Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib)
Sikhism's holiest shrine, a gilded sanctuary floating on a sacred pool where 100,000 pilgrims are fed free every day.
Golden Temple reflected in the sacred pool at dawn, Amritsar
What to expect at Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib)
The Harmandir Sahib sits at the centre of a 150-metre sarovar, its upper storeys sheathed in 750 kg of gold leaf commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1830. Non-Sikhs are equally welcome; the only requirements are a covered head, bare feet, and no tobacco or alcohol on the premises. Entry is through one of four gates, symbolising openness to all castes and creeds, and the causeway to the inner sanctum can involve a two-hour queue during festivals.
Come before sunrise for the Palki Sahib procession that carries the Guru Granth Sahib from the Akal Takht into the temple. Walk the parikrama clockwise, sit for langar in the two-storey dining hall where 100,000 free meals are served daily, and end at the Central Sikh Museum on the first floor of the clock tower. Evening reverse-procession at 21:45 is equally moving with fewer crowds than dawn.
Questions about Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib)
Entry is completely free, as is the langar meal and the shoe deposit. Donations at the golak boxes are voluntary.
Always — the temple has never charged admission since it opened in 1604.
Plan 3-4 hours: one hour for parikrama and inner sanctum queue, one hour for langar, plus the museum and Akal Takht.
Never closed — the temple operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
No booking required. For the free SGPC pilgrim dormitory (Sri Guru Ram Das Niwas) walk in with ID at the reception on Guru Ram Das Marg.
Amritsar Junction railway station, 2 km southwest, with a free SGPC shuttle bus every 15 minutes; auto-rickshaws charge about $2.
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