Golden Temple Awarded ‘Most Visited Place of the World’

Being an Indian and a local of Amritsar along with makes me feel proud to know that Golden Temple is now officially the ‘Most Visited Place of The World.’ The award has been given by a London Based Organization ‘World Book of Records’ (WBR) that catalogs and verifies world records. The award was given by WBR’s General Secretary of India Chapter, Surbhi Kaul, and President of Punjab Chapter, Randeep Singh Kohli to Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee’s (SGPC) Chief Secretary, Roop Singh.

Golden Temple is amongst the most prominent heritage sites in India. Since the completion of Heritage Street Project; Golden Temple has witnessed a further increase in the already huge number of devotees visiting the shrine every day. The peace and the tranquillity which you witness here at Golden Temple is incomparable. This heavenly place definitely cleanses your soul. Golden Temple is popularly known as ‘Sri Harimandir Sahib,’ which basically means the temple of God.

Things to Know About the Golden Temple

• Golden Temple was founded by Fourth Sikh Guru; Sri Guru Ramdas; and was constructed under the aegis of Fifth Sikh Guru; Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
• The temple’s foundation stone was laid by famous Sufi Muslim Saint, Mian Mir. As the temple was to be thrown open for people of all religion, caste, creed, and gender; Sri Guru Arjan Dev invited Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone for one of the holiest places of the Sikhs. Never before that and never after, the foundation stone of the highest religious seat of a religion has been laid by the head of another religion.
• The man-made water body around the temple is known as ‘Amrit Sarovar’  translated as ‘The Pool of Nectar.’ Pilgrims of all religious faiths, visit Golden Temple, and take a dip in the ‘Amrit Sarovar.’ The water here is believed to have therapeutic properties.

• The exterior of the temple is covered with pure gold. Initially, the temple was built without gold. It was, during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple underwent renovation.
• The first edition of ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ the sacred literature of Sikh religion, was installed here in 1604 and Baba Buddha was appointed as the first ‘Granthi’ of the book.
• Before the Golden Temple was constructed, the first Sikh Guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev, used to meditate on this site.
• The free kitchen or the ‘Langar’ serves almost up to 50,000 people in a day, delicious and nutritious food. The number often goes up to as much as 1,00,000 during religious holidays or festivals.
• The Golden Temple has 4 entrances from 4 sides; hence further reinforcing the fact that the everyone, no matter what the religion, caste, creed or gender the person is, is allowed to pay obeisance here.

The Golden Temple: A True Symbol of Faith & Spirituality

In conclusion, I will like to say that mere reading about the place, to which legends and miracles are connected, won’t give you the same experience as visiting the same. Hence, I highly recommend all to pay a visit to the Golden Temple. It is rightly said in the holy words of Sri Guru Arjan Dev:

‘Dithe sab thav nahi tudhjehia’.

(I have seen all places, there is not another like thee).

Also check: What India Has Offered To The World? Influence of Indian Culture on the World

Siddhanth Sharma

Siddhanth Sharma is employed in a multinational and is currently based in Hyderabad, India. He has a Master Degree in Computer Applications and discovered his love for writing while working as an English Content Writer along with his studies.