Golden Temple: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Sikh religious site in Amritsar, Punjab, India}}

{{Other uses|Golden Temple (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

| native_name          = Harmandir Sahib <br/>Darbar Sahib

| native_name_lang      = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]

| image                = The Golden Temple of Amrithsar 7.jpg

| coordinates          = {{coord|31|37|12|N|74|52|35|E|region:IN-PB|display=inline,title}}

| year_completed        = 1589 (temple), 1604 (with Adi Granth) {{sfn|Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|2013|pp=41–42}}

| website              = {{Official URL}}

The '''Golden Temple''' (also known as the '''Harmandir Sahib''', {{lit|abode of God}}, {{IPA-pa|ɦəɾᵊmən̪d̪əɾᵊ saːɦ(ɪ)bᵊ}}, or the '''Darbār Sahib''', 'exalted court', {{IPA-pa|d̪əɾᵊbaːɾᵊ saːɦ(ɪ)bᵊ|}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=McLeod|first=W.H.|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historical_Dictionary_of_Sikhism/xajcAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA146&printsec=frontcover|title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=9781442236011|pages=146|quote=The latter name was attached to it after Maharaja Ranjit Singh gilded the upper two stories, and it became known as the Suvaran Mandir, or the Golden Temple|author-link=W. H. McLeod}}</ref>) is a [[gurdwara]] located in the city of [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, India]].<ref name=eos>{{cite encyclopedia|url= https://archive.org/details/TheEncyclopediaOfSikhism-VolumeIiE-l/page/n253|title= Harimandar|last1=Kerr|first1=Ian J.|editor=Harbans Singh |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |publisher=Punjabi University Patiala|access-date=1 July 2018|pages=239–248|year=2011}}</ref>{{sfn|Eleanor Nesbitt|2016|pp=64–65, 150}} It is the preeminent spiritual site of [[Sikhism]]. It is one of the [[Holy place|holiest sites]] in Sikhism, alongside the [[Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur]] in [[Kartarpur, Pakistan|Kartarpur]], and [[Gurdwara Janam Asthan]] in Nankana Sahib.<ref name=eos/><ref name="Harmandir-Sahib">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Harmandir-Sahib |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|year=2014| url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Harmandir-Sahib}}</ref>

The man-made [[Temple tank|pool]] on the site of the temple was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, [[Guru Ram Das]], in 1577.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|p=33}}{{sfn|Pardeep Singh Arshi|1989|pp=5–7}} In 1604, Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, placed a copy of the [[Adi Granth]] in Harmandir Sahib and is the prominent figure in development of gurudwara who built it in the 16th Century.<ref name=eos/><ref name="Cole2004p7">{{harvnb|W. Owen Cole|2004|page=7}}</ref> The Gurdwara was repeatedly rebuilt by the Sikhs after it became a target of [[Persecution of Sikhs|persecution]] and was destroyed several times by the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] and invading [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] armies.<ref name=eos/><ref name="Harmandir-Sahib"/><ref name=runion70/> Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]], after founding the [[Sikh Empire]], rebuilt it in [[marble]] and [[copper]] in 1809, and overlaid the sanctum with [[gold leaf]] in 1830. This has led to the name the Golden Temple.{{sfn|Trudy Ring|Noelle Watson|Paul Schellinger|2012|pp=28-29}}{{sfn|Eleanor Nesbitt|2016|pp=64–65}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Jean Marie Lafont|title=Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Lord of the Five Rivers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjduAAAAMAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-566111-8 |pages=95–96 }}</ref>

The Golden Temple is spiritually the most significant shrine in Sikhism. It became a centre of the [[Singh Sabha Movement]] between 1883 and 1920s, and the [[Punjabi Suba movement]] between 1947 and 1966. In the early 1980s, the Gurdwara became a centre of conflict between the Indian government and a movement led by [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies|last1=Fenech|first1=Louis E.|year=2014|pages=30–31|publisher=OUP Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-969930-8|quote=But this strategy backfired in the spring of 1984, when a group of armed radicals led by Bhindranwale decided to provoke a confrontation with the government by occupying Akal Takhat building inside the Golden Temple complex.|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Oxford_Handbook_of_Sikh_Studies/8I0NAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=the+oxford+handbook+of+sikh+studies&printsec=frontcover}}</ref> In 1984, [[Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]] sent in the [[Indian Army]] as part of [[Operation Blue Star]], leading to deaths of over 1,000 soldiers and civilians, as well as causing much damage to the Gurdwara and the destruction of Akal Takht. The Gurdwara complex was rebuilt again after the 1984 damage.<ref name="Harmandir-Sahib"/>

