We started quite early this morning and arrived at the Sikh holy city of Amritsar by mid-day. This is a bustling and noisy city but once you enter the Golden Temple Complex all is quiet and serene. There is a continuous recitation of hymns from the Sikh holy book called the Guru Granth Sahib, complimented most of the time to musical accompaniment. There is no way to describe the atmosphere; you have to go there to fully appreciate the level of deep emotion that this historical place instils.
I cannot think of a more beautiful and awe inspiring sight once you see the golden domes through one of the four entrances to the complex. You descend down the steps onto the parkarma (the marble covered walkway). The reason for the four entrances to the complex and the main temple itself (called the Durbar Sahib) is because at the core of Sikh teaching is the requirement for social equality. At a time when social division was rife in northern India, Guru Nanak the first Sikh Guru taught social equality and the oneness of all humankind before the eyes of god. For this reason the four doorways signify the four points of the compass, signifying that the Durbar Sahib is open to all people, regardless of caste, religion, gender, race etc… There is an open kitchen staffed by volunteers, paid for by devotees and open to any person requiring a meal.
The Durbar Sahib as seen at the present time owes much of its appearance to the great Sikh ruler Maharajah Ranjit Singh (personal hero of mine). He had the marble and gold fitted to the Durbar Sahib during the 18th Century.
I’ll just let the images do the talking.
The Darbar Sahib, Seat of Sikh Religious Authority
The Akal Takht, Seat of Sikh Temporal Authority
Tarsem and Sarbjit
Awe-inspiring! It must be very moving for you. Why is Maharajah Ranjit Singh your hero?
ReplyDeleteHi Bill
ReplyDeleteHe was my hero for several reasons. One he was a king who never sat on a throne, dressed very simply and mixed with his people. He also did not allow religious difference from preventing people in the Punjab from attaining high office, he basicallly ran one of the first meritocracies in Northern India.
As a child he had smallpox and it resulted in him losing his left eye. He often remarked that may be god only gave him one eye so he would see all people as equal. He created a vast empire from the fractious 13 Sikh confederacies in the Punjab to create a single powerful state in the 19th Century. There are so many things about his character that fascinate me, these are but a few.
If you ever get the chance you should visit the Golden Temple, these pictures do not do it justice!