Sri Harmandir Sahib is a temple which is very famous with the name “The Golden Temple”. It is the shrine which is very holiest for Sikh religion. This is also known as Shri Darbar Sahib and this is exactly in the center of the old part of Amristsar. This city is named as Amritsar because of the golden temple which is sitting on a rectangular platform which is surrounded by a pool of water called as Amrit-Sarovar.
Amritsar is a major city of Punjab which is having a history of 400 years. This city is well-known all over the world for its Golden temple which is the seat of Sikhs. The literal meaning of Amristsar is “ The pool of Nectar”. This name is taken from a pool constructed at the sacred site in the 16th century and this was gifted to Guru Ramdas by the mughal emperor Akbar. Guru ramdas was the fourth preceptor of the sikh faith.
Guru Hargobind Sahib was attacked in this place on April 13th,1634 by mughal army. After that , from the year 1635 to 1698 Amritsar was in the control of Mina family who were the descendants of Pirthi Chand. In the year 1698 Bhai Mani Singh was appointed as a caretaker of the shrines of Amritsar. Patti , who was a chief of mughal tried several times to occupy this Amritsar. One of such attempts was made in the year 1709 April.
The Sikhs who were under the command of the caretaker Bhai Mani Singh and Bhai Tara Singh of Dall-wan , repelled the attack. Bhai Mani Singh decided to leave Amritsar ao avoid the attacks of mughal and Baba Banda Singh Bahadur occupied many areas in Punjab. After the death of mughal emperor Bahadur Shah , Bhai mani Singh returned to Amritsar and started the regular worship again in the year 1721. In 1757 Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib were demolished by Afghan Army. Several thousand Sikhs were led Baba Dip Singh against the Afghan. There was a very major battle.
Again in the year 1762 Afghan army demolished the Darbar Singh complex. In 1765 the Sikhs started constructing the shrines again. By the year 1776 the central part was ready. Rabjit Singh had gold-plated some part of the inner section of Darbar Sahib around the year 1830.
Construction and Specialities
The entrance into the Golden temple is through an ornate archway. On the doorway many verses were inscribed taken from Granth Sahib. There is a Victorian clock tower under which the main North entrance takes place. There is a bridge named Guru’s bridge and it is a cause way for reaching the two storey marble structure of the temple.
The architecture of this Golden temple is combined with the architectural styles of Hindus and Muslims. The upper floor is fully Gold-plated and also crowned with a golden dome which is shaped like an inverted lotus. An ethereal atmosphere can be given to the complex by the reflection of the temple in the tank which comes through the first light of dawn.
The golden dome is said to be glided with 100 kgs of pure gold. This golden dome is also supposed to represent an inverted lotus flower , which points back to earth which is also can be told as the symbol of Siks’s concern with the problems of this world. There are four entrances for the temple building instead of being just one single entry. This stands as a symbol for the openness of the Sikhism telling that everyone is allowed inside who are the followers of all faiths.
How to reach and exact location
Air : Amritsar is connected by air with Delhi (435kms) and Srinagar.
Rail: Amritsar is well connected by rail with Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, Varanasi, Wagah (29kms,Attari Border) and some other places in India.
Road: Amritsar is connected by bus with Ambala, Chandigarh (235 kms), Delhi (435 kms), Ferozepur (160 kms), Jammu etc.
Local Transport: Cycle Rickshaws, Taxis, City buses.