The Golden Temple


Golden Temple is culturally the most significant place of worship of the Sikhs and one of the oldest Sikh gurdwaras. It is located in the city of Amritsar in India, which was established by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth guru of the Sikhs, and is, also due to the shrine, known as Guru Di Nagri meaning city of the Guru.

The golden plates which cover the exterior of the Gurdwara's upper floor and domes, as well as its exquisite marblework was done under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the leader of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab. Also called Sher-e-Punjab (Lion of the Punjab), the Maharaja was a heavy donor of wealth and materials for the shrine and is remembered with much affection by the Punjabi people in general and the Sikh community in particular. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was responsible for a rennaisance of many Gurdwaras damaged or destroyed during Mughal rule, including many new Gurdwaras as well.

The arch of the Darshani Deorhi opens onto the causeway which leads to the sanctum sanctorum of the Darbar Sahib; it is 202 feet (62 m) high and 21 feet (6 m) in width. Facing the arch stands the Akal Takht. Hari Singh Nalwa, the Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh Kingdom, wished to make the Akal Takht resplendent with gold and had donated a part of his wealth for this purpose. He also donated a golden palki for the carriage of the Guru Granth Sahib. None of the existing golden palkis in the Darbar Sahib date back to the 1830s. It was, in all probability, destroyed during Operation Blue Star.

Source and Credits: wikipedia
Image source and credits: Google Earth
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