After having had ten gurus, starting from Guru Nanak, Sikhism decided to do away with a physical religious leader and started venerating a Holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal guru, a compendium of the teachings of the ten previous gurus, a copy of which is kept in every Sikh Temple, while the original is Amritsar’s Golden Temple.
The first impact with the Temple, in the evening, is intoxicating. The faithful must leave their shoes and socks behind as they are going to walk into holy ground. Thousands of shoes are left with the Temple attendants, and a small metal token is given to claim them back at the end of the visit. The faithful then perform holy ablutions, washing their arms, and finally crossing a small ‘’moat’’ filled with holy water, as a final act of purification before stepping onto holy ground.
All the time, the faithful are surrounded by a continuous, almost hypnotic, chanting. Finally, one walks downstairs through one of the entrances and is engulfed by an incredible view: the enormous compound, with a lake in the middle (water is deemed miraculous) and, right in the centre of the lake, gleaming in the evening lighting, and creating magical reflections in the water, stands the Golden Temple, where the Holy book is venerated.
The Palki Sahib ceremony
The sacred book is venerated as a living person. At around 8.30 pm, it is taken out of the Golden Temple and carried to a different area of the Gurdwara for the night. The ceremony is called ‘’Palki Sahib’’. A golden palanquin is dressed in precious pillows and blankets, and finally with marigold garlands, deep red and orange. When everything is ready, the procession moves, accompanied by incessant chanting, to the Golden Temple, the book is transferred to the palanquin and taken, in procession, to his night place of rest. The ceremony takes about an hour, the atmosphere is electric, the feeling of the faith, the belief of the thousands of people around is palpable. The book will be brought back to the Golden Temple in the morning.
As we go back to collect our shoes, hoping to find them, in what seems an organised chaos, one notices pilgrims starting to prepare for the night. They will sleep outside the temple walls, on the pavement. It is hot, it is safe, and tomorrow they will be able to queue and venerate the Book and have a free meal at the communal kitchen…
In the morning
In the morning, the Golden Temple is equally impressive. In the blinding sunlight, one can grasp the sheer dimensions of the gurdwara with its porch running around the perimeter walls, where people take shelter from the sweltering heat, eat their food in groups, queue to consult a guru on their horoscope, and buy food offerings to bring to the Sanctuary. The offerings are taken to the Golden Temple, presented with a short prayer, and then taken back to be distributed, as free food, among the faithful.
The Book is back in its place. The chanting is relentless. People are taking ablutions in the holy lake surrounding the Temple. The lake, originally called Amritsar, which means ‘’pool of ambrosian nectar, is fed by an underground spring and bathing in it signifies a symbolic cleansing of the soul.
The queue to venerate the book is endless. Members of the Khalsa (‘’The pure’’), the Sikhs own security guards, regulate the flow by lifting or dropping long metal bars strategically placed at various stages of the line. Despite the numbers, it all works well, although if one happens to be too near a bar, one risks being decapitated as it comes down to stop the crowd! Lulled by the chanting, one eventually gets to the inner sanctum: the book is at one end, looked after by an appointed reader, called a Granthi. Next to him, there is a small group of musicians. The music and the readings are broadcast live throughout the whole gurdwara.
The Langar
Sikhism is a religion founded on action as well as devotion. One most obvious symbols is the ‘’Langar’’, a massive, volunteer-run community kitchen that serves free vegetarian meals to anyone, regardless of their background. Langars are found in all Sikh temples; the Golden Temple serves around 150,000 meals throughout the day, 365 days a year!
The food is basic and plentiful: bread (chapati), dhal (lentil soup), a curry (usually with paneer, soft cheese similar to tofu) and, of course, rice. The meal is served on a metal tray. The kitchens are cavernous, with an enormous amount of food being continuously prepared by volunteers. They peel onions, cook rice in enormous vats, prepare the bread, which is baked, covered with a light ghee, and thrown into large containers for distribution. The used trays get collected and washed by another army of volunteers, ready to be used for the next servings. A major operation run with military precision. I was impressed by the work that these people do, the smile with which they welcome you and explain what, how and why they do it.
The Golden Temple was built under the leadership of Arjun, the fifth Guru, between 1581 and 1606. For over one hundred years, Sikhs were constantly under attack by Muslim armies. The Temple was damaged many times but always rebuilt to a better standard. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1700s), the Temple was decorated with marble and gold. The upper part of the Golden Temple is covered with over 100 kg of pure gold.
.
