Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhs located in the Punjab state in India consists of two words ‘Amrit’ means Nectar and ‘Sarovar’ means lake. It refers to the holy lake in the premises of the cradle of Sikhism-Golden temple. The city of Amritsar is the birthplace of the Sikh religion around the year 1577. The Sikh Guru Ram Das was the founder of the city and constructed a temple around a pool believed to have healing powers. The temple is visited by thousands of pilgrims every day. The city was rebuilt by Maharaja Ranjit Singh-a great warrior king by donating one hundred kilos of Gold for the Golden temple.
Amritsar is a border city that is just 30 miles away from Lahore, Pakistan, and is important for India. The city is the business hub of North India having big handlooms and shawl making industry.
Amritsar, Golden Temple
Golden Temple, officially termed ‘Harmandir Sahib’ is a famous Sikh Gurdwara, situated in Amritsar, Punjab, a city in north-western India. This city is renowned for both the Sikh religion and governmental head office. Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) was constructed by Guru Arjan, a Sikh Guru in 1600. Later this was reconstructed by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia in 1764. In the 19th century, the ceiling of the Gurdwara has been enclosed with Gold Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which gives a present look and name of the Golden Temple. The Holy Guru Granth Sahib is placed inside this Gurudwara and that’s why this is the holiest place for Sikh Religion. The intention behind the construction was to create a place for adoration for both men and women. People from all religions come here for worship. At an estimate, over 10,000 people come for worship daily.
The Golden temple is located in the center of the pool of water named ‘Amrit Sarovar’ from which the city got its name. It is built on a rectangular stage. The entrance to Golden Temple is through a complex doorway, with verses from Guru Granth Sahib scribed on Gate. The main gate is known as ‘Darshni Deori’ and the way is gone to the temple and holy tank.
The temple has a double story connected by a walkway named Guru’s Bridge. The lower story of the temple is white-marbled with architecture taken from Mughal styles and Hindu styles. The whole upper story is gold coated with Golden Dome. In the first rays of sun rises, the temple gives an unearthly appearance in the pool of water. As the sun rises, the temple shows innumerable appearances. The golden dome is of pure gold and weighs about 100 kg.
The temple has four doorways that represent the candidness of Sikhism; it shows that the temple is open to different followers of a different religions. The wall inside is decorated with gold and silver work. Inside the temple on a gem-crusted throne, the Adi Granth is placed. Verses of this holy Granth are read by priests in 3-hour shifts and complete reading of it takes about 48 hours. The original Holy Granth covered in a pink blanket is placed inside the temple and every day at 10 pm ceremony starts with Granth being taken towards Akal Takht. The Akal Takht is the seat of governing committee of Sikhism named Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
The holy shrines placed on the corridor are respected as the 68 holy shrines of the Hindus. It is said that it's good enough to visit these holy shrines, instead of visiting shrines spread all over the country.
At the rectangular cubics, priests recited the Granth to the people. And, people can donate the donation here. The Guru-ka-Langar committee runs a canteen where more than 10,000 people can eat simultaneously at no charge.
There is an old tree called ‘Jubi Tree’ that is about 450 years of age. It is believed that the tree has some special powers and it blesses the people. There are also some hostels in the complex that provides free stay for up to 3 nights.
People from any religion, and any country can come to the Golden Temple, it is open to all. But every visitor has to cover their head with clothes and have to remove shoes before entering the Temple.
Golden temple is surrounded by markets (bazaars), and shops on both sides of the road. Guru Bazaar, Kesarian Bazaar, and Mishri Bazaar are some major markets of the city.
Places of Interest nearby Amritsar (Golden Temple)
Jallianwala Bagh
A historical place where thousands of innocent people were butchered by cruel British General Dyer on the occasion of the Indian festival of Baisakhi in 1919. It is a worthwhile visit place. A memorial is built in this park in memory of innocent civilians.
Durgiana Temple
This is dedicated to the goddess Durga and is the main place of Hindu devotion. It has Shree Laxmi Narayan temple Mandir with a huge pond on it.
Ram Bagh
Ram Bagh is a garden with a palace in the center and was named so by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Nowadays, this place is visited by walkers and cricket lovers.
Mata Vaishno Devi Temple
This temple is constructed on the lines of the actual temple of Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, and Jammu, and is visited by numerous devotees.
Khalsa College
The college is spread over 300 acres and was constructed in Mughal and Sikh architecture. It was built in the year 1892 by the Singh Sabha movement.
How to Reach
- By Air: The nearest airport is Raja Sansi airport about 20 kms it is an international airport.
- By Rail: Amritsar is one of the main junctions of north India and is connected to all major towns of India.
- By Road: Amritsar is connected to all cities of north India by the well-maintained network of roads.
Distance Chart
- Distance from Delhi by road = 460 km.
- Distance from Mumbai by road = 1774 km.
- Distance from Kolkata by road = 1919 km.
- Distance from Chennai by road = 2625 km.
Transport
Amritsar is well connected to the major cities of India as well as foreign cities. , Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport is an international airport have domestic flights as well as international flights. Daily flights are available to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Chennai.
Amritsar is well connected by trains as well. Amritsar railway stations have good facilities with six platforms and have daily trains to and from the rest of the countries. Delhi-Amritsar high-speed train covers a distance of 450 km at speed of 160 km per hour.
Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Interstate Bus Terminal is the main bus stand of Amritsar. Daily luxury to ordinary buses is available from this bus stand to Delhi, Chandigarh, Ambala, and Jammu. Grand Trunk Road crosses Amritsar, so it’s well-connected by road network. Taxis, rickshaws, and buses are available to transport in the city.
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