Golden Temple of Amritsar
Golden Temple: There are many such temples across the country where hundreds of kilos of gold are studded. One of these is the Golden Temple located in the middle of Amritsar city of Punjab. It is a symbol of spirituality, unity and service. Its beautiful view is worth seeing. As you approach it, a golden shimmering reflection will be visible on the calm waters of Amrit Sarovar, which will fill you with spirituality. This temple gets its name because of the layers of pure gold inlaid on the dome.
Golden Temple is also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib. Every day thousands of people come to this holy Gurudwara to have darshan and enjoy langar. The evening here becomes more beautiful when the glow of gold increases in the light. In such a situation, let us tell you how much gold is there in the Golden Temple and when has it been renovated…
The Golden Temple is a holy religious place of the Sikh community. The name Sri Harmandir Sahib is derived from “Harmandir”, which is a combination of Hari meaning God and temple. The word Sahib has also been added, which is a symbol of reverence and respect in the Sikh tradition. This temple was established by Guru Ramdas Sahib, the fourth of the ten Sikh Gurus. He had purchased the land for the site by paying from the landlords of his native villages, but the construction of the temple and its pond was carried forward by the fifth Sikh Guru Guru Arjan Dev in 1588.
Upper floors plated with 750 kg gold
The temple has been renovated several times, adding features such as marble carvings on the floors. The Gurudwara here is built on the lower floor, which can be reached through stairs and is surrounded by Amrit Sarovar. It has four entrance gates, which symbolize the generosity of Sikhism towards people of all castes and backgrounds.
At the same time, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire of India, plated the upper floors of the temple with 750 kg of pure gold during the years 1799 to 1849. This gold is of 24 carat, whose shine never fades. Although it is said that its entire walls are made of gold, which is absolutely false. Only the gold layer has been plated.
160 kg of gold was used in the year 2024
The Golden Temple was also renovated in the year 2024. During this time 160 kg of gold was re-implanted in the temple. The four domes located at the entrance of the temple were coated with gold. Not only this, the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple was also coated with gold. This work was collected from the devotees through voluntary donations i.e. Kar Seva. At that time, the head of the voluntary organization Baba Kashmir Singh Bhuriwale had told that 40 kg of gold has been used on each dome.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) spokesperson secretary Diljit Singh Bedi said that the committee had decided to beautify the temple by plating gold on the domes of the four entrances. The entrance gates are a proof that the doors of this holy Gurudwara are always open for all. 95 gold layers were prepared for beautification. Actually, the organization uses only ‘pure gold’ for the decoration of the temple, hence the committee got the collected 22 carat gold first purified into 24 carat and then the copper vessels were coated with gold.
How many kg of gold has been used so far?
Overall, till now more than 900 kg of gold has been invested in the temple, whose value is more than Rs 12 thousand crores. This is the reason why the magnificent architecture and peaceful environment of the Golden Temple attracts tourists from all over the world. Any devotee who visits the Golden Temple once again tries to absorb the spiritual feeling within himself. Among the festivals organized here are Baisakhi and Diwali, which are special in themselves.
Why are Baisakhi and Diwali special for the Golden Temple?
Baisakhi and Diwali are special for the Golden Temple because it is linked to the history and spirituality of Sikhism. Actually, the foundation of the temple was laid by Guru Arjan Dev on Baisakhi and Guru Hargobind Singh was released on Diwali. This day is celebrated as Prisoner Release Day. Sikhs celebrate these days as festivals and festivals, where they come to the Golden Temple to perform special lighting and service. Apart from all this, the Golden Temple also has a history whose grandeur was not liked by the Mughal rulers and they targeted it.
The Golden Temple was attacked several times
The Golden Temple was attacked during the Mughal period. It was damaged several times during Afghan invasions in the 18th century. Aurangzeb considered Sikhs a threat and targeted the Gurudwara. The Sikh community rebuilt Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar every time. Maharaja Ranjit Singh played an important role in the beautification of the Gurudwara in the early 19th century. During his reign, the upper part of the Gurudwara was decorated with layers of gold. However, one of the most tragic incidents was Operation Blue Star in June 1984.
The Indian Army had launched a military operation to flush out the terrorists hiding inside the Gurudwara complex. Due to this campaign, there was huge damage to the Gurudwara and many people including civilians lost their lives. The interesting thing is that the Golden Temple was definitely damaged due to the attacks, but it once again shone with the golden light of its double grandeur.
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