The Golden Temple is an open house of worship for all people, from all walks of life and faiths.<ref name=eos/> It has a square plan with four entrances, and a circumambulation path around the pool. The four entrances to the gurudwara symbolises the Sikh belief in equality and the Sikh view that all people are welcome into their holy place.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nature and importance of Harmandir Sahib - Pilgrimage - GCSE Religious Studies Revision |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z3b42hv/revision/2 |access-date=17 March 2022 |work=BBC}}</ref> The complex is a collection of buildings around the sanctum and the pool.<ref name=eos/> One of these is [[Akal Takht]], the chief centre of religious authority of [[Sikhism]].<ref name="Harmandir-Sahib"/> Additional buildings include a clock tower, the offices of the Gurdwara Committee, a Museum and a [[Langar (Sikhism)|langar]] – a free Sikh community-run kitchen that offers a [[Vegetarianism and religion#Sikhism|vegetarian meal]] to all visitors without discrimination.<ref name="Harmandir-Sahib"/> Over 150,000 people visit the holy shrine everyday for worship.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-19/india/32745911_1_phone-jammers-mobile-phones-cell-phones | archive-url=https://archive.today/2013.01.26-201851/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-19/india/32745911_1_phone-jammers-mobile-phones-cell-phones | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 January 2013 | work=[[The Times of India]] |title= Soon, Golden Temple to use phone jammers.|date=19 July 2012 }}</ref> The Gurdwara complex has been nominated as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]], and its application is pending on the [[List of World Heritage Sites in India|tentative list of UNESCO]].<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1858/ Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab], UNESCO</ref>

The Harmandir Sahib (Gurmukhi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is also spelled as Harimandar or Harimandir Sahib.<ref name=eos/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Asher |first=Catherine Blanshard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ctLNvx68hIC&pg=316 |title=Architecture of Mughal India |date=1992-09-24 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-26728-1 |pages=316 |language=en |quote=Situated in the middle of an enormous tank connected to land via a long causeway, the shrine is known as Harimandir.}}</ref> It is also called the ''[[Durbar (court)|Durbār]] Sahib'' (ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ), which means "sacred audience", as well as the Golden Temple for its gold leaf-covered sanctum centre.<ref name="Harmandir-Sahib"/> The word "Harmandir" is composed of two words: "[[Hari]]", which scholars translate as "God ",<ref name=eos/> and "[[mandir]]", which means "house".{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|p=146}} "[[Sahib]]" is further appended to the shrine's name, the term often used within Sikh tradition to denote respect for places of religious significance.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McLeod |first=W.H. |title=Historical Dictionary of Sikhism |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2014 |isbn=9781442236011 |pages=269}}</ref> The Sikh tradition has several Gurdwaras named "Harmandir Sahib", such as those in [[Kiratpur Sahib|Kiratpur]] and [[Patna]]. Of these, the one in Amritsar is most revered.{{sfn|Henry Walker|2002|pp=95-98}}<ref>{{cite book|author=H. S. Singha|title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqIbJz7vMn0C&pg=PA97 |year=2000 |publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=978-81-7010-301-1|page=97}}</ref>

[[File:Painting of Guru Arjan overseeing the construction of the original Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), circa 1890-95.jpg|thumb|[[Guru Arjan]] overseeing the construction of the original Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), painting from circa 1890-95]]

According to the Sikh historical records, the land that became Amritsar and houses the Harimandir Sahib was chosen by [[Guru Amar Das]], the third Guru of the Sikh tradition. It was then called ''Guru Da Chakk'', after he had asked his disciple Ram Das to find land to start a new town with a man-made pool as its central point.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|p=33}}{{sfn|Pardeep Singh Arshi|1989|pp=5–7}}<ref name=eosramdas/> After [[Guru Ram Das]] succeeded Guru Amar Das in 1574, and in the face of hostile opposition from the sons of Guru Amar Das,{{sfn|Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|2013|pp=38–40}} Guru Ram Das founded the town that came to be known as "Ramdaspur". He started by completing the pool with the help of [[Baba Buddha]] (not to be confused with the Buddha of Buddhism). Guru Ram Das built his new official centre and home next to it. He invited merchants and artisans from other parts of India to settle in the new town with him.<ref name=eosramdas>{{cite web |author=G.S. Mansukhani |title=Encyclopaedia of Sikhism |url= http://www.learnpunjabi.org/eos/index.aspx <!-- chapter=Ram Das, Guru (1534–1581) -->|publisher=Punjab University Patiala |access-date=19 January 2017}}</ref>

