Sikh man at the Golden Temple in Amritsar 17 Aug 2016
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The Punjab's largest city is Amritsar with its Golden Temple, the holiest of holy Sikh shrines. It is a bustling destination, the urban sprawl outside the city walls much like elsewhere in India, which only accentuates the tranquility of the temple within.
Amritsar was founded over 400 years ago by Guru Ram Das, the fourth of the 10 Sikh Gurus. His son and successor, Arjun, raised a temple in the middle of a pool, sanctified its waters and installed the Sikh's holy scripture, the Granth Sahib, in its inner sanctum. The sacred pool - amrit (nectar) sar (pool) - gives the city its name.
In 1803, the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh rebuilt the temple in marble and gold, since then it has been known as the Golden Temple.
Let Insight Guides plan a spiritual adventure to Amritsar for you: tell us where you want to travel and we'll do the rest. Alternatively, browse ready-made trips to India online now.
