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Golden Temple of Amritsar

Golden temple of Amritsar

Golden Temple of Amritsar

By: Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S.Ali
mumtaztajddin@yahoo.com

Guru Nank (1469-1539) or Baba Nanak is the first of the ten Shik Gurus. His message based on equality, fraternal love, goodness and virtue. His advices/words are registered in the form of 974 poetic hymns or Shabda in the holy text of Sikhism, known as Guru Granth Saheb.

Guru Nanak was an enlightened person and as a result he is referred to in the 47th couplet of the Braham Prakash as under:-

Aur Nanak Shah ne’ paya ek naam nishva karine’ dhyaya
“And Nanak Shah attained bliss, who practiced solemn word with conviction.”

The Golden Temple is the holiest Gurwara and pilgrimage site of Sikhism located in the city of Amritsar, India. Its original name was Hari-Mandir or Hari-Mandir Saheb, built in 1577. It is also called Durbar Saheb (sacred audience) as well as the Golden Temple for its gold-leaf-covered sanctum centre. Its dome is glided with 750 kg of pure gold. Ranjit Singh rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, overlaid the sanctum with gold foil in 1830. This has led to the name, Golden Temple.

The historical Golden Temple is located at 5 Sarovars Amritsar, Nearest Hill Stations, Amritsar.

Imam Hasan Ali Shah, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah and Prince Aly Khan had visited the Golden Temple of the Sikh to see its old design of architecture.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah also visited the Golden Temple on 13th March, 1934. There was no light inside. To remove darkness, the Imam however traced out a lamp with match-box. He at once kindled it and brightened the space.
Suddenly, the Imam saw an old board inside main entrance, where something was written in Gurmukhi script.

Meanwhile, a certain Simar Singh, the custodian of the temple appeared. The Imam asked him about the writing on the board. He said, “It is the prediction of our Baba Guru Nank that Har mandir’me a’ainga aur nakalanki avatar kilai’ga aur jiyot jalaiga (The Lord shall come in the temple and call the form of the Stainless Lord and kindle the lamp.”

The Imam told him, “Now you write down that the Nakalanki (stainless) Lord has come and kindled the lamp.” The custodian didn’t understand Imam’s meaningful words, thus the Imam didn’t asked him anymore.
It will be interesting to know one another relevant event. In 1922, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah made his 3rd visit of Rangoon, Burma. During his visit, the Imam also had gone to see the Swedgon Pagoda (golden temple) of the Buddhist.

The Swedgon Pagoda is officially named, Shwedagon Zedi Daw Burmese (Golden Dagon Pagoda), also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda is a glided stupa located in Rangoon (now Yangon). It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Burma (now Myanmar). It was built more than 2500 years ago, the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world.

The Swedgon Pagoda is situated north of downtown Rangoon on Singuttara Hill. There are four walkways through which one can enter the cool oasis of the shrine.

Out of the four, the eastern entrance stands out as the busy entrance. It leads in from the Gyar Tawyar street housing colonial-era architecture while the quieter western entrance leads directly to the serene Theingottara Park.

Looking the big idol of Gautam Buddh (566-487 BC), the Imam said to the custodian of the temple, “Your Buddh Bagawan (Gautam Buddh) is sleeping, but I am a living Buddha.”

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Karachi: June, 2022


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