Golden Temple, Amritsar

The renowned Golden temple in Amritsar was built by Guru Arjan Singh. The temple, completed in 1601, stands amidst the Amar sarovar. Built on 67ft. square platform, it has four gates each on the East, West, North and South. Ornamented with precious stones, marble sculpture, gold and mural arts, it is a masterpiece. Big domes, small minarets, chattris all are the attraction of the temple. The temple's architecture is just superb and one can see that the temple is greatly influenced by the Hindus and the Muslims artistic styles.

Getting There

By Air : The closest airport is Raja Sansai Airport located 10 km away from Amritsar.

By Road :Amritsar has excellent network of roads and is well connected to all the major cities of northern India.

By Rail : Amritsar is well connected by rail links to all the major cities.

Related Accommodations

There is no dearth of accommodation in Amritsar. Hotels here range from four star hotels to cheaper ones, providing a wide chioce to the visitors.

Did You Know?

• The official name of Golden Temple is "Harmandir Sahib".
• The Golden Temple is one of the most sacred shrines of Sikhism.
• The present site of the Golden Temple was surrounded by a lake in a forest.
• The Golden Temple is surrounded by a pool of water known as Sarovar, consisting of holy water.
• The Golden temple can be seen in many films like: Gandhi, Bride and Prejudice, Rand De Basanti. It has also been a major centre of attraction in the Hindi serial Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin.

Attractions

Durgiana Mandir

This marvelous temple is close to the Golden temple and is dedicated to Goddess Durga. Built in the 16th century A.D., the temple lies in the centre of the lake enhancing the beauty of the temple.

Baba Atal Rai Tower

This tower is an important landmark and is named after the son of Guru Har Gobind. It is nine storied building among which the first floor exhibits the miniatures related to the Guru Nanak's life and his preachings.

Jalianwala Bagh

This historical site witnessed the immemorable massacre during Independence movement. In 1919, thousands of people were killed here by the british troops and massive killing was ordered by General Dyer.

Wagah Border

28 kms away from Amritsar lies Wagah Border, it is located on the Indo-Pakistan border. The main attractions of this place are the parades, the flag hoisting, the change of guards ceremony by the border security forces of both the countries.

Tarn Taran

This lake is 25 kms away from Amritsar and is popularly known for the sacred tank which is believed to have curative powers. The lake also houses the gurudwara built in 1768 A.D by Guru Arjan Dev.

Location

The Harimandir Sahib, known world wide as the Golden temple is situated in Amritsar in the state of Punjab. Designed by Guru Arjan Singh, the fifth Nanak, it is the most important pilgrimage centres for the Sikhs.