Guru Ram Das acquired the land for the site. Two versions of stories exist on how he acquired this land. In one, based on a Gazetteer record, the land was purchased with Sikh donations of 700 rupees from the people and owners of the village of [[Tung, Sikkim|Tung]]. In another version, Emperor [[Akbar]] is stated to have donated the land to the wife of Guru Ram Das.<ref name=eosramdas/>{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod| 2014|p=67}}

[[File:The Golden Temple in 1840.png|thumb|The Golden Temple, Amritsar, c.1840]]In 1581, Guru Arjan initiated the construction of the Gurdwara.{{sfn|Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|2013|pp=41–42}} During the construction the pool was kept empty and dry. It took 8 years to complete the first version of the Harmandir Sahib. Guru Arjan planned a gurdwara at a level lower than the city to emphasize humility and the need to efface one's ego before entering the premises to meet the Guru.{{sfn|Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|2013|pp=41–42}} He also demanded that the gurdwara compound be open on all sides to emphasize that it was open to all. The sanctum inside the pool where his Guru seat was, had only one bridge to emphasize that the end goal was one, states Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair.{{sfn|Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|2013|pp=41–42}} In 1589, the gurdwara made with bricks was complete. Guru Arjan is believed by some later sources to have invited the Sufi saint [[Mian Mir]] of [[Lahore]] to lay its foundation stone, signalling pluralism and that the Sikh tradition welcomed all.{{sfn|Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair|2013|pp=41–42}} This belief is however unsubstantiated.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|p=205}}<ref>{{cite book |title=State Formation and the Establishment of Non-Muslim Hegemony: Post-Mughal 19th-century Punjab |author=Rishi Singh |year=2015 |isbn=978-9351505044}} It is, however, possible that Mian Mir, who had close links to Guru Arjan, was invited and present at the time of the laying of the foundation stone, even if he did not lay the foundation stone himself.</ref> According to Sikh traditional sources such as [[Suraj Parkash|Sri Gur Suraj Parkash Granth]] it was laid by Guru Arjan himself.<ref>{{cite book |title=State Formation and the Establishment of Non-Muslim Hegemony: Post-Mughal 19th-century Punjab |author=Rishi Singh |year=2015 |isbn=978-9351505044}}</ref> After the inauguration, the pool was filled with water. On 16 August 1604, Guru Arjan completed expanding and compiling the first version of the Sikh scripture and placed a copy of the [[Adi Granth]] in the gurdwara. He appointed [[Baba Buddha]] as the first [[Granthi]].{{sfn|Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh |2011|pp=34–35}}

[[File:Golden Temple, Amritsar 03.jpg|thumb|The Golden Temple at twilight]]

