Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)

The Golden Temple, known to Sikhs as Harmandir Sahib, stands in the centre of Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab. Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, completed the sacred pool, the Amrit Sarovar, in 1577. His successor Guru Arjan began building the temple in 1581, finished it in 1589 and installed the Adi Granth, the Sikh scripture, inside on 16 August 1604.

Mughal and Afghan forces destroyed the temple several times in the 18th century, and it was rebuilt in the 1760s. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ruler of the Sikh Empire, covered it with marble, copper and gold leaf in 1809 and 1830, which gave it the name Golden Temple. In June 1984 the Indian Army's Operation Blue Star caused heavy loss of life and serious damage to the complex, including the Akal Takht, which was later rebuilt.

The shrine stands on a platform in the middle of the pool and is reached by a single causeway. It sits lower than the surrounding ground as a sign of humility, and it has entrances on all four sides to show that people of every background are welcome. The upper storeys are covered in gilded copper. Pilgrims walk clockwise around the marble walkway that encircles the pool, and scripture is sung inside throughout the day. Facing the causeway is the Akal Takht, the highest seat of Sikh religious authority.

The temple's langar, a free community kitchen run largely by volunteers, serves vegetarian meals to more than 100,000 people every day, regardless of faith, and more than 150,000 people visit on an average day.

Entry is free and the temple is open day and night. Visitors must cover their heads, remove shoes and wash their feet before entering, and tobacco and alcohol are forbidden. Free head scarves, shoe deposits and lockers are provided. Early morning and evening, when the palanquin ceremony carries the scripture, are especially atmospheric.

How much gold is on the temple? The rebuilt shrine carries a gold-plated dome with about 400 kilograms of gold, and about 750 kilograms more covers the upper level. Ranjit Singh first gave gold for the gilding and added the marble floors. The way onto the causeway passes through the Darshani Deorhi, a two-storey gateway completed in 1776 that houses the temple offices and treasury.

Three old jujube trees, known as ber, are kept within the complex: Ber Baba Buddha, Laachi Ber and Dukh Bhanjani Ber. The last stands across the pool from the shrine, with a small gurdwara beneath it,. A museum of Sikh history occupies the first floor of the clock-tower entrance, and a newer museum lies underground nearby.

Two ceremonies frame each day. At about dawn the Prakash brings the Guru Granth Sahib in procession from the Akal Takht to the shrine, where a page is opened at random and read aloud as the day's message. At night, during Sukhasan, after hymns and prayer, the scripture is carried back in a flower-decked palanquin to rest in the Akal Takht.