Amritsar
is one of the major city not far from the Pakistani border. The Golden Temple
complex stands in the middle of town surrounding a wonderful pool of water, in
the middle of which sits the Golden Temple itself, a beautiful marble structure
covered in gold.
Pilgrims
come by the thousands to circumambulate the pool and take darshan of
the Guru Granth Sahib housed in the temple. There, Sikh elders read from the
scripture throughout the day, interspersing their recitation with prayers and bhajans,
all broadcast non-stop through loudspeakers. I found it both gripping and
uplifting.
At the time of visiting the
temple, you have to leave your shoes outside at special stalls and cover your
head with a scarf or bandana before entering. These head coverings are freely
available if you don’t have your own. Once inside the grounds, you see theGolden Temple sitting peacefully on the water, as if floating.
I joined the steady procession
of pilgrims circumambulating the pool and eventually made my way to a queue of
devotees waiting on the walkway that leads across the water to the temple. All
was systematic and fixed. Inside the temple, reading from the scriptures and
recitation of prayers proceeded while the ushers tried their best to keep the
pilgrims flowing through. Upon exiting the inner sanctum, I found a place by a
side door where I sat with other pilgrims while listening to the sounds rinse
over me.
Food is
served throughout the day without cost and I found a pavilion where one can sleep
if tired. Taking a dip in the pool is permitted and I saw a number of people
meditating and reciting prayers. I sat for meditation next to a fellow doing a schedule
of pranayam.