The growing influence and success of Guru Arjan drew the attention of the [[Mughal Empire]]. Guru Arjan was arrested under the orders of the Mughal Emperor [[Jahangir]] and asked to convert to Islam.<ref name=ps5/><ref name="McLeodp20"/> He refused, was tortured and executed in 1606 CE.<ref name=ps5>{{cite journal|author=Pashaura Singh |date=2005|url=http://www.global.ucsb.edu/punjab/journal_12_1/3_singh.pdf |title=Understanding the Martyrdom of Guru Arjan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175032/http://www.global.ucsb.edu/punjab/journal_12_1/3_singh.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |journal=Journal of Punjab Studies |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=29–62}}</ref><ref name="McLeodp20">{{cite book|title= The A to Z of Sikhism|author= W. H. McLeod|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA20 |publisher= Scarecrow Press |year= 2009 |isbn= 978-0810863446|page= 20 |chapter=Arjan's Death |quote=The Mughal rulers of Punjab were evidently concerned with the growth of the Panth, and in 1605 the Emperor Jahangir made an entry in his memoirs, the ''Tuzuk-i-Jahāṅgīrī'', concerning Guru Arjan's support for his rebellious son [[Khusrau Mirza]]. Too many people, he wrote, were being persuaded by his teachings, and if the Guru would not become a Muslim the Panth had to be extinguished. Jahangir believed that Guru Arjan was a Hindu who pretended to be a saint and that he had been thinking of forcing Guru Arjan to convert to Islam or his false trade should be eliminated, for a long time. Mughal authorities seem to have been responsible for Arjan's death in custody in Lahore, and this may be accepted as an established fact. Whether the death was by execution, the result of torture, or drowning in the Ravi River remains unresolved. For Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev is the first martyr Guru.|author-link= W. H. McLeod}}</ref><ref>Louis E. Fenech, Martyrdom in the Sikh Tradition, Oxford University Press, pp. 118–121</ref> Guru Arjan's son and successor [[Guru Hargobind]] left Amritsar and moved into the Shivalik Hills to avoid persecution and to save the ''Sikh panth''.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|pp=146–147}} For about a century after Guru Arjan's martyrdom, state Louis E. Fenech and W. H. McLeod, the Golden Temple was not occupied by the actual Sikh Gurus and it remained in hostile sectarian hands.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|pp=146–147}} In the 18th century, [[Guru Gobind Singh]] and his newly founded [[Khalsa]] Sikhs came back and fought to liberate it.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|pp=146–147}} The Golden Temple was viewed by the Mughal rulers and Afghan Sultans as the centre of Sikh faith and it remained the main target of persecution.<ref name=runion70>{{cite book|author=M. L. Runion|title=The History of Afghanistan, 2nd Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aZk9XzqCFGUC |year=2017|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0-313-33798-7|pages=69–71}}, Quote: "Ahmad Durrani was forced to return to India and [he] declared a jihad, known as an Islamic holy war, against the Marathas. A multitude of tribes heralded the call of the holy war, which included the various Pashtun tribes, the Balochs, the Tajiks, and also the Muslim population residing in India. Led by Ahmad Durrani, the tribes joined the religious quest and returned to India (...) The domination and control of the [Afghan] empire began to loosen in 1762 when Ahmad Shah Durrani crossed Afghanistan to subdue the Sikhs, followers of an indigenous monotheistic religion of India found in the 16th century by Guru Nanak. (...) Ahmad Shah greatly desired to subdue the Sikhs, and his army attacked and gained control of the Sikh's holy city of Amritsar, where he brutally massacred thousands of Sikh followers. Not only did he viciously demolish the sacred temples and buildings, but he ordered these holy places to be covered with cow's blood as an insult and desecration of their religion (...)"</ref>

The Golden Temple was the centre of historic events in Sikh history:{{sfn|Pardeep Singh Arshi|1989|pp=22–25}}{{sfn|Trudy Ring|Noelle Watson|Paul Schellinger|2012|pp=28–29}}

* In 1737, the Mughal governor ordered the capture of the custodian of the Golden Temple named Mani Singh and executed him. He appointed [[Massa Ranghar|Masse Khan]] as the police commissioner who then occupied the Temple and converted it into his entertainment centre with dancing girls. He befouled the pool. Sikhs avenged the sacrilege of the Golden Temple by assassinating Masse Khan inside the Temple in August 1740.

[[Ranjit Singh]] founded the nucleus of the Sikh Empire at the age of 36 with help of [[Sukerchakia Misl]] forces he inherited and those of his mother-in-law Rani Sada Kaur. In 1802, at age 22, he took Amritsar from the Bhangi Sikh ''misl'', paid homage at the Golden Temple and announced that he would renovate and rebuild it with marble and gold.<ref>{{cite book|author=Patwant Singh|title=Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vr4VAQAAIAAJ |year=2008| publisher=Peter Owen| isbn=978-0-7206-1323-0| pages=18, 177 }}</ref> The Temple was renovated in marble and copper in 1809, and in 1830 Ranjit Singh donated gold to overlay the sanctum with gold leaf.{{sfn|Trudy Ring|Noelle Watson|Paul Schellinger|2012|pp=28–29}}

The management and operation of Durbar Sahib – a term that refers to the entire Golden Temple complex of buildings, was taken over by Ranjit Singh. He appointed Sardar Desa Singh Majithia (1768–1832) to manage it and made land grants whose collected revenue was assigned to pay for the Temple's maintenance and operation. Ranjit Singh also made the position of Temple officials hereditary.<ref name=eos/>

{{See also|Operation Blue Star}}[[File:Darbar Sahib interior 26 September 2018.jpg|thumb|Interior of Darbar Sahib with gold encrusted walls and featuring a golden chandelier]]

