Golden Temple (also known as Harminder Sahib) at Amritsar, Punjab (India) is one of the most prominent temples of Sikhism in the world. The faithful (both sikhs and non-sikhs) visit this temple from world over and we also made a trip to this beautiful & serene temple on our trip to Amritsar. It was one of the most serene, peaceful & joyous moments in my travels to any religious place.
The Golden Temple has a historical significance in Sikhism and was built by the Fifth sikh guru Arjan Sahib (you can read more about the history of the temple here at wikipedia). Today it is visited by millions of devotees, fatihfuls and also tourists. When we landed in Amritsar, we chose a hotel close to the temple and my first glimpse of the temple was from the terrace of my hotel room. The sight of the golden dome and the sounds of prayers had a calming effect after a rather tiring train journey.
The temple is located in the middle of the old town and has a holy pond surrounding it. The temple also houses the original Guru Granth Sahib, which is the holy book of Sikhism. The temple premise, though visited by scores of people each day, is very peaceful, calm and very clean. Many people offer voluntary service here n the many operations of the temple (such as cleaning, cooking, etc) called ‘kar seva’, which is considered as part of the devotional in Sikh religion.
Strolling around the temple, I really could see why ‘cleanliness is godliness’. A sense of spirituality was all pervasive throughout the temple compound, inspite of the crowds and everyone was much calmer & peaceful going about their actions (including me).
We stayed in Amritsar for 2 days and visited this temple each day. The best time to visit are the hours when the Guru Granth Sahib is taken out for the parikrama (or round) inside the temple compound.
Do visit this temple, when in Amritsar.
OMG lovely pics
I also loved Golden Temple. The atmosphere and the beauty of the temple in the reflection is so surreal!
Beautiful. I am yet to visit this place.
Such beautiful pictures. And guess what? I have still not been to the temple š Have to plan.
Beautiful images…especially the first one!! The reflection in the water is awesome.
One of the "must see" places for me.
Good post!
'Kar seva' is unique to Sikh religion.
BEAUTIFULlllllllllll .. thank you for sharing . one of the places where the moment you see it , or enter inside calmness takes over you ..
Bikram
Wow – what a gorgeous place and great photos!
On my wishlist!!
wow! what a place! and great reflection shots, too!
Looks absolutely serene and beautiful. Nice shots.
It looks very amazing and somehow reminds me about Venice, maybe it's beacause of the water nearby
WOW! Looks amazing! xx
http://www.aimeroseblog.com/