Overview
The Golden Temple, also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib, is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism and is regarded as one of its holiest places, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur and the Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, both situated in Punjab, Pakistan.
The sarovar, or holy pool, on which the gurdwara stands was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, in 1577. In 1604, the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, placed a copy of the Adi Granth within the shrine and played a prominent role in its development. Over the following centuries, the gurdwara was repeatedly damaged by Mughal and invading Afghan armies and was rebuilt by the Sikh community on each occasion.
After establishing the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh rebuilt the structure in marble and copper in 1809, and in 1830 had the sanctum overlaid with gold leaf, giving rise to the popular name "Golden Temple". The shrine subsequently became a focal point of the Singh Sabha Movement between 1883 and the 1920s, and of the Punjabi Suba Movement between 1947 and 1966.
In the early 1980s, the gurdwara became the centre of a confrontation between the Indian government and a movement led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. In 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to enter the complex as part of Operation Blue Star. The action resulted in the deaths of soldiers, militants and civilians, significant damage to the gurdwara, and the destruction of the nearby Akal Takht, the prime seat of temporal authority for the Sikhs. The complex was once again rebuilt after the 1984 events.
The Golden Temple is an open house of worship welcoming people from all walks of life and faiths. The shrine has a square plan with four entrances and a circumambulation path around the pool. The four entrances are understood to sym