GOLDEN TEMPLE

The Golden Temple is situated in Amritsar in Punjab and is the most sacred temple for Sikhs. It is a symbol of the magnificence and strength of the Sikh people all over the world.

The temple was founded by Guru Ram Das in 1579 with a part of the land granted by Emperor Akbar. The foundation stone was laid by a Muslim Sufi saint, Mian Mir. The construction of the temple was completed in 1601. Around this temple, the holy city of Amritsar came into being.

The architecture of the temple is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styles. The holy scripture of the Sikhs, the “Granth Sahib”, is installed in the inner sanctum of the temple. The scripture is
unique as it contains the divine message received by saints, bhagats(devotees) and pirs of all the faiths of India. The temple was destroyed in 1761 by the Muslim invaders but was rebuilt in 1802 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh‘Akal Takhat’(Throne of the timeless God).

It is here that the Sikh parliament traditionally meets. The Sikhs
usually refer to it as Hari Mandir Sahib (the temple of God) or Darbar
Sahib (the court of the Lord).