The Golden temple – the holy temple of Sikhs. This was my first visit to the temple and to Amritsar city. Unlike all other trips it was a completely unplanned one. The plan developed while chatting with the locals. It may not always work well, but in this case, it turned out to be a memorable experience.

What to see at Golden Temple? Millions of tourists visit this place with different points of view. One can generally identify with the temple through various viewpoints as a holy place, as a witness of the great history, a center of spirituality, a proof of valor of the Sikhs or simply as a tourist place.  I went to the Golden Temple as I was curious about Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings which I had heard, being talked about ever so often. I found my share of spirituality there.

The Golden Temple is a vast complex – a fortress like structure of marble surrounded by a thick population of shopping areas, restaurants, residential areas, businesses and, of course, the Jalianwala Baug. Inside the fortress is the huge holy lake and at the heart of the lake stands the grand marble sanctum sanctorum covered with gold – called Harmandir Sahib. Along the rim of the lake is a neatly built walking path which the pilgrims use to circumambulate the Harmandir Sahib. There are three sacred trees along the walking path. They say that these trees are the witness to history and have been standing there right since Harmandir Sahib was built by Guru Ramdas ji in the 15^th century.

All statistics and historic facts about the Golden Temple can be found on the internet. A site that I liked is https://amritsar.nic.in/tourist-place/sri-harmandir-sahib/. I strongly recommend that one must first visit the newly developed Digital Museum which is in front of the temple, visit this before you visit the temple, even if you have done your research on the internet. This museum not only educates the visitor on what to see in the temple but possibly why. There are 4 sections in the museum. These sections talk about the history of Sikhism starting with Guru Nanak Dev and how the Sikh religion evolved with the contribution of all Sikh Gurus. Then the story goes on to explain the Sikh philosophy, how the temple came about, why it was built, who built it and all the way through to the role of Sikhs in the Indian Independence struggle up to the current leadership of Sikhism. The show is in Punjabi language by default. However, you can watch the show in either Hindi or English with the help of digital translators. I tried this translator for Hindi, and it worked very well. I was told that up to 300 visitors can avail the digital translators at a time.

After building your view of what you want to see in the temple, now let us go to some of the logistics. One of the best times to visit the temple is later in the day at about 7:30pm. Here is how – If you stick to the following sequence, you can have the Darshan, take stunning pictures of the Golden temple against the dark sky, and also get to attend the procession where the Guru Granth Sahib ji is taken to his bedroom from Harmandir Sahib.

• Enter the temple at about 7:30 pm.
• You can see breathtaking views of the glimmering temple in dark. Every day, the entire temple including the golden top, gets cleaned.
• Immediately proceed to the Langar (8:00 pm). Langar is not just a meal but everything about the langar is an absolutely humbling experience. The magnitude – the number of people who are fed for free, the amount of food cooked, the way it is served, the way plates and utensils are cleaned – everything is simply awe inspiring. One must see this, even if you have watched it on the ‘Giant Kitchens’ show.
• Other than the scale of langar, there is one more aspect to it. Those who are familiar with the concept of Karmayog in Yoga, would certainly see similarity between what happens at the langar and the concept of Karmayog. One can think and assess it for themselves.
• Come back to the parikrama route (8:30 pm). Langar is meant to be a quick affair and not a feast. You would see what I mean.
• Get back to the temple and join the in the line for Darshan. Even if it takes little longer depending on the crowd, we still have some time at hand.
• After completing the Darshan, stay inside around Harmandir Saheb. It is quite a peaceful experience at the middle of the holy lake.
• At about 10:30 pm the procession for the Granth Sahib Maharaj to get back to his retiring begins. This is something one cannot miss.
• After Granth Sahib Maharaj retires for the day, the day is over, now you can retire to your hotel too

On the Parikrama route, you would find some Nihangs (Sikh monks wearing blue turbans and sky-blue garb carrying swords). I had the opportunity to chat with one such Nihang and got to learn little bit about Sikhism.

If you wish to take a dip in the holy lake around the Harmandir Sahib, there are segregated areas for men and women.

Do’s and Dont’s

1. Footwear is not allowed inside the temple. Outside the temple, there are racks to deposit footwear. All these foot racks are managed by the common people, and they do it as a service to the Guru.
2. While entering the temple, one must cover the head. Free of charge head covers are available at the gate of the temple. Get your own, if you prefer to.
3. Everyone must wear long trousers or any clothing that covers legs.
4. Belongings like camera, money purse etc. are allowed in the temple.
5. No photography is allowed inside and on the way to Harmandir Sahib.
6. Golden temple area is quite crowded, and it is recommended to drive to the place. You can take an e-Rikshaw or walk to the temple depending on where you are staying.
7. Around the temple there are a lot of shops, and you will get a deal depending on your bargaining skills.
8. In general, one must take all the precautions that you would take at any tourist place, but this area is generally safe.
9. Try to avoid Punjabi festival days like Baisakhi. Such days have the obvious challenges due to huge crowds.