Golden Temple – Quick Guide Golden Temple – Overview Golden Temple was designed by Guru Arjun Dev who was the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. The temple is the place of pilgrimage for the people of Sikh community and many people come to worship here every day. There is no restriction and people of any religion can come and worship here. Amritsar Amritsar is one of the largest cities of Punjab and India which is popular for the Golden Temple. Previously, Amritsar was also known as Ambrasar and Ramdaspur. Pakistan border is just 28km away from the city. Besides Golden Temple, Akal Takht is also popular which authorises the upkeep of Gurudwaras. Ramtirth Temple is visited by the Hindu devotees as it is believed that it was the ashram of Maharishi Valmiki and is the place where Goddess Sita gave birth to Lava and Kush. Amritsar is also popular for handicrafts, carpets, light engineering and Punjabi cuisine. Visiting Hours Golden Temple is opened for the people from 4:00am to 11:00pm. It takes around two hours to visit the whole temple complex. The temple is opened on all days of the week including the government holidays. Tickets There is no entry fees to visit the temple and people can visit it any time during the visiting hours. Best time to visit The period to visit the temple is from September to March as the climate is very pleasant in these months. Though the months of December and January are chilly but still people enjoy visiting the city. The period from April to June is very hot as the temperature reaches up to 49 degrees. In the months of July and August, climate becomes hot and humid. Where to Stay? There are more than 300 hotels in Amritsar where people can enjoy their stay. The hotels range from cheap hotels to expensive five-star hotels. Some of the hotels in the city are as follows − Five-Star Hotels Hyatt located at G.T. Road Taj Swarna located at Majitha Verka Bypass Radisson Blu Hotel located at Airport Road Ista located at Main G.T. Road Holiday Inn located at Ranjit Avenue Four-Star Hotels The Fern Residency located at The Mall, Sona Chandi Towers Hotel Ritz Plaza located at Mall Road Hotel Comfort Inn Alstonia located at Ranjit Avenue Humble Hotel located at Lawrence Road Ramada Hotel located near Golden Temple Three-Star Hotels Hotel Hong Kong Inn located at Queens Road Hotel Abode located near Golden Temple Hotel Namaskar Residency located at Queens Road Hotel Robin located near Golden Temple Hotel Fairway located at Court Road Budget or Two-Star Hotels Hotel Singh International located near Bus Stand Hotel Veenus International located at Queens Road Hotel Basera located at Queens Road Hotel Axis Inn located near Bus Stand Hotel Sukhman International located at Queens Road Cheap or One-Star Hotels Asha Guest House located near Golden Temple Hotel Grace located near Golden Temple Hotel Grace located near Golden Temple Hotel Sitara Niwas located at Brahm Batta Market Hotel Indus located near Golden Temple Golden Temple – History History of Amritsar Amritsar was founded by Guru Ramdas in 1574 after buying a land whose cost was Rs. 700. The guru also built a residence for himself which came to be known as Guru da Chakk. Most part of the city was developed in 17th and 18th century. Jallianwala Bagh massacre also occurred here on 13th April 1919 in which many Indians were killed. The killing was done by the orders of Reginald Edward Harry Dyer. After independence, there was a partition in which India was partitioned as India and Pakistan where Punjab was divided between the two countries and Amritsar came under India. The Indo-Pak border called Wagah Border is 28km away from the city. History of Golden Temple Golden Temple is also known as Sri Harmandir Sahab and Sri Darbar Sahab. Guru Arjun Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, gave the idea of construction of a temple where Sikhs can come and worship. The land for the temple was bought from the Zamindars by Guru Ramdas. Hazrat Mian Mir Ji, a Muslim saint, laid the foundation of the temple and the construction was supervised by Guru Arjun Dev. The guru asked to build the temple at a lower level with four gates, one in each direction. The construction of the temple was started in 1588 and completed in 1601. Guru Granth Sahib was also installed by Guru Arjun Dev and Baba Budha ji was appointed as the first reader of the book. The temple has got the status of Ath Sath Tirth and Sikhs from various places come here for pilgrimage. Damage to the Temple The temple and the Akal Takht was damaged during Operation Blue Star in which there was a fierce fight between the soldiers and the Sikhs and many people died. In order to avenge, the Sikh bodyguards killed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Though Rajiv Gandhi government repaired the Akal Takht Sahib in 1986 but it was removed in 1989. Later Kar Sevaks made the Akal Takht in 1999. Golden Temple – Architecture Golden temple was not built on the basis of other gurudwaras or the Hindu temples but was built on the lower level of the grounds. Due to such a construction, people have to move downstairs to reach the temple. Besides this, there are four entrances, one on each side, through which people can enter the temple. Amritsar Lake The Golden Temple is built in the centre of a lake named as Amritsar lake and so the city also got the same name. It is believed that the lake has sacred water. The lake is connected with the Ravi river. Trees and Plaques There are three trees in the temple called bers which are signs of either a saint or an event related to Sikhism. Besides these, plaques also signify some historical events related to Sikhs. These memorial plaques are also built to commemorate the Sikhs soldiers who were killed in World War