Golden Temple

The Golden Temple is an oasis of peace within the hectic city of Amristar (and within a hectic India!). It is such a beautiful place that I took at least 40 pictures from different angles and in different lights (the Indian visitors were also taking plenty of photos on their mobile phones). the temple itself sits in the middle of a pool of water so clean, even I bathed in it. The shrine houses the Holy Book of the Sieks and the most important site for that community. Pilgrims come in great numbers, and the city has a host of communal facilities to accomodate them, including massive rest halls and kitchens. As I consider myself a pilgrim in this land, I also utilized these communal facilities (its like belonging to an ashram, they have very strict rules to keep the place holy, including a ban on all smoking and drinking, which is fine by me). Seik guards, dressed in saffron colored robes and armed with spears and swords enforce the code. Holy men continually read from the scripture which, accompanied by music, is broadcast throughout the precinct via loudspeakers. I have spent hours just walking around the temple and listening to the melodious sounds, just absorbing the spirit of brotherhood and love that dominants this place. despite the current tranquility, the city has twice witnessed great carnage within the last century. In 1919, the British open fired on a crowd of peaceful protesters, killing thousands, and reigniting the Indian independence movement (basically the Indian version of the boston massacre) and more recently in 1984, a massive goverment crackdown with tanks and heavy firepower on Siek seperatists who had occupied the Golden temple in their attempt to agitate for an independent homeland resulted in great destruction of the monument and loss of life. Today that is all part of history and contemporary visitors just enjoy the beauty of this special place. Tonight I am taking another overnight train back to Delhi to await the arrival of my wife and father. Oh the joy!