Page 204 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

The Golden Temple, Amritsar
202 AS IA

The spiritual center of the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple
CHINA
w as built between 1589 and 1601, and is a superb synthesis
O TH~ GOLDE N TEMPLE.
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AM R1T - S~ of Islamic and Hindu styles of architecture. In keeping with
O.lhi•
Kolkat:~ the syncretic tradition of those times, its foundation stone
w as laid by a Muslim saint, Mian Mir. The temple was virtually
INDIA BAYOF destroyed in 1761 by an Afghan invader, Ahmed Shah Abdali,
Mumbai • 8£ NGAL
but was rebuilt some years later. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ruler
ARABIAN
SEA eChennai of Punjab, covered the dome in gold and embellished its
INDIAN
OCEAN interiors with lavish decoration during his reign. Pietra dura detail
Sill IAN~

THE HOLIEST SHRINE GOLDEN TEMPLE COMPLEX
The Sikhs' holiest shrine, the Golden T emple 1 Temple Office 9 Babil Deep S ingh's
S hrine
complex is actually a city within a city, with a - 2 Cloakrool1'6 1 o oarshani Deorhi
3 Darg,ani Darwaza
maze of lanes protected by 18 fortified gates. The
and Clocktower (Gateway to Sanctum)
main entrance is through the northern gateway, 4 Hari Mandir 11 Arjun Dev's Tree
the Dars hani Darwaza, which also houses the (Temple of God) 12 Akai lllkht
5 Athsath Tirath (Seat of S ikh religious
Central S ikh Museum and its coli ections of
( 68 Shrines) authority)
paintings, manuscripts, and weapons. From 6 Guru ka Langar 13 NiShan Sahib5
here, steps lead do'M'l to the Parikrama (marble (Dining H alO (Flagstaffs)
7 Baba Karak Singh's 14 Goblnd Singh's Shrine
pathway) encircling the Amrit Sarovar ("Pool
Residence 15 Dukh Bhanjani Ber
of Nectar"), after v.tlich Amritsar is named, and 8 Assembly Hall (Tree Shrine)
Hari Mandir ("Temple of God"), the gclden-
G KEY
domed ma1 n s hrine. Several holy sites line the ~-----
Area illustrated bebw
Pari krama, including the Dukh Bhanjani Ber, a
tree s hrine s aid to have healing powers and the Dome
Shaped like an inverted lotus,
Aths ath Tirath, representing 68 pilgrim s hrines.
MusQum the dome is covered in 220 lbs
T he Parikrama continues to the Akal Takht. The (1 00 kg) of gold donated by
complex includes the Guru ka Langar - a free Ranjit S ingh in 1830.
kitchen symbolizing the caste-free, egalitarian
soc1 ety the Sikh gurus sought to create
(;M Sheesh Mahal
MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH (;M Hari Mandir
The holiest site for Sikhs,
One of North looia' s most remarkable rulers,
this three-storied temple,
MaharaJa RanJit Singh (r. 1790-1839) established decorated with sup~b pietra
Punjab's first S ikh kingdom by persuading rival dura, is where the Holy Book
chieftains to unite. A military genius, his strong is kept during the day.
army kept both the British forces and Afghan
invaders at bay by making Punjab a pros perous
center of trade and industry. A devout S ikh, the
one-eyed Ranjit S ingh was an enlightened ruler
who liked to say, "God intended me to look at
all relig1ons wth one eye."
(;M Fi rst Floor ---~~~C...,.::!!!!i.;,,...~
The marble walls have
SIKHISM
pietra dura inlay and
W1th the1r characteristic turbans and full beards, decorative plasterwork
the S 1 khs are easy to identify. Sikhism IS a reform1 st bearing animal and
fa1 th, founded in the 15th century by Guru Nanak. flower motifs covered
in gold leaf.
It believes in a formless God. It is also called the
G urmat, or the "Guru's Doctrine," and S ikh
te mples are known as gurcJ.Naras, literally, "doors
to the guru." Nanak, the first of a series of te n
gurus, chose his most devout disciple as his
successor. The tenth and last guru, Guru Gob1nd
S1ngh (1666-17ffi5), reorga lized the community
(;M Guru Granth Sahib
as a md1ta-y order, the Kha lsa, to combat religious
Cw~ed by a jeweled
persecution 1:¥ the Mu;Jhals . He g<Ne the S1khs canopy, the Holy Book
their d1 st1 nct1 ve identity and the Khalsa's five lies in the Durbar Sahib Lower Wall
symbols-~sh Qong hair), kachha (underwear), ("Court of the Lord").
hrpan (s mall sword), kangha (comb), and kara
(bracelet)-that all Sikhs are obligated to wear.