.
Hindu and Sikhs, Muslims and people who preach a different religion come to the Harmandir Sahib temple not only to see this stunning beauty, but also to plunge into the atmosphere of mutual understanding and selflessness that this building is filled with.
