Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhs, is an important centre of agriculture and trade. Amritsar literally means ‘the holy pool of nectar’ because of the pool around which the Golden Temple is built. The Golden Temple, which is the foremost attraction here, is an interesting blend of Hindu and Muslim style of architecture. It represents an inverted lotus and is singularly the most ornamented shrine.
Located in the heart of the city, the Golden Temple is the most visited tourist attraction of Amritsar. The stunning sanctum, shining in the water of the holy tank of Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar), is flanked by spotlessly clean marble walkways and pavements making it breathtakingly beautiful. The temple building is three storeys high and is crowned with a Golden Dome (said to be gilded with 100 kg of pure gold) shaped like an inverted lotus. The lower storey is in white marble, while the two upper storeys have gold plating. The temple has four entrances instead of the usual single entry , symbolic of the
openness of Sikhism and the fact that followers of all faiths are welcome here.The walls within are adorned with carved wooden panels and elaborate inlay work in silver and gold. The holy book of the Sikhs, Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan Dev, rests on a throne beneath a jewel-encrusted canopy. Akal Takhat (Sikh Parliament) building built by the Sixth Master Guru Hargobind in 1609, the Akal Takhat was used for holding court and Sikh congregations in the days of its builder. The ground floor of the present building was constructed in 1874. Maharaja Ranjit Singh subsequently added three storeys. A number of weapons used by Guru Hargobind, Guru Gobind Singh and other Sikh heroes are conserved at Akal Takhat.
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