Golden Temple
Madison Holleran
The History of the Golden Temple
The Golden Temple was built in 1574 and was completed in 1601. The Golden Temple was named in Amritsar in north west India in 1577, by Ram Das. A man-made lake was built around the Temple which contained holy water. In June 1984 a tragic event took place. India's prime minister, Indira Gandhi ordered an attack on the Temple because a Sikh was amassing many weapons. The attack killed over five hundred people. This was a very sad for many people in India and around the world. This event was also called "Operation Bluestar". Over the years, the Golden Temple was destroyed and rebuilt many times.
What does looks like inside the Golden Temple?
The Golden Temple represents beauty and peace. This artistic temple is three stories high and has a dome at the top. The lowest level is built with white marble, then the two upper levels have gold plating on the outside. The outside bottom half of the Temple is white with different designs. The Temple also has four entrances. The four doors represents openness and to welcome people in. The walls inside are covered in wooden panels in Claiborne and is covered with silver and gold paint. The outside has a huge man-made lake which contains holy water. When you visit the temple you have to take off your shoes in order to enter.
This is inside of the Golden Temple. You can see two stair cases and people are sitting on the ground praying.
Did you know.......
Did you know that the dome of the temple is covered with gold foil and that's why they named it the Golden Temple?
Also did you know a that the Indian army used modern weapons such as the helicopters, tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles?
This is what the Golden Temple looks like outside. The temple is in the middle of the holy water lake.
Daily activities inside the Golden Temple
In the Golden Temple there are four priests inside for chant in Gurmukhi from the Sikh's holy book. This is broadcasted throughout the Temple from a loud speaker. The original copy or the Sikh holy book is kept under a pink shroud in the Mandir during the day. In the evening they return it to the Akal Takhat. Usually the ceremony starts at five am and ends at nine fifteen in the winter. In the summer it stats at four thirty am to ten fifteen pm.
websites
Encyclopædia Britannica- http://school.eb.com/all/comptons/article-9316252?query=golden%20temple%20india&ct=nul
The ancient golden temple- http://sacredsites.com/asia/india/amritsar.html
famous wonders-http://famouswonders.com/golden-temple-of-amritsar/