9 Important Facts that Make Golden Temple Unique
India is a diverse country and has uncountable religious places. Some of them are famous for their architecture, beauty, grandeur, and outlook. The Gurudwara in Amritsar, known as Golden Temple is one of those places. This gurudwara holds significant value for Sikh religion followers there are many interesting facts about the Golden Temple. Apart from being a religious temple, it is a heart-touching place and an epitome of beauty. It has a rich history, and its glory, harmony, and overall design make it an eye-catching place and one of the best temples of India.
Despite its grandeur, there may be a number of interesting facts about it that you might not know. Here is a list of facts that make this pure and holy pilgrimage site more interesting than it already is.
1. Real Name
The Golden Temple’s real name is Harmandir Sahib, as well as the temple of God. However, people started calling it the Golden Temple because more than half of the building is embedded with gold. In the 19th century, it was named the Golden Temple due to the same reason. This Gurudwara is also known as Darbar Sahib, and the real meaning of the name is ‘Court of Lord.’ This term signifies all the Sikhs believing in the oneness of God.
2. Architecture
The whole rooftop and doors of the temple are made of pure gold and have been designed beautifully. This gold attracts tourists from all over the world as well as enhances the beauty of the temple. The system of the Golden Temple is also very unique. This temple is known for its management system and is appreciated for not wasting a single grain.
3. History of the Lake
This gurudwara stands in the middle of Amrit Sarovar, which is also known as ‘The pool of the nectar of immortality.’ This lake was dug out in 1577 by Guru Ramdas, who was the fourth guru of the Sikhs. The temple was built in the center of the lake under the supervision of Guru Arjan Das, the fifth Sikh guru. Whenever tourists come here, they take a dip in the holy water of the Amrit Sarovar after visiting the temple.
4. Foundation
Only a few of us are aware that the foundation stone of the temple was laid not by a Sikh but by Mohammedan Sufi saint Hazrat Mian Mir in 1588. This saint has played a pivotal role in completing the Adi Granth, which is the holy scripture of the Sikhs. This structure of the gurudwara is motivated by a religious shrine near Lahore as well as Pakistan that is dedicated to Hazrat Mian Mir.
5. Medication
When the temple was not built, the first guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, used to meditate on this place. He was the main guru as well as the first guru of Sikhs. He regularly said his prayers. Then Sri Harmandir Sahib had played a very important role in establishing the temple.
Now, followers of the Sikh Religion go there to offer prayers. The temple is known for its cultural practices, and lakhs of tourists visit it every year.
6. Blessings
The Golden Temple is considered a holy place by Sikh religious followers, and they celebrate their rituals here. However, 35% of visitors are not from the Sikh religion. Still, they reach here to seek the blessings of Guru Granth Sahib. The temple prompts secularism and doesn’t differentiate between castes.
7. Renovation
In the 1990s, this Golden Temple was renovated with five hundred kg of gold. 24 karat pure gold was applied here during the process. The workers were chosen by skilled artists from different areas and corners of India. It took four years of time to complete the renovation. It was started from 1995 to 1999. It is believed that this glorious beauty of the Golden Temple will cross 25 centuries.
8. Biggest Kitchen
The langar Sewa of Amritsar Golden Temple is the biggest kitchen service in the world. In this language, they serve more than fifty thousand meals on a daily basis. Sometimes the number of visitors rises to 2 lakhs or more. The meals cooked here are very delicious, being a perfect blend of roti, dal, veggies, kheer, and other simple dishes. The food cost is covered through visitor’s donations.
This temple is known for its hospitality, and cleanness. Natives come here only to serve others. They work hard selflessly with a motive to serve society.
9. Maintenance by Volunteers
The best part of the Golden Temple is that it attracts millions of devotees every month.
The maintenance of this Gurudwara is managed from valuable donations. The cooking, cleaning, and serving of food are managed by the volunteers—people in this shrine work free of cost.
