Sri Harmandir Sahib ( The abode of God) ( Punjabi: ??????? ?????) , also Sri Darbar Sahib( Punjabi: ????? ?????, Punjabi pronunciation: [d??b?? s?h?b]) [1] [3] and informally referred to as the Golden Temple, [1] is the holiest Gurdwara of Sikhism, located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. Amritsar ( literally, the tank of nectar of immortality) was founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das.[4] The fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, designed the Harmandir Sahib to be built in the centre of this holy tank, and upon its construction, installed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture ofSikhism, inside the Harmandir Sahib.[1] The Harmandir Sahib complex is also home to theAkal Takht ( the throne of the timeless one, constituted by the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind) . While the Harmandir Sahib is regarded as the abode of God’s spiritual attribute, the Akal Takht is the seat of God’s temporal authority.[5]
The construction of Harmandir Sahib was intended to build a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship Godequally.[1][6] Accordingly, as a gesture of this non-sectarian universalness of Sikhism, Guru Arjan had specially invited Muslim Sufi Saint, Sai Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib.[7] The four entrances ( representing the four directions) to get into the Harmandir Sahib also symbolise the openness of the Sikhs towards all people and religions.[8] Over 100, 000 people visit the holy shrine daily for worship, and also partake jointly in the free community kitchen and meal ( Langar) regardless of any distinctions, a tradition that is a hallmark of all SikhGurudwaras.[9]