The Golden Temple—a magical experience

YES I made it! This year I actually visited The Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India. Not on purpose but there seems to be some connection between The Golden Temple, mind blowing Punjabi food and me. Visiting the Golden Temple— also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib is the holiest Gurdwara of the Sikh religion— was without a doubt the highlight of my trip to Punjab. Though you can get a flight from Delhi to Amritsar, I choose to take a bus from Delhi bus stand to the state of Punjab where the city of Amritsar lies.

I arrived in Amritsar in the mid night after an exhausting 5-6 hours of bus ride from Delhi. Being very worn out I could do nothing but take a hot shower, sneak into my cozy bed and fall asleep. The next morning I woke up with an immense excitement for my first encounter with the Golden Temple.

I visited the Golden Temple in the afternoon. The Golden 

Temple is open to everyone— no discrimination is allowed on the basis of caste, gender, statue—as the Sikh strongly believe in the principles of brotherhood and universal equality.

Hidden in the middle of four huge white marble walls, you cannot actually see the Golden Temple until you pass through one of the four gates. As per the rule, I left my shoes at a booth, washed my hands at the taps provided then I covered my head and proceeded to walk through a shallow pool of water that washed my feet. My bare feet walked over a smooth marble floor and as I walked though a beautifully carved archway, down a few steps, the mesmerizing sight of the Golden Temple absolutely blew me away.

The entire top of the temple is made of pure gold and is surrounded by a man-made lake where devotees come to offer prayers and take a dip in this holy lake. The lake is also a home to many exotic fish. Because of the overwhelming beauty that you get to see, even the long wait in the queue to get inside the Golden Temple feels totally worthy.

The cloudless blue sky, the white marble walkway and the way the sun shimmers off the Golden Temple that dazzle in the water fascinated me so much that I actually stayed there for the entire evening. I spent hours sitting by the lake admiring the beautiful Golden Temple in front. And as the sun sets, the Golden Temple submersed in beautiful yellow lights and you experience the most glorious moment of your life. You can even spend the entire night at the Golden Temple, if you wish to.

As the sun sets, the Golden Temple submersed in beautiful yellow lights and you experience the most glorious moment of your life.

From few fellow devotees I came to know about the Langar—the free kitchen—that serves meal to over 50,000 meals a day to everyone regardless of religion, caste or class. So, I decided to eat my dinner in Langar. As I entered the langar building I was handed a clean metal plate, a spoon, and a bowl. Then I joined hundred other people in a large room where I sat on the floor. 

The Langar—the free kitchen—that serves meal to over 50,000 meals a day to everyone regardless of religion, caste or class

Soon after sitting, men passes by with different foods, asking if I would like my plate be filled. The langar meal was a simple yet tasty consisting of dal, rice and chapati. It was extremely humbling experience to be sitting cross legged with hundreds of other people, enjoying a meal together, knowing it was lovingly made by hundreds of volunteers. 

Though Amritsar is filled with “Punjabi Dhabas” that serves authentic Punjabi food, but if you are in the Golden Temple, I would recommend you to try the meals in Langar. 

The langar meal was a simple yet tasty consisting of dal, rice and chapati.

After my meal, I continued to walk around the Golden Temple for sometime. Despite the crowd I could still feel the calmness in its art, music and atmosphere. Overall, being in the Golden Temple was such a beautiful and magical experience.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY: SHRADDHA THAPA