An uplifting place of pilgrimage

                        

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 the Golden 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.