Origin and History of the Golden Temple

The Golden temple, or the abode of gods for Sikhs, is formally called Harmandir Sahib. The Mughals and Afghans demolished it during their invasion of India and Pakistan, and Sikh monarchs rebuilt this temple under their reign. The present-day structure was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh using copper and marble, but the top of the temple is designed with golden petals. He rebuilt the Golden temple of Amritsar in 1809 and painted the temple with gold by the year 1830. Adi Granth is the main pavilion in the Golden temple, built in 1609.

The story behind the present Golden temple:

The idea behind the construction of the golden temple was put into action by the third Sikh guru, Guru Amar Das. He took the most suitable land and built divine premises for God. These premises were called Guru da Chakk. He then asked his disciple, Guru Ramdas, to build the temple somewhere else. Guru Ramdas found the most suitable place for building the temple, and he also succeeded his teacher as the next Guru in 1574. Guru Ramdas built the temple and the pool, and he invited business people and literate people across the country to live on that holy ground. Soon this place was called Ramdaspur.

This temple gained popularity during the period of Guru Arjan. The construction period of the temple ranged from 1574 to 1604; this period was known as Mahima Prakash Pathak, the period described in a Sikh hagiography written in the year 1741. This manuscript also deals with the sanctum life of the ten Sikh gurus. This is one of the oldest notes to deal with their lives. The Golden temple contains many Sikh manuscripts that include the words from Sukhmani Sahib. Guru Arjan announced that Amritsar, the former Ramdaspur, was the primary pilgrimage site for Sikhs.

Construction:

Guru Ramdas had purchased land through a donation made by the people of Tung, the lump sum of 700 rupees. Another theory states that this land was given as a gift by the Mughal emperor Akbar to the wife of Guru Ramdas. The construction and the architecture of the Golden temple have lots of profound meanings. For example, Guru Arjan built a gurdwara that people visit before entering the sanctum. This symbolises the loss of ego and overconfidence before reaching the feet of superior power. 

This gurdwara is open from all sides to emphasise that the Golden temple is open to all sorts of persons.

The sanctum within the pool is reached only through the bridge that has one destination and symbolises the need to think of one eternal goal. This masterpiece was constructed within 8 years. Guru Arjan initiated this construction in the year 1561. During the construction, the pool was kept empty. According to sources, it was confirmed that Guru Arjan invited the then Sufi head, saint Mian Mir from Lahore, to lay the foundation stone of the Golden temple. Guru Arjan established the temple to educate people about the oneness of supreme power and the oneness of all religions.

After the inauguration, the pool was filled with water. By 1604, the construction of the first sector was complete, along with the manuscripts, and the temple came into use by people under the first granthi, Baba Buddha. There is a special feature in this Golden temple about the Ath Sath Tirath, which translates into a shrine of 68 pilgrimages. This is a raised marble platform covered by a canopy. This name was given by the foreign scholar Owen Cole. He gave this name because of the predominant belief that visiting the Golden Temple of Amritsar equals visiting 68 truths present across the Indian subcontinent. 

Importance of Golden temple in the unification of Sikhs:

The Golden temple often stands as the symbol of unification among Sikhs. It is also associated with historical incidents including the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, the Singh Sabha movement, Operation Blue Star, and the Punjabi Suba movement.

Conclusion:

The Amritsar golden temple is known for its role in unifying Sikhs across countries. It ensures the successful management of tradition and culture. The golden temple is regarded as a symbol of equality and brotherhood. Golden temple of Amritsar offers a website for tourists and worshippers that includes maps, places to visit, the meaning of each ritual, and many more meaningful religious practices.