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Golden Temple, Amritsar |
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If at all there is a place that holds the scepter of Sikhism with befitting beauty and sublime tranquility then it happens to be the Golden Temple of Amritsar. It is the holiest pilgrimage site of the Sikhs and a monument of great historical importance. Set in the middle of a large sacred tank, this magnificent temple evokes an awe-inspiring brilliance of its own. The shrine is gilded with gold, as it is seen in the dome and in the upper and outer walls of the temple. According to popular belief, the site of the temple is also the place where once the great saint Valmiki pen down the Hindu Epic, Ramayana.
Years ago this sacred site is used to be a small lake in the midst of a quite forest that offered a perfect meditation retreat for wandering mendicants and sages of that time. Even the Buddha is believed to have spent a few times here for meditation. Long after Buddha had gone, the place was enshrined again with another philosopher saint Guru Nanak (1469-1539), who came to live and contemplate by the side of the serene lake. He became the founder of the Sikh religion. After his death his disciples continued to frequent the site and eventually it became the most holiest site of the Sikhs. The temple overcame many brutal invasions initiated by the Moslem invaders earlier. Each time the temple was destroyed it was rebuilt with enhance beauty.
The temple presents a unique blend of Hindu and Moslem architectural styles ornamented with marble sculptures, golden gilding and many precious stones. Inside the temple there lies the holy book of the Sikhs - the Granth Sahib. It contains a collection of prayers, hymns and poems composed by Sikh gurus and Hindu and Moslem saints. Every morning these hymns are chanted along with the company of flutes, drums and other stringed instruments by the temple priests. The massive dormatories and dining halls by the side of the temple complex offers lodging as well as free fooding facilities to the thousands of pilgrims and visitors irrespective of religion, gender and race.
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