Golden Temple in Amritsar

Image Credit : coxandkings.co.uk

Location of the Golden Temple

The Golden Temple or Harminder Sahib is located in the city of Amritsar in Punjab. It is referred to the oldest of the Sikh gurdwaras in the world and is the most significant place of worship for the Sikhs. The Golden temple was established by Guru Ram Das Ji who was the fourth among the Sikh gurus. 

The Golden Temple was built as a place of worship for the Sikhs. It was also established with the aim of making it a destination for people across all religious faiths. The Golden Temple has 4 doors that is also symbolic of its principle that people from every religion is welcome to come and pray within its premises. 

Historical Background of Golden Temple

The Golden Temple was built in the year 1574 AD that was originally surrounded by a small lake. Following the visit of the Mughal Emperor Akbar to the place a gift of a jagir was received from him by Bhani, who was the daughter of the Guru Amar Das. She was married to Bhai Jetha who went on to become the fourth Sikh Guru and was known as Guru Ram Das. It was during his tenure as the Sikh Guru that the temple was enlarged built with a small township around it. In 1577 Guru Ram Das had even excavated a tank that was later known as the Amritsar or the “pool of Nectar”. 

Best time to Visit Amritsar

The climatic patterns experienced at Amritsar are of the extremes. This leads to the very hot summer months and the very cold winter months. The best time to visit Amritsar is between the months of October and March. 


How to Reach Golden Temple: Amritsar is served by the Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport and is well connected to cities across India and the world and is served by airlines like Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet Lite, Qatar Airways etc. 

The Amritsar Railway Station is the main railway station in Amritsar and is connected by trains like the:

• Golden Temple Mail
• Morning Shatabdi
• Evening Shatabdi

Amritsar is well connected to the rest of the country by road. It is connected by the NH1, also known as the Grand Trunk Road. There are also regular bus services to Amritsar from cities like Ambala, Chandigarh, Delhi and Jammu. 

There is a wide range of conveyance available to get to the Golden Temple when in Amritsar. From the Amritsar railway station you can hire an auto rickshaw that will cost you around Rs.75, or a cycle rickshaw that will cost you Rs. 45. There is also a free bus to the Golden Temple from the railway station, which is run by the Golden Temple trust.

Last Updated : 5/19/2014