The destruction of the temple occurred during the [[Operation Blue Star]]. It was the codename of an Indian military action carried out between 1 and 8 June 1984 to remove militant Sikh [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] and his followers from the buildings of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]. The decision to launch the attack rested with [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]].<ref name="TH_Mi6">{{cite news|title=RAW chief consulted MI6 in build-up to Operation Bluestar|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raw-chief-consulted-mi6-in-buildup-to-operation-bluestar/article5579516.ece|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=16 January 2014|access-date=31 January 2014|location=Chennai, India|first=Praveen|last=Swami|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118044721/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raw-chief-consulted-mi6-in-buildup-to-operation-bluestar/article5579516.ece|archive-date=18 January 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 1982, [[Harchand Singh Longowal]], the President of the Sikh political party [[Akali Dal]], had invited Bhindranwale to take up residence in the Golden Temple Complex to evade arrest.<ref>Khushwant Singh, A History of the Sikhs, Volume II: 1839–2004, New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2004, p. 332.</ref><ref name="dnaindia.com">{{cite news |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-operation-blue-star-india-s-first-tryst-with-militant-extremism-2270293|title=Operation Blue Star: India's first tryst with militant extremism|date=5 November 2016|work=DNA|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103012225/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-operation-blue-star-india-s-first-tryst-with-militant-extremism-2270293|archive-date=3 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The government claimed Bhindranwale later made the sacred temple complex an [[arsenal|armoury]] and headquarters.<ref name="LA_accord">{{cite news |title=Sikh Leader in Punjab Accord Assassinated |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-21/news/mn-1021_1_sikh-militants |access-date=14 June 2018 |agency=Times Wire Services |newspaper=LA Times|date=21 August 1985 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129025949/http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-21/news/mn-1021_1_sikh-militants |archive-date=29 January 2016 |url-status=live|quote=The Punjab violence reached a peak in June, 1984, when the army attacked the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest Sikh shrine, killing hundreds of Sikh militants who lived in the temple complex, and who the government said had turned it into an armory for Sikh terrorism.  }}</ref>

The sanctum is a 12.25 x 12.25 metre square with two storeys and a gold leaf dome. This sanctum has a marble platform that is a 19.7 x 19.7 metre square. It sits inside an almost square (154.5 x 148.5 m²) pool called ''amritsar'' or ''amritsarovar'' (''amrit'' means nectar, ''sar'' is short form of ''sarovar'' and means pool). The pool is 5.1 metre deep and is surrounded by a 3.7 metre wide circumambulatory marble passage that is circled clockwise. The sanctum is connected to the platform by a causeway and the gateway into the causeway is called the Darshani Ḍeorhi (from ''Darshana Dvara''). For those who wish to take a dip in the pool, the Temple provides a half hexagonal shelter and holy steps to Har ki Pauri.<ref name=eos/>{{sfn|Pardeep Singh Arshi|1989|pp=97–116}} Bathing in the pool is believed by many Sikhs to have restorative powers, purifying one's ''[[karma]]''.<ref name="Thursby1992p14"/> Some carry bottles of the pool water home particularly for sick friends and relatives.<ref>{{cite book|author=Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh |title=Sikhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k0s2dUUMHbkC&pg=PA101 |year=2004|publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-1779-9|pages=100–101 }}</ref> The pool is maintained by volunteers who perform ''kar seva'' (community service) by draining and desilting it periodically.<ref name="Thursby1992p14">{{cite book|author=Gene R. Thursby|title=The Sikhs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PNsIoNN5ie8C&pg=PA14|year=1992|publisher=Brill|isbn=90-04-09554-3|pages=14–15}}</ref>

The sanctum has two floors. The Sikh Scripture ''[[Guru Granth Sahib]]'' is seated on the lower square floor for about 20 hours every day, and for 4 hours it is taken to its bedroom inside Akal Takht with elaborate ceremonies in a palki, for ''sukhasana'' and ''Prakash''.<ref name=" Cole2004p6"/> The floor with the seated scripture is raised a few steps above the entrance causeway level. The upper floor in the sanctum is a gallery and connected by stairs. The ground floor is lined with white marble, as is the path surrounding the sanctum. The sanctum's exterior has gilded copper plates. The doors are gold leaf-covered copper sheets with nature motifs such as birds and flowers. The ceiling of the upper floor is gilded, embossed and decorated with jewels. The sanctum dome is semi-spherical with a pinnacle ornament. The sides are embellished with arched copings and small solid domes, the corners adorning cupolas, all of which are covered with gold leaf-covered gilded copper.<ref name=eos/>

| image2 = Atta Mandi Deori, Amritsar 02.jpg

In front of the sanctum and the causeway is the Akal Takht building. It is the chief ''Takht'', a centre of authority in Sikhism. Its name ''Akal Takht'' means "throne of the Timeless (God)". The institution was established by [[Guru Hargobind]] after the martyrdom of his father Guru Arjan, as a place to conduct ceremonial, spiritual and secular affairs, issuing binding writs on Sikh Gurdwaras far from his own location. A building was later constructed over the Takht founded by Guru Hargobind, and this came to be known as Akal Bunga. The Akal Takht is also known as Takht Sri Akal Bunga. The Sikh tradition has five Takhts, all of which are major pilgrimage sites in Sikhism. These are in Anandpur, Patna, Nanded, Talwandi Sabo and Amritsar. The Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex is the primary seat and chief.{{sfn|Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh |2011|p=80}}<ref>{{cite book|author1=Pashaura Singh|author2=Norman Gerald Barrier|author3=W. H. McLeod|title=Sikhism and History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xY_XAAAAMAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-566708-0|pages=201–215}}</ref> It is also the headquarters of the main political party of the Indian state of Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (Supreme Akali Party).<ref name="Harmandir-Sahib"/> The Akal Takht issues edicts or writs (''hukam'') on matters related to Sikhism and the solidarity of the Sikh community.

The [[Ramgarhia Bunga]] – the two high towers visible from the ''parikrama'' (circumambulation) walkway around the tank,{{sfn|Pashaura Singh| Louis E. Fenech|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8I0NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA435 435]}} is named after a Sikh subgroup. The red sandstone minaret-style ''Bunga'' (buêgā) towers were built in the 18th century, a period of Afghan attacks and temple demolitions. It is named after the [[Sikh]] warrior and [[Ramgarhia]] [[misl]] chief [[Jassa Singh Ramgarhia]]. It was constructed as the temple [[watchtower]]s for sentinels to watch for any military raid approaching the temple and the surrounding area, help rapidly gather a defense to protect the Golden Temple complex. According to Fenech and McLeod, during the 18th century, Sikh misl chiefs and rich communities built over 70 such ''Bungas'' of different shapes and forms around the temple to watch the area, house soldiers and defend the temple.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|pp=74–75}} These served defensive purposes, provided accommodation for Sikh pilgrims and served as centres of learning in the 19th century.{{sfn|Louis E. Fenech|W. H. McLeod|2014|pp=74–75}} Most of the Bungas were demolished during the British colonial era. The Ramgarhia Bunga remains a symbol of the [[Ramgarhia]] Sikh community's identity, their historic sacrifices and contribution to defending the Golden Temple over the centuries.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Pashaura Singh|author2=Norman Gerald Barrier|title=Sikh Identity: Continuity and Change|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DIN0AAAAMAAJ| year=1999|publisher=Manohar|isbn=978-81-7304-236-2|page=264}}</ref>

The main ''ghanta ghari deori'' north entrance has a Sikh history museum on the first floor, according to the Sikh tradition. The display shows various paintings, of gurus and martyrs, many narrating the persecution of Sikhs over their history, as well as historical items such as swords, ''kartar'', comb, ''chakkars''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Bruce M. Sullivan|title=Sacred Objects in Secular Spaces: Exhibiting Asian Religions in Museums|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEOOCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT76|year=2015|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4725-9083-1|pages=76–78}}</ref> A new underground museum near the clock tower, but outside the temple courtyard also shows Sikh history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/golden-temple-s-hi-tech-basement-showcasing-sikh-history-and-ethos-opens-for-pilgrims/story-hpcE6ZrYgrHnyQJ3gh9ZzL.html|title=Golden Temple's hi-tech basement showcases Sikh history, ethos opens for pilgrims|date=22 December 2016|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/golden-temple’s-story-comes-alive-at-its-plaza-340292 |author=G. S. Paul |date=22 December 2016 |title=Golden Temple's story comes alive at its plaza |work=Tribune India |access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref> According to Louis E. Fenech, the display does not present the parallel traditions of Sikhism and is partly ahistorical such as a headless body continuing to fight, but a significant artwork and reflects the general trend in Sikhism of presenting their history to be one of persecution, martyrdoms and bravery in wars.<ref>{{cite book|author=Louis E. Fenech|title=Martyrdom in the Sikh Tradition: Playing the "game of Love"|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FI3XAAAAMAAJ |year=2000| publisher=Oxford University Press| isbn=978-0-19-564947-5| pages=44–45, 57–61, 114–115, 157 with notes}}</ref>

