Lapped by a sacred pool and floating at the end of a white marble causeway, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is a deliriously beautiful sight.
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Its heavily gilded and ornate architecture is mirrored in the rectangular lake and framed by the elegant marble buildings surrounding it. By day it gleams richly in the Punjab sun, while at night it is beautifully lit up and seems to glow from within. In its gorgeous inner sanctum, where photography is forbidden, priests and musicians chant continuously from the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. Each day, a seemingly endless line of pilgrims pads across the causeway to enjoy a few minutes here, before being gently encouraged to exit to make space for more devotees.
Built in the late 16th century, the Golden Temple – the Hari Mandir – makes up just a small part of Amritsar’s huge gurdwara complex, the Harmandir Sahib, which is the center of Sikhism in India. Despite the temple’s golden gorgeous looks, the spiritual focus of attention here is the lake surrounding it. Called the Amrit Sarovar, it gave Amritsar its name and was created by the fourth Sikh guru, Ram Das, in 1577. It’s enclosed by a marble walkway and its waters are reputed to have healing powers. Pilgrims come from far and wide to bathe here.
The Golden Temple itself combines both Hindu and Islamic architectural styles. Its lower level is decorated with flower and animal motifs in pietra dura work – a form of pictorial mosaic, created using semi precious stones, and also seen on the Taj Mahal. The level above is made up of engraved gold panels, and at the very top, the temple is crowned with a dome gilded with 750kg of gold.
