The Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple is the main tourist attraction in Amritsar, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. Construction of the temple was begun by Guru Ram Dast in the 16th century. In the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh the upper floors of the temple was covered with gold. It’s a stunning temple, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India, excited to be at a place that they usually only see on television.

Constructed as far back as 1585 AD, Harmandir Sahib is measured one of the most dazzling architectural marvels in the world. In fact the melodious blend of Islamic and Hindu structure styles found within the complex is supposed to have stimulated a completely new structure strain dubbed the Sikh school of building in India. Raising above a water filled tank on a 67 square foot platform the Harmandir Sahib Temple occupies a space of 40 square feet. With an ornately bedecked doorway on all four sides one of the temple’s key features is the Darshani Deori archway which is 10 feet high and 8.6 feet in width. Opening up to the causeway bridge that takes visitors to the main structure of the Golden Temple, the overpass itself is a 202 foot long, 21 feet wide marvel of ingenuity. A 13 foot wide circumambulatory trail connects the bridge with the temple and it leads pilgrims around the main shrine before taking them to the steps of god or ‘Har ki Paure’. On the first floor of the steps one can hear the continuous reciting of the Guru Granth Sahib text.

Harmandir Sahib Pictures