The infinite possibilities of life as well as the trials and tribulations are among the countless waves of thoughts that ran through my head upon my visit to the Golden Temple. Unlike Amritsar, a bustling, hap hazard city teaming with population and pollution located in the Northwestern corner of Punjab, the Golden Temple is clean, still, and pure to it’s core. “Like a clean Varanasi“, exclaimed by travel partner as we looked out onto the pool surrounding the main shrine.

Visitors reach the main gates to find donation boxes and head wraps for sale. It is mandatory practice to cover your head, men and women, for entry into the temple. Rs 10 buys what amounts to nothing more than a bandanna, yet earns you a pass into the city within a city. Drop your shoes off at the large shoe depot before making your way to the steps of the northern gateway known as Darshani Darwaza. Shallow recessed water pools vigorously carry fresh water past in which visitors walk down, through, and then back up. This process is meant to cleanse the feet before walking down the steps onto the Parikrama (marble pathway). The Parikrama encircles the Amrit Sarovar, or ‘pool of nectar’ as it is properly referred to and the source for the city’s name.

Our early morning arrival was just before the sun poked through the heavy haze of the morning sky. The temple was already teeming with followers including a lengthy queue for entry into the Hari Mandir. We were on a mission to see the first rays of sunshine bounce off the dome of Hair Mandir. Two hundred twenty pounds of gold were within minutes of a natural sun bath. Foot traffic coming off the main staircase invokes images of a packed escalator complete with the chance for a pile-up at the landing spot. Why? Followers instantly drop to their knees in prayer upon the sight of Hari Mandir forcing the incoming crowds to scramble left or right.

Having visited the Taj Mahal the previous year, one of the first differences noticed was how clean the complex is. Men with long handled brooms push fresh water around the stark white marble pathway throughout the complex. Regardless of the amount of traffic, these men don’t give dirt a chance to collect. I learned quickly to roll up my pant legs to avoid getting soaked as the water splashed by. The Parikrama runs in a clockwise pattern past several historical and holy sites. The Dukh Bhanjani Ber, a tree shrine said to have miraculous powers for healing diseases drew a large crowd.

While there are ragis (sung verses from the Holy Book) running over the loud speakers, and music emanating from various rooms, the overwhelming feeling is of peace and tranquility. Visitors speak quietly among themselves paying little mind to foreign tourists. We felt welcome throughout our visit, even being summoned over to the free kitchen (Guru ka Langar) where we were given a personalized tour. My travel partner and I viewed the daily process of feeding 25,000 people including what it takes to manufacture enough roti for everyone. A massive dining hall can seat 3,000 people in one sitting. The dishwashing stations alone were impressive. Forget the main shrine, I was amazed at the volume of stainless steel plates and cups sitting in gigantic wire bins air drying after a hot wash. A free offering of food was wished upon us after the tour that we turned down in order to line up for the ever growing Hari Mandir queue.

Most of the manual labor jobs are performed by a vast army of volunteers either as acts of worship or penance. From kitchen work, to sweeping the floors to manning the shoe depot, these workers keep the Golden Temple running smoothly.

Opposite the Hari Mandir lies the Akal Takht, the seat of the Sikh religious order. Completed in 1601, Alak Takhit plays a pivotal role in daily tradition. The Guru Granth Sahih, or Holy Book of Sikhs, is carried from here to the Hari Mandir at daybreak. Inside the mandir, the head priest opens the book for the vaq (message of the day). The book will sit here throughout the day for all visitors to view, non-sikhs included, until final prayers are concluded by 9:45 PM. The book is closed and carried on a silver palanquin back to Akal Takht where the ritual will repeat the following morning.

Photos are allowed throughout much of the complex except private prayer rooms accessed just off the Parikrama and of course, the Hari Mandir. This is the holiest site for Sikhs which sits jutting into the Amrit Sarovar. Pilgrims and tourists access the mandir by way of a 60 m long marble causeway flanked by nine gilded lamps on each side. Overhead fans run during high heat times to cool the waiting queue. Before entering the causeway you must first pass through the Darshani Deorhi. Here, final pictures can be had of the two spectacular silver doors granting passageway. Not to be missed are the sacred verses carved on the walls.

Sweet prasad is offered to all visitors before entering the mandir. Once inside we were shuttled through in a casual pace allowing ample time to view the marble walls with inlay. Every surface is covered in some beautiful fashion from floral to animal motifs. We moved past the Holy Book which lies in the Durbar Sahih (Court of the Lord) . Silence, but for the priest and musicians, oozes through your body. I watched the faces of those beside me marveling at the pure magnificence we all were taking part in. To even try to compare this to the Taj Mahal seems incomprehensible. Yet, once locals learn you have visited both sites the inevitable question presents itself. “Which one is better”?

Eighteen gateways, and offshoots of lanes, complete the Golden Temple’s complex where construction began in 1589, finishing in 1601. My travel partner and I walked for hours and still felt as if we had seen only a fraction of what lied before us. Pilgrims bathing in the pool, prayer ribbons tied near the holy tree, dal and roti dispensed at a frantic pace to any who come seeking a hot meal..to see, hear and smell the Golden Temple still coexisting several hundred years after the initial vision was laid down was an unforgettable experience. To understand it fully is to see it for oneself.

Open daily, free admission. Camera allowed unless otherwise posted including Hari Mandir.