The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India, and the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. The gurdwara complex is a collection of buildings around the sanctum sanctorum and the sarovar known as the Amrit Sarovar, including Akal Takht, the chief centre of religious authority of Sikhism, along with a clock tower, a museum and a langar, a free community run kitchen offering a vegetarian meal to all visitors without discrimination. Over 150,000 people visit the shrine every day, making it one of the most visited religious sites in the world.
Facts
Year CreatedMarks completion of the first Harmandir Sahib and installation of the Adi Granth; the shrine was later destroyed and rebuilt several times, with the present gold-covered structure dating largely from renovations of 1809 and 1830. LocationAmritsar, Punjab, India 1 Architectural StyleA synthesis of Indo-Islamic Mughal and Hindu Rajput architecture 1 Primary MaterialMarble and gilded copper, with a gold-leaf covered dome 1 Building TypeGurdwara (Sikh house of worship) 1 Commissioned ByGuru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru; later rebuilt in marble and gold under Maharaja Ranjit Singh 1 Construction Storey CountStorey count of the sanctum sanctorum at the centre of the complex; other buildings in the complex vary. Current UseActive Sikh house of worship and major daily pilgrimage site 1 Visitor AccessOpen to people of all faiths; a free community kitchen (langar) serves meals to all visitors without discrimination 1 Connections
In Form
Sikh gurdwara in Amritsar, India.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: India, located there.
Sources
1. Golden Temple (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction (location)
The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Introduction (building-type)
The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Introduction (year-created)
In 1604, Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru, placed a copy of the Adi Granth in the Golden Temple and played a prominent role in its development.
Construction (construction-start-year)
In 1581, Guru Arjan initiated construction.
Construction (commissioned-by)
In 1581, Guru Arjan initiated construction.
Architecture, Rebuilt structure (architectural-style)
The Temple is described by Ian Kerr, and other scholars, as a mixture of the Indo-Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput architecture.
History, Ranjit Singh era reconstruction (primary-material)
The Temple was renovated in marble and copper in 1809, and in 1830 Ranjit Singh donated gold to overlay the sanctum with gold leaf.
Architecture, Rebuilt structure (storey-count)
The sanctum is a 12.25 x 12.25 metre square with two storeys and a gold leaf dome.
Introduction (current-use)
Over 150,000 people visit the shrine every day for worship, being one of the most visited religious sites in the world.
Introduction (visitor-access)
Additional buildings include a clock tower, the offices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, a museum and a langar-a free Sikh community-run kitchen that offers a vegetarian meal to all visitors without discrimination.
Genre reference
The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India, and the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism.
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