Darbar Sahib: The Golden Temple, Amritsar

Darbar Sahib (The Royal Court of the Divine) also known as the Golden Temple is situated in the city of Amritsar in Punjab. Darbar Sahib is a living symbol of the spiritual and historical traditions of the Sikhs. It is a source of inspiration for all Sikhs. The temple with it's glistening gold covered exterior stands in the middle of a square tank. A causeway crosses the pool to reach the Temple itself. The Darbar Sahib has entrances and doors on all four sides.

Guru Amar Das (the 3rd Sikh guru) asked Ram Das  to build a central place of congregation for the Sikhs. Guru Arjun (the Fifth Sikh Guru) completed the Tank known as Amritsar in 1588. Guru Arjun then started construction of the Temple building itself which was finally completed in 1601. The first edition of the Holy Book of the Sikh's The Guru Granth Sahib was installed there in 1604. The last Sikh Guru to live in Amritsar was the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind. In 1664 Guru Tegh Bahadur the Ninth Sikh Guru visited Darbar Sahib but was refused entry by the corrupt temple caretakers. Around 1740 Massa Ranghar, the ruler of Amritsar desecrated the Temple by using it as a dancing hall. He was killed by Mahtab Singh. In 1761 Ahmed Shah Abdali blew up the Temple. The construction of the Golden Temple as it appears today was begun in 1764 when Jassa Singh Ahluwalia laid the foundation stone. Many of the doors and domes were covered with copper sheets overlaid with gold during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Darbar Sahib was partially damaged by the military invasion of the Indian Army during June 1984.