The reason I made the torturous move to wake up at 4am to catch the direct bus to Amritsar was so I could see Sikhism's holiest temple AND the India-Pakistan border ceremony in one day. Really, it was the latter event which captivated my curiosity, though once I saw the Golden Temple, I realized it was worth the trip on its own.
After finding a well-located hotel for the night, I made the short walk over to The Golden Temple. Everyone was required to remove their shoes, walk through water to clean their feet, and wear something over their head before entering the complex. The area and buildings around the temple were much bigger, and the temple itself smaller, than I expected. Photos can be great motivators, yet they often do little justice to giving you a sense of scale.
Purple-turbaned men with spears walked around the perimeter, making for the coolest security guards I'd ever seen. The sun and heat were intense, yet the white marble floors were not overbearing. I walked in a few surrounding buildings which housed important religious items. The line to actually enter the temple was far too long for this tourist to bear.
A common feature of Sikh temples is a communal dining area where free meals are served to guests, regardless of their religious persuasion. Given the Golden Temple attracts pilgrims from around the world, their dining hall was quite busy. Thousands of metal thali platters being cleaned and carted around made for a rather distinct background noise. Again, I didn't have the energy to brave the crowd and heat for a meal I wouldn't really enjoy.
Instead, I devoured paneer butter masala (cottage cheese in gravy) and butter naan at a restaurant near my hotel after arranging an air-conditioned share taxi to the border ceremony a few hours later.
Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.
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Punjab News
Saturday 17th of April 2010
Really a nice description of Amritsar city.. Nice shots!Hope you enjoyed our city trip..
Punjab News
Saturday 17th of April 2010
Really a nice description of Amritsar city.. Nice shots!Hope you enjoyed our city trip..
bob
Wednesday 9th of July 2008
is it still free to stay at the golden temple?
Dave
Thursday 10th of July 2008
Yes, and as I wandered toward the dormitories a guy immediately opened a door and pointed to a bed I could've used but I wasn't up for it at the time.
bob
Wednesday 9th of July 2008
is it still free to stay at the golden temple?
Dave
Thursday 10th of July 2008
Yes, and as I wandered toward the dormitories a guy immediately opened a door and pointed to a bed I could've used but I wasn't up for it at the time.
Kango Suz
Monday 7th of July 2008
The picture of the 'dos and don'ts of Sikhism was strangely enlightening... I always wondered about the long hair- but if it's a taboo to cut it, that makes sense!
Way cool photo of the temple guard as well. I like that their holiest temple is open to the public and guarded by spears... not that I'd cross the guy with the spear though...