A sanctimonious Sikh pilgrimage destination, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is also known as Darbar Sahib and Harmandir Sahib.
The term Harmandir Sahib literally means "the temple of Hari - the supreme power." The Golden Temple for the Sikhs is no less than a sanctum of God almighty.
The building and evolution of the Golden Temple as the most important place of Sikh worship happened over the centuries.
The design for the Golden Temple was finalized by Guru Arjan Devji in the year 1588. In fact he also laid the foundation of the temple or Gurudwara. The land for building the temple was a gift to the temple society by the local zamindars.
The city that developed around the Golden temple got its name from the pond or the Amrit sarovar at the center of which lies this enchanting religious shrine flaunting its glittering gold dome. In fact Maharaja Ranjit Singh made Amritsar his spiritual capital.
Amrit Sarovar has been sacred to Sikhs since the time of their 5th Guru, Guru Ramdas. The religious believe that the waters of the Amrit Sarovar have medicinal properties that have the ability to cure diseases.
The other places of tourist interest located in the vicinity of the Golden Temple that definitely deserve a visit are Dukh Bhanjni Ber, Gurdwara llachi Ber, Thara Sahib
Ber Baba Budha Ji and Gurdwara Shaheed Bunga Baba Deep Singh.
The Golden Temple comes alive during 'Gurupurabs' every year. The main sanctum at the Golden Temple houses a massive version of the 'Granth Sahib' the religious book of Sikhs.
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