Golden Temple is the culturally the most important shrine of Sikhism. It should be noted place in the world where the holy Guru Granth Sahib is present is equally holy for Sikhs. The official name of the Temple in Sikhism is: Harmandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib . It is located in Amritsar. Sikh devotees, for whom the Temple is a symbol of infinite freedom and spiritual independence, come to the Temple from all over the world to enjoy its environs and offer their prayers.

The Golden temple is considered holy by Sikhs not because it is constructed of Gold and marble but because the 11th Guru of Sikhism, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is present inside it. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the holiest thing in the Sikh religion. The tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh on 7th October 1708 made it the eleventh Sikh Guru and the leader of Sikhism.The holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib is present in every Sikh temple (Gurdwara) in the world

Picture by Salil Gupta

The fourth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Ram Das, excavated a tank (1577 AD) which subsequently became known as Amritsar (meaning: Pool of the Nectar of Immortality) and gave its name to the city that grew around it. In due course, a splendid Sikh edifice, Harmandir Sahib (meaning: The Abode of God), rose in the middle of this tank and became the supreme centre of Sikhism. Its sanctorum came to house the Adi Granth confining compositions of Sikh Gurus and other saints considered to have Sikh values and philosophies e.g. Baba Farid, Kabir, etc. The compilation of the Adi granth was started by the fifth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev

Visiting hours: The complex is open almost 24 hours (from 6 AM until 2 AM)