Golden Temple: Most Famous Pilgrimage Place for Sikhism

The important knowledge to gain about golden Temple is that in spite of its immense Holiness, the Golden Temple is open to all visitors irrespective of their religions, like all other Sikh temples. Another important Golden temple info is that people who are visiting the Holy place should not drink alcohol, consume non-vegetarian food or smoke in the shrine. The pleasant Golden temple info is that people who come to The Harmandir Sahib feel that they are truly welcome and are not forced in any way to buy anything, which happens in a lot of other Indian temples.

 The office situated at the left of the main gate gives complete information about golden Temple and booklets based on Sikhism are available. All devotees of the Golden Temple irrespective of their religions experience immense peace within themselves by the most actual sacred and holy place in the country. The specialty about golden Temple is that people who come and spend a few good hours literally get lost in its magical beauty. Before entering the shrine people should leave their footwear at the entrance, cover their head with bandanas that are given, (if needed they can buy a bandana as a souvenir from a shopkeeper), and clean their feet by walking through the shallow pool. The Sri Harimandir (Divine Temple) or Darbar Sahib (Court of the Lord) is the most popular and the holy part of the Golden Temple complex. It is a beautiful golden construction in the middle of a large pool of water. The golden plated building has copper cupolas and white marble walls covered with invaluable stones that are arranged decoratively exhibiting the Islamic flower pattern style. Also the construction has verses from the Granth Sahib (Holy Book of the Sikhs) written all over the inside and outside walls. The Sri Harimandir Sahib is engulfed by the Holy pool called as Amrit Sarovar which means Pool of Nectar. The temple is reached by walking over the path surrounding the Amrit Sarovar called the Parikrama, which confines the sacred pool in a clockwise direction. 

This path then connects with the Sri Harimandir through a land bridge made of marble and is called as the Guru's Bridge. This bridge resembles the journey of the soul after death of human beings. An information about golden Temple is that the gateway to the bridge called the Darshani Deorhi has wonderful doors made of silver. The happenings inside the Sri Harimandir are known to the Sikhs all over India through television relay. Another interesting info about Golden temple is that verses from the Holy Book are sung amidst the crowds that throng under a sunshade that is studded with jewels. The Holy Book is continuously waved by a chauri (whisk) and rows and rows of Sikh bow themselves such that their foreheads touch the temple floors and walls and move in a clockwise direction to a pace to relax. The most interesting and important Golden temple info is that there is a dining hall called the Guru-ka-Langar in which nearly 35,000 people are given free meals every day by the volunteers. All are welcome to participate in this free meal scheme irrespective of their caste, wealth or religion, which brings about equality among people, the most sacred doctrine of the Sikhs. Sikh devotees who come from far away places can avail guest rooms for free and Sikhs who come from other countries can avail rooms for a small fee. Golden temple info will be complete with the mentioning of the Central Sikh Museum at the main entrance, where pictures and commemoration of Sikh gurus, saints, and warriors are displayed in galleries. Graphic portraits of the sufferings and execution of gurus are also displayed, which is additional information about golden Temple.