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Sikhism - An Introduction: The Golden Temple

by Owen Cole

The name Golden Temple, attributed by the British, is a translation of Suvaran Mandir and refers to the Harimandir Sahib, or Divine Temple of God – a three-storey structure situated in the middle of an artificial lake, surrounded by other buildings. Sikhs call this complex the Darbar Sahib, Divine Court. Some traditions link it with Guru Nanak, as a place where he used to meditate but the Harimandir was started by Guru Ram Das and completed by his son, the fifth Guru (Arjan), who installed the newly compiled Adi Granth in it in 1604. The temple was gilded by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the nineteenth century. The other most important building in the Darbar Sahib is the Akal Takht, the primary seat of temporal authority. One of the most significant features of the Harimandir Sahib is its four doors, which reveal and affirm that all four varnas (meaning all humanity) are welcome to enter it and participate in the worship of the one God.

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