The Golden Temple

Punjabi Ange with bling temple
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We left our haven of Pushkar to delve more deeply north into the Punjab region which borders Pakistan. Again we were faced with the dilemma of which mode of transport to travel as the A/C trains were fully booked and there was no way we were taking the coffin on wheels for 14 hours. We took a coach class train to Delhi (more of that in the next blog) and stayed overnight before flying to Amritsar, home of the Golden Temple.

At the airport we chatted to an American from Miami. He had just been in Delhi for the one night and was on his way to Bhutan for business. I really felt for him as he was so culture shocked that he was afraid to be out alone on the streets of India. He said when he ventured out to see any sights he would have a tour guide with him all the way. Hopefully he settles down and embraces the chaos which is quite fun, albeit a little tiring sometimes.

worshipping bather
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The predominant religion in Punjab is Sikh, which as we learnt you can easily identify them with their sacramental uniform known as 'kakkars' comprised of a white kurta, turban to keep their luscious long hair in control, leather sash across their body which houses their dagger or sword and silver bangle. These daggers and swords are of ornate silver or brass and somewhat discerning however they are apparently just part of their sacrament and would only be used in battle. I wondered how often that happens in society these days.

Golden Temple guard
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Being used to the interrogation in western airports we were quite surprised when these Sikhs went through the metal detector with their daggers and were allowed to board the plane with it when other travellers were asked to discard their water bottles over 100ml! Although there are many rules and traditions here, they can be very easily overlooked here and inconsistencies abound.

Like many cities that we have visited so far, there is really only one or two tourist/cultural attractions and then you just want to get the hell out and search for some serenity. Amritsar is like one of those. On arrival the streets leading to our hotel was just like any other - chaotic to us, everyday life for them. You see so much on the streets, nothing is sacred, except for women's flesh. Men unfly their zips and squat anywhere, sometimes you have to dodge their spray, yet it is frowned upon for a woman to bare her shoulders!

Punjabi water courier
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The Golden Temple is the star attraction of Amritsar. It's a little off the tourist trail and not quite high season yet, so we felt like the star attractions ourselves. It's like having groupies, some people come up to you and ask if they can have a photo taken with you. The temple is open 24 hours a day and priests read from the Sikh holy book continuously which is broadcast by loudspeaker. It is quite surreal waking up in the middle of the night to this chanting prayer.

The best time to visit the temple is at sunrise when the sun catches the golden dome (said to be 750kg of gilded gold). The temple is meant to represent an inverted lotus flower, a symbol of the Sikhism's aim to live a pure life. The temple is not just symbolic for the Sikh's however. The guru that commissioned the Golden Temple wanted to create a place of worship that united all religions hence why it is such a mecca for many pilgrims of India and the world alike. They also constructed a "people's kitchen" inside which is one of the world's largest free community kitchens. The dining hall itself is quite a sight and the workers of the kitchen who man the dozens of troughs to clean the stainless steel plates and handout the meals of chapati and dhal.

Stu at temple entrance
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Before you get to the entrance of the temple you are greeted by a pathway with gawdy tinsel hanging overhead. But once you have checked your shoes into the lockers, cover your hair and wash your feet, the serenity of the holy shrine awaits. The temple is in the middle of a huge marble pool which has large carp in it. The Sikh's come to bathe in the holy waters to wash away their sins. I ponder the simplicity of this and whether this absolves them from commiting further sins. Mostly these are men who strip down to their baggy Y fronts that threaten to slip off completely when wet - not a pretty sight but thankfully I was distracted by the awesome temple.

Sparkling Golden Temple
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When the pilgrims step inside most kneel and bow to the floor, their temples anointing the marble floor adorned with elaborate patterns and symbols. Very similar to the Muslim's praising Allah.

Whilst waiting for the sun to rise, peace and tranquility surrounded us all as we engaged in various forms of meditation, silent prayer and awe. There is a gilded bridge that leads the pilgrims over the marble pool which connects to the temple itself where they lay their offerings of flower petals and rice. The queue was already snaking its way around the pool. Stu and I sat in silence alongside the pool and watched the various people engrossed in their faith.

A family of Rajasthani's asked to have their photo taken and asked for Stu to be included. They are from a remote village and wouldn't have contemplated purchasing a camera let alone using one. They were amazed when I showed them the shots and we got them to write their address down so I can send them copies.

Also enclosed in the Golden Temple complex is the Sikh museum. Portrayed in the paintings you soon start to see that the history of the Sikh is quite a bloody battle and carnage for hundreds of years and the domination bounced back and forth between the Sikh's, Mughals and Muslims. Finally they were rewarded with their own state and separated although parts of it became Pakistan territory. I didn't understand how their Guru's who they believed in so devoutly would order their disciples to act as a act as a target to try out his new rifle and then ordering for another man being boiled alive in a large pot whilst facing his guru while he dies.

Outside of the temple there are a couple of bazaar's to wander through and also experience the bizarre. I was stunned into silence when I got slapped quite hard on the back of the head by a passerby. I thought I had offended a devotee by taking off my head scarf as we were outside the temple but this was not the case. A stall holder informed me that this man was not right in the head and it wasn't just me that he singled out. Still on the search for a sari, I perused some wonderful fabrics. I think Sari shopping entails at least half a day of sampling fabrics and bargaining. It will be a wonderful experience when we get the time as the shops are decked with cushions for you to sit and sip chai whilst the shopkeeper bring out metres of colourful fabric adorned with bling and embroidery.

Now having been in the vegetarian part of India for a few weeks now, it is quite a challenge to find a meal that you desire after a while. We see many lovely vegetables in the market but some of them never make it onto a menu. I wonder what they do with them? We opted for some western food and I tried a pizza - Domino's was next door but that looked even scarier. They were advertising a deep pan pizza with olives and sweetcorn! Another surprise was when I ordered a fruit salad for breakfast and it came with a chilli yoghurt sauce. We also know now when we order a herbal tea not to mention tea at the end as they include a bag of normal tea and sometimes milk:-)

We are in Mammalapuram now in the south, so I have got a few places to blog before I catch up. We are staying put for a few days to soak up the serenity of the beach which is so cleansing. The absence of honking and rickshaws is a godsend.

Until next time, xo