Golden Temple

Legend

Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, completed the sacred pool, the Amrit Sarovar, in 1577 and founded Ramdaspur around it, which became Amritsar. His son Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, built the Harmandir Sahib in the middle of the pool and on 16 August 1604 installed the Adi Granth, the first Sikh scripture, inside it. Tradition also tells of Bibi Rajni, whose leper husband was healed by a dip in the pool at the Dukh Bhanjani Beri tree. Maharaja Ranjit Singh covered the sanctum in gold leaf in 1830, giving it the name Golden Temple.

Why this temple matters

Harmandir Sahib means the house of God. Its four doors, one on each side, say that people of every caste, faith and background are welcome. It stands in the Amrit Sarovar, a pool about 150 metres square, facing the Akal Takht, the throne of the Timeless One and the highest seat of Sikh authority. The Guru Granth Sahib is seated inside for about 20 hours a day. Destroyed and rebuilt several times in the 18th century and damaged in 1984, it was restored each time by the community. More than 150,000 people visit daily.

What devotees pray for here

Festivals

• Vaisakhi (April): the founding of the Khalsa, with large gatherings and processions
• Bandi Chhor Divas (October–November, on Diwali): the release of Guru Hargobind from Gwalior fort, celebrated with thousands of lamps and fireworks at the sarovar
• Guru Nanak Gurpurab (October–November, Kartik Purnima): the birth of Guru Nanak, with Akhand Path and nagar kirtan
• Gurpurab of Guru Ram Das, the founder of Amritsar, and other Gurpurabs through the year

Poojas & rituals

• Prakash at dawn, when the Guru Granth Sahib is carried in a flower-decked palki across the causeway and opened
• Listening to kirtan inside the sanctum or by the parikrama
• Ishnan, a dip in the Amrit Sarovar, especially at the Dukh Bhanjani Beri
• Seva in the Guru Ram Das Langar, which serves over 100,000 free meals a day
• Receiving karah prasad after bowing before the Guru Granth Sahib
• Sukhasan at night, when the Guru Granth Sahib is closed and carried back to the Akal Takht

How to reach

Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport is about 11 km northwest of the city. Amritsar Junction railway station lies north of the complex, a short auto ride away, with daily trains from Delhi and other cities. Amritsar is about 455 km from Delhi and 217 km from Chandigarh by road, with frequent buses.

Timings

The complex is open around the clock. The Guru Granth Sahib is brought in at Prakash around dawn and taken to the Akal Takht at Sukhasan late at night; kirtan continues almost all day. The langar runs continuously.

Rules & dress code

Everyone must cover their head and remove shoes; free head scarves and a shoe deposit are provided. Wash your feet in the channel at the entrance. Alcohol, tobacco and smoking are strictly forbidden in and around the complex. Sit on the floor, not with feet pointing at the sanctum, and do not step into the sarovar except at the bathing places. Photography is fine on the parikrama but not inside the sanctum.

Frequently asked questions

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