Who built the Golden Temple in Amritsar, why’s the site so significant to Sikhism and what is a Gurdwara?
The Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, in India’s Punjab region is one of the most revered spiritual sites in Sikhism.
The temple which is currently undergoing repairs, is attempting to be environmentally conscious and officials have said it will replace the plastic bags it uses with biodegradable ones from April 1.
Who built the temple?
The temple - which is also known as Darbar Sahib - is in the city of Amritsar which was founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das with the fifth, Guru Arjan designing the temple.
The temple started to be built in 1581 with the first version of the temple taking eight years.
Guru Arjan planned the temple to be at a level lower than the city to emphasise humility before entering the premises.
He also demanded that the temple compound be open on all sides to emphasise that it was open to all.
A long-running dispute between the Sikhs and Mulims saw the temple eventually blown up in 1762.
A new main gateway, causeway and sanctum were completed in 1776 while the floor around the pool was finished in 1784.
Ranjit Singh announced he would renovate and rebuild it with marble and gold.
The Temple was renovated in marble and copper in 1809, and in 1830 Ranjit Singh donated gold to overlay the sanctum with gold foil.
Why is the temple so revered?
After it had been built Guru Arjan installed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, inside.
The Adi Granth, is regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign, and eternal living Guru following the lineage of the ten human Gurus.
The text consists of 1,430 pages, most of which is divided into 31 ragas.
The temple is also home to the Akal Takht - the “throne of the timeless one”, built by the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind.
It is one of five takhts – seats of power – for Sikhs. The Akal Takht is a symbol of political sovereignty and a place where spiritual and temporal concerns of the Sikh people could be addressed.
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What is a gurdwara?
The temple is a ‘gurdwara’ in punjabi, meaning “door to the guru” where people of all faiths are welcome.
Every gurdwara has a Darbar Sahib where the holy scripture Guru Granth Sahib, is a placed on an elevated throne known as a takhalmmlolt in a prominent central position.
All gurdwaras have a langar hall, where people can eat free vegetarian food.
A gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag.
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