Harmandir Sahib complex has a [[Langar (Sikhism)|Langar]], a community-run free kitchen and dining hall. It is attached to the east side of the courtyard near the ''Dukh Bhanjani Ber'', outside of the entrance. Food is served here to all visitors who want it, regardless of faith, gender or economic background. Vegetarian food is served and all people eat together as equals. Everyone sits on the floor in rows, which is called ''sangat''. The meal is served by volunteers as part of their ''kar seva'' ethos.{{sfn|Pashaura Singh| Louis E. Fenech|2014|pp=435–436}}

As per tradition, the Sikhs gathered in the Golden Temple to celebrate the festival of [[Baisakhi]] in 1919. After their visit, many walked over to the [[Jallianwala Bagh]] next to it to listen to speakers protesting [[Rowlatt Act]] and other policies implemented by the British colonial government. A large crowd had gathered, when Colonel [[Reginald Dyer|Reginald Edward Harry Dyer]] ordered a detachment of ninety soldiers (drawn from the [[9th Gorkha Rifles]] and the [[59th Scinde Rifles (Frontier Force)|59th Scinde Rifles]]) under his command to surround the Jallianwala Bagh, and then open fire into the crowd. 379 were killed and thousands were wounded in the massacre.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Kristen Haar|author2=Sewa Singh Kalsi|title=Sikhism| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YOI1nB_zTyAC&pg=PA112 |year=2009| publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn =978-1-4381-0647-2|page= 112}}</ref> The [[Jallianwala Bagh massacre|massacre]] strengthened the opposition to colonial rule throughout India, particularly that from Sikhs. It triggered massive non-violent protests. The protests pressured the British colonial government to transfer the control over the management and treasury of the Golden Temple to an elected organisation called [[Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee]] (SGPC). The SGPC continues to manage the Golden Temple.{{sfn|Pashaura Singh| Louis E. Fenech|2014|pp=433–434}}

The [[Punjabi Suba movement]] was a long-drawn political agitation, launched by the [[Sikhs]], demanding the creation of a Punjabi Suba, or [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]-speaking state, in the post-independence state of [[East Punjab]].{{sfn|Doad|1997|p=391}} It was first presented as a policy position in April 1948 by the [[Shiromani Akali Dal]],{{sfn|Bal|1985|p=419}} after the States Reorganization Commission set up after independence was not effective in the north of the country during its work to delineate states on a linguistic basis.{{sfn|Doad|1997|p=392}} The Golden Temple complex was the main centre of operations of the movement,{{sfn|Doad|1997|p=397}} and important events during the movement that occurred at the gurdwara included the [[Punjabi Suba movement#1955 Golden Temple raid|1955 raid]] by the government to quash the movement, and the subsequent [[Punjabi Suba movement#Amritsar Convention|Amritsar Convention]] in 1955 to convey Sikh sentiments to the central government.{{sfn|Bal|1985|p=426}} The complex was also the site of speeches, demonstrations, and mass arrests,{{sfn|Doad|1997|p=397}} and where leaders of the movement domiciled in huts during [[hunger strike]]s.{{sfn|Doad|1997|p=398}} The borders of the modern [[Punjab, India|state of Punjab]], along with the official status of the state's native language of [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] in the [[Gurmukhi]] script, are the result of the movement, which culminated in the setting of the current borders in 1966.{{sfn|Doad|1997|p=404}}

Granthi is a person, female or male, of the Sikh religion who is a ceremonial reader of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which is the Holy Book in Sikhism. Here is list of [[granthi]]:

#[[Baba Buddha|Baba Budha]]

#[[Bidhi Chand]]

#[[Bhai Mani Singh|Mani Singh]]

#Labh Singh

#Takur Singh

#Pritam Singh

* [https://www.worldgurudwaras.com/ World Gurudwaras]

[[Category:Architecture in India]]

[[Category:World Heritage Tentative List for India]]