The Hari Mandir - Golden Temple

The Hari Mandir, now called the Golden Temple, is a living symbol of the spiritual and historical traditions of the Sikhs. The tank and the temple have been a source of inspiration to the Sikh community ever since its foundation. It is evident from the Sikh chronicles that the Gurus exhorted their followers to accept all Sikh centers as places of pilgrimage. As Sri Hari Mandir Sahib was the first important holy shrine, it became, as the center of inspiration and action and the most significant achievement of the Gurus, the chief place of pilgrimage for the Sikhs.

The origin of the place where the Sri Hari Mandir stands is shrouded in mystery. Some trace its origin to the pre-historic, Vedic-epic period as a place of considerable religious importance in the form of a Amrit Kund (Spring of Nectar). But the site seems to have lost its eminence under the sway of the Buddhist movement, which swept away most of the important Hindu holy places. Before its association with the Sikh Gurus, the site of the Hari Mandir was a low-lying area, with a small pond (at the present site of the Dukh Bhanjani Beri – Healer of Sorrows), set in jungle terrain, surrounded by tiny hamlets. But the place was on the route of caravans passing to the North-West frontier and other old trade centers. However, the site of the temple lay desolate before it began to be visited by the Sikh Gurus.

Many popular myths and legends are connected with the origin of the Amrit Sarowar (Tank of Nectar). It is said that Guru Amar Das found on the banks of the pool the desired herb for the skin ailment of Guru Angad (the second Guru of the Sikhs). A persