HOW TO FEEL THE SILENCE OF SOUND – GOLDEN TEMPLE, AMRITSAR, INDIA.

The Sikh community all over the world is always considered special. History has proven they were born to fight for all humans both before and after independence. While in Delhi it is also seen that how inclusive they are, trying to do their bit all the time, be it peak summer by distributing drinking water on streets to one and all or by arranging food and shelter for the homeless during floods and all.

Gurudwaras are what many people know as the holy place for Sikhs where others make no plans to visit. But when such a location changes its own perception with its magnetic divinity, vibrant environment, aesthetic architecture and selfless hospitality then it is better to be known as a temple that attracts lakhs of visitors every day from both India and worldwide alike and that is the famous Golden temple situated in the heart of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India.

If the visit to Jalian Wala Bagh on the other day close to this was a place to experience history related to the freedom struggle in India reliving what happened on a fateful day of April 13 in 1919, this location at a short distance from The Golden Temple is a place that infuses divine energy as long as one remains there. This place too has a history of a shoot out – Operation blue star. Golden Temple in Amritsar, India; the biggest religious space for Sikhs, very famous not only among Indians but globally too.

From many colleagues and friends back in Delhi I already had a picture in heart about how this place may look like, but the reality was miles apart to be precise starting from the glorious entrance that welcomes around a hundred thousand people every day. Many visitors do not even notice that the gate that they cross to enter inside is equally imposing along with the magnetizing attraction provided by the temple premises inside.

As I entered with my head covered – as it is a custom for both man and women – after washing the feet, contrary to the expectations my eyes were feasted with the stunning beauty of architecture, beautifully maintained water body with the ripples radiating divine energy from the sun rays falls upon it and a religious enclosure glittering in pure gold with blissful energy of spirituality all around. Huge numbers of people from across India as well as many parts of the globe were seen everywhere. They were in every corner of the premises – on the marble walkway, in the lake, on the steps, in the water distribution areas but amid the crowd, there was a peace that I could feel most. An unusual feeling of calmness in the atmosphere – a rare combination of silence and sound prevailing in this amazing piece of a place known to the world as Golden Temple, Amritsar.

The complex is surrounded by a lake that seems to be enclosed with a flawless white building all-around in a rectangular shape. At the center of the lake the Golden temple or Harminder Sahib is situated, it is almost equivalent to a three-story building covered with Original Gold with a number of golden domes above it. It looked like a floating golden prism in bright sunlight with the reflection in oscillating water in which it stands. The space between the lake and white buildings all around is a pathway that leads to the main prayer area. Many people were seen bathing in the lake as if a custom to purify themselves by immersing this holy lake which is also known as Amrit Sarovar, the Pool of Nectar.

After a long walk through a neat and tidy marble dust-free walkway with frequent washing and cleaning, I joined along with hundreds of other visitors who were patiently standing in the relatively long queue leading to the main prayer room. Everyone on the line seems to be content with the slow movement of the line and being so patient is makes one enjoy the most sacred portion of the temple to its fullest. Every space inside is to be enjoyed along with the kirtans from the holy books taking its time. The inside of the temple spreads on two floors and against the normal way in other religious places here devotees have to walk down to the prayer area.

Despite the unique grandeur of this main Golden temple building covered with pure gold of 750 kg – which I read later – it was like immersed in spiritual energy that made the sound of Kirtans like a heavenly message.

Golden temple, Amritsar visits will not feel complete unless you visit the dining area with the temple called Langar. Most of the people used to serve here from cooking to washing as offering a Seva (voluntarily service) from all walks of life. The kitchen is said to be serve approximately 60000 to 80000 people every day. People from every sphere of life, irrespective of their origin, culture, language, place, gender are being served here without any distinction considering as a single community.

It was so hard to believe that this was the place where I heard about a commando operation for the first time when the Indian Army has been deployed to flush out Bhinderenwala and its gang, ordered by then Prime Minister Smt: Indira Gandhi.

The difference between a temple from the south and this religious place was never comparable, but the amazing architecture, holy lake around it, the clean pathway surrounding these two structures, the devotion in serving food without a break to thousands of visitors and the affection and kindness showered by all those Sikh people involved with a temple made it a serene experience that I made two more trips within next one year.

• Footnote: *Best Time to visit Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab: There is no particular season but it is crowded almost round the clock a year. If you would like to avoid standing in the long queue make sure you start your visit very early around 4 AM.
• (This story about the famous Golden Temple, Amritsar, India has been first published in my private blog viz: http://www.exploredeindia.wordpress.com)