Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is situated in Amritsar, located in Northern Punjab, India, which is close to the border of Pakistan.

 It is the central gurdwara, or worship place, for all Sikhs in the world. Its proper name is Harmandir, which means "Temple of God" and is resepctfully referred to as Darbar (meaning "court") Sahib (meaning" Lord"). Darbar Harmandir Sahib is known as the Golden Temple because of its unique features. The gurdwara is constructed of white marble overlaid with gold leaf and stands in the center of a sarovar, or pool of fresh, clear, reflective water which is fed by the Ganges River.

Visitors gather inside the gurdwara to worship, listen to hymns, and hear the holy scripture of the Guru Granth Sahib read.

The golden gurdwara has four entrances, one on each side, which are a symbolic welcome to all persons regardless of caste, class, color, or creed

Langar is a free sanctified meal which is prepared daily and served at the temple. It is available to the tens of thousands pilgrims who visit daily. All cooking of food and maintenance of the golden temple complex is carried out by worshipers, who volunteer their services. All cost is provided for by donations

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History of Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)
1574 - Akbar, a Mughal emperor gifts the site to Bibi Bhani, a daughter of the third Guru Amar Das, as a wedding gift when she marries Jetha who later becomes Fourth Guru Raam Das.

1577 - Guru Raam Das begins excavation of a fresh water tank, and construction of the temple site.

1588 - Guru Arjun Dev, the son of Guru Raam Das and the fifth guru of the Sikhs, over-sees the laying of the temple's foundation.

1604 - Guru Arjun Dev completes the temple's construction. He compiles the sacred scripture Adi Granth over a five year period, completing it August 30th, and installing the Granth in the temple on September 1st. He appoints a Sikh named Baba Buddha to be caretaker of the Granth.

1663 - Guru Har Govind lays the foundation of Akal Takhat, throne of spiritual authority, with the assistance of Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddha. Together they build a platform 12 feet in height in defiance of a decree made by Mughal Emperor Jahangir that no one but his own royal personage be allowed to sit on a dais over three feet in height.

1699 - 1737 - Bhai Mani Singh is appointed curator of Harmandir Sahib by Guru Gobind Singh.

1757 - 1762 - Jahan Khan, an Afghani general of the invader Ahmad Shah Abdali, attacks the temple. It is defended by illustrious martyr Baba Deep Singh. The damages sustained result in major renovations.

1830 - Maharajah Ranjit Singh sponsors marble inlay, gold plating, and gilding of the temple.

 1984 - Operation Blue Star:

• May 25th (Tuesday): Indian Army troops surround the Golden Temple complex.
• June 1st (Friday): Several thousand Sikh devotees convene at the Golden Temple to commemorate the June 3rd anniversary of the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev. A seven hour barrage of shooting occurs during the night, killing 11 and wounding 25.
• June 3rd (Sunday): Indian Army troupes impose a curfew shooting dead any who violate it. Ten thousand Sikh devotees are trapped within the Golden Temple complex .
• June 4th (Monday): The Indian Army fires on the Golden Temple with machine guns and mortars. A five hour battle ensues resulting in 100 deaths.
• June 5th (Tuesday): The Indian Government sends tanks to surround and invade the temple complex. Heavy crossfire results in many casualties.
• June 6th (Wednesday): Armored vehicles and tanks break through and pummel the Akal Takhat resulting in the massacre of thousands of innocent worshipers and damage to the entire complex, defacing the temple, destroying the Akal Takhat, and desecrating holy scriptures and sacred texts.
• June 7th (Thursday): Indian army soldiers trample the grounds without removing their boots, swaggering through the temple complex drinking and smoking. The Golden Temple complex is looted and ancient scriptures are burnt. The sarovar is filled with thousands floating corpses. Relatives are refused the rights to claim their dead. The Bodies of dead devotees are collected, stripped of valuables, loaded onto garbage trucks and cremated without ceremonial rites, before an official count can be made.

1993 - Karan Bir Singh Sidhu, a prominent Sikh, heads up the Galliara renovation project of the Akal Takhat and the Golden Temple Harmandir complex.