Golden Temple: The holiest shrine of the
Sikh religion is in the centre of the old
part of Amritsar. The
temple is also known as Hari Mandir or Darbar Sahib. The pool Amrit
Sarovar which gave the town its name and is reached by a causeway
surrounds it. The temple is splendour in white and gold, the
foundation of which was laid by the Muslim saint, Mian Mir, an
admirer and friend of Guru Arjun. The upper half of the temple is
covered with pure gold leaf hence, the popular name Golden Temple.
The temple has four entrances opening on to the four points of the
compass signifying that all people are welcome.A marble causeway
across the water leads to the shrine whose glittering picture is
reflected in the waters of the pool. Worshippers obtain the sweet
Prasad before crossing the causeway to the temple where they make an
offering.
The two-storey marble temple stands in the middle of the sacred
pool. A causeway known as the Guru’s Bridge (60mts. Long) reached
it. This is built out of white marble like the lower floor of the
temple. The rest of the temple is covered in copper gilt. Inside the
temple lies the holy book of the Sikhs-the Guru Granth Sahib. On the
doorways verses from the Gurumukhi script while rich floral
paintings decorate the walls and floral paintings decorate the walls
and excellent silver work marks the doors.
The temple’s architecture is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styles. The
golden dome is supposed to represent an inverted lotus flower. It is
inverted, turning back to the earth, to symbolize the Sikhs concern
with the problems of this world.
