Thara Sahib inside the Golden Temple, the spot where Guru Tegh Bahadur rested since he was denied entry into Harmandir Sahib
North of the Akal Takht inside the Golden Temple is a small structure. This is called Thara Sahib, and was the spot where Guru Tegh Bahadur, the 9th Guru of Sikhism rested while he was denied entry to the Harmandir Sahib by the custodians who worried about their own power and prestige. The Golden Temple is one of the most famous monuments in Amritsar, in the state of Punjab in North India. It is the spiritiual headquarters of the Sikh religion, and is a very well visited place. Besides Sikhs, people from other religions visit the temple, it being an open place. The temple is also referred to as the Harmandir Sahib or the Darbar Sahib, and was built during the 16th century by the fifth Sikh Guru (completed in the year 1604), Guru Arjan Dev around a holy tank. Earlier to this, in 1577, the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das ji excavated a tank which came to be known as Amritsar. The Harmandir Sahib symbolizes openess, and has four doors to depict the same. Over a period of time, modifications were done, such as the layering of gold over the dome by the ruler of the time, Maharajah Ranjit holy nature of the Golden Temple is also symbolized by the presence of the Holy Book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib. The central structure of the Gurudwara is surrounded by a holy tank of water, with a causeway over this body of water. There are some restrictions for entering the site, such as the removal of shoes before entering (and washing ones feet in a small pool of water as well), covering the hair through a scarf or some other cloth, and ensuring that they show proper respect towards the central shrine. The Golden Temple is also the location for a major military operation, where the Indian Army went in against Sikh militants lead by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale inside the compound of the Golden Temple, with bullets and even machine guns inside the compound. The operation was a major operation, with the death of more than 500 people reported (including soldiers, militants)
Size: 4272px × 2848px
Location: Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India
Photo credit: © Ashish Agarwal / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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