Surrinder talking here - Amritsar is 3 hours from Chiheru, so we took a day trip there by bus, back and forth. The Golden Temple is the holiest place for Sikhs, such as my parents. We went because I was curious about it. Old Amritsar is very hectic and polluted, and given our short time, we didn’t get to the new part of the City. Once we were inside the Golden Temple complex, it was peaceful – quite a different feeling. The actual temple itself is surrounded by water – the “pool of nectar” or Amrit Sarovar, for which the city is named. The lineup to enter the temple itself was long, but people waited patiently for their turn. Music and singing went on continuously (the reciting of the Granth Saheb, which is basically the Holy Book of the Sikhs. We were able to climb to the upper level of the Golden Temple, where we could sit and contemplate in peace. One of the traditions of Sikhism is offering food to all. This is called the “langar.” We ate a simple meal there, which enriched the whole experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment