Located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab,
India, Sri Harmandir Sahib which is also known as Golden
Temple and the 'Darbar Sahib, is the holiest Gurdwara and the
most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism.
The temple, which is built around a man-made pool (sarovar)
was completed by Guru Ram Das in 1577. Guru Arjan – the
fifth Guru of Sikhism, requested Sai Mian Mir – a
Muslim Pir of Lahore to lay its foundation stone in
1589.
In 1604, Guru Arjan placed a copy of the Adi
Granth in Harmandir Sahib, calling the site Ath Sath Tirath. The
temple was repeatedly rebuilt by the Sikhs after it became a target of
persecution and was destroyed several times by the Muslim armies from
Afghanistan and the Mughal Empire. The army led by Ahmad Shah Abdali,
for example, demolished it in 1757 and again in 1762, then filled the pool with
garbage. Maharaja Ranjit Singh after founding the Sikh Empire,
rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, overlaid the sanctum with gold foil in
1830 which led to the name the Golden Temple.
The temple is spiritually the most significant shrine
in Sikhism. It also became a center of the Singh Sabha
Movement between 1883 and 1920s
Harmandir Sahib is the spiritual hub for the millions
of Sikhs all around the globes. Not just the Sikh, the temple is a shrine of
devotion for everyone, welcoming everyone to its rich, prosperous courtyards
and kitchen which is proven by the no. of people enjoying a heartfelt langar in
the premises of the temple every day.
Golden Temple is truly the most apt symbol of Sikhism and its principal.
No comments:
Post a Comment