The Golden Temple

This is why I came here, the iridescent Golden Temple which stands reverently in the centre of a sacred pool. The holiest shrine in the Sikh faith and mecca for thousands. I arrived at the gate in a teeming swarm of turban clad pilgrims, prepared to be disappointed. I was not. Although smaller than I'd imagined, the glimmering shimmering temple literally took my breath away.

About to enter The Golden Temple at Amritsar (Sikh)

photo does not do the temple justice - it is breathtakingly beautiful

It sparkles luminescent above the water

As long as the head is covered and feet are bathed on entry everyone is free to wander around at will, entranced by the luminescent complex with its golden heart seemingly hovering over the clear blue/ green ' nectar of immortality' lake.

No visit is complete without sitting down for a free meal (dal roti, sweet rice and, um, holy water from the pool. Which I sipped merrily before I realised it was untreated h2o from waters where carp drift gently in the shallows and pilgrims bath! Gulp.. Literally. So far no food poisoning... Yet.

Thousands of meals are served 24 hours a day, a symbolic manifestation of belief and a very impressive organisation. There is a real kindness here, a genuine welcome to one and all, with no security, no fees, just open doors to open people’s hearts.

Massive kitchen feeding the faithful

I was fortunate to have two 'guides' to this religion. First an English chap staying at the same hostel who initiated me into the baptism of fire which is getting in/out  to the temple. Cheap places like mine are out in the ' new' city rather than the historic temple area and are in the usual maze of tiny dark alleys with no names haunted by lurking rickshaw drivers whose mission is to take you everywhere bar where you want to go, especially shops. I was grateful for advice on the inaugural run!

Nes, a Punjab by birth, also taught me the social and cultural etiquette of Sikhism and then took me to lunch to taste the famous Amritsar 'breads 'lathered with ghee, too fatty for my taste.

Then after he’d left and I took my place in the queue to see inside the sparkling three storey jewel encrusted palace where the Granth, the Sikhs holy book, is ceremoniously brought each night, I was joined by another English Punjabi, a university student from Birmingham and a deeply devout Sikh, who explained in detail his faith, his belief, the symbolism of the orange conjoined flags (saint and sinner) and intricate details of every corner of this glorious site.

At the memorial

Selfie at The Golden Temple

The temple, like the Sikh faith, is relatively recent, dating from 1776, with the golden dome said to gilded with 750kgs of real gold. Which I can believe.  It is truly beautiful, the marble inlay below with its colourful flower and animal motifs perfectly maintained.

Sikh traditional dress

I was lucky, I only waited an hour to go over the causeway to the inner sanctum. On Saturday, the Sikh new year, the queue stretched for five hours. Inside was wonderful both in splendour and in a deep prevailing sense of spirituality.  I emerged with head and heart full. As night fell I sat by the waters gazing in awe at the view and feeling genuinely at peace in this amazing place.

Temple lit up at night