The Golden Temple, located in the city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, is a place of great beauty and sublime peacefulness. Originally a small lake in the midst of a quiet forest, the site has been a meditation retreat for wandering mendicants and sages since deep antiquity. The Buddha is known to have spent time at this place in contemplation. Two thousand years after Buddha’s time, another philosopher-saint came to live and meditate by the peaceful lake. This was Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion. After the passing away of Guru Nanak, his disciples continued to frequent the site; over the centuries it became the primary sacred shrine of the Sikhs.
Unlike many historical sacred sites, the Golden Temple of Amritsar is still fully alive with religious fervor and sacredness, and visitors are welcomed to join in the experience. Although the building itself has great historical and architectural interest, it is the Golden Temple’s great spiritual meaning for Sikh believers (and others) that is most memorable to visitors. In a country that is exceptionally rich with vibrant devotion, Frommer’s rates the Golden Temple “the most tangibly spiritual place in the country.”
The most famous and sacred part of the Golden Temple complex is the Hari Mandir (Divine Temple) or Darbar Sahib (Court of the Lord), which is the beautiful golden structure at the center of a large body of water. The gold-plated building features copper cupolas and white marble walls encrusted with precious stones arranged in decorative Islamic-style floral patterns. The structure is decorated inside and out with verses from Guru Granth.
The water that surrounds the Hari Mandir is a sacred pool known as the Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar). The temple is reached by following the Parikrama, which circumscribes the sacred pool in a clockwise direction. Connecting the pathway with the Hari Mandir is a marble causeway called the Guru’s Bridge, which symbolizes the journey of the soul after death. The gateway to the bridge, the Darshani Deorhi, has magnificent silver doors.
Most visitors to the Golden Temple, whether Sikh or not, are humbled by what is quite simply the most tangibly spiritual place in the country. Visitors must leave their shoes at the facility near the entrance, cover their head (bandanas are provided, or you can buy a souvenir bandana from a vendor), and wash their feet by wading through the shallow pool before entering. You have lots of religious places in India, But the kind of peace and cleanliness you find at the golden temple , you won’t find anywhere else
Every night, the Granth Sahib is carried in a procession along this bridge to its “bed” in the Akal Takht, the seat of the Sikh parliament (built 1609). Called the Palki Sahib, this nightly ceremony provides a chance for all male pilgrims and visitors to actively participate in the veneration of the Holy Book. Lines form in front of and behind the heavy palanquin and each man shoulders the burden for a few seconds before passing it along, forming a human conveyer belt that allows everyone to participate and everyone to rest. The ceremony usually takes place at 9:30pm.
Entrance of the Langar Hall or Community Kitchen”
Langar or community kitchen is always run with the blessings of the Almighty.” Anyone who has been blessed enough to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar will always speak about the amazing experience of Langar that takes place there. A free meal is provided to about 80,000 people each and every day. Volunteerism and community support are other central tenets of Sikhism expressed in the Langar. When the Mughal emperor Akbar tried to give Guru Amar Das a platter of gold coins to support the kitchen, he refused to accept them, saying the kitchen “is always run with the blessings of the Almighty.”
It is lunchtime at what may be the world’s largest free eatery, the langar, or community kitchen at Amritsar’s glimmering Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion. Everything is ready for the big rush. Thousands of volunteers have scrubbed the floors, chopped onions, shelled peas and peeled garlic. At least 40,000 metal plates, bowls and spoons have been washed, stacked and are ready to go.
Volunteerism and community support are other central tenets of Sikhism
Soupy lentils, three and a third tons of them, bubble away in vast cauldrons, stirred by bearded, barefoot men wielding wooden spoons the size of canoe paddles. The pungent, savory bite wafting through the air comes from 1,700 pounds of onions and 132 pounds of garlic, sprinkled with fiery red chilies.
Hundreds of pounds of garlic peeled everyday
Thousands of Rotis made by hundreds of volunteers 24/7
Anyone can eat for free here, and many, many people do. On a weekday, about 80,000 come. On Weekends, almost twice as many people visit. Each visitor gets a wholesome vegetarian meal, served by volunteers.
Langar is more than food; once you eat it, you forget who is cooking, who is serving it, who is sitting next to you.
Nowhere is it more evident than in the community kitchen, where everyone, no matter his religion, wealth or social status, is considered equal.
Volunteers anxious and ready to serve. Sikhism is based on volunteerism
Ladoo’s are a part of Langar too
No langar is complete without sweet Chai
Eight young friends who “Baptized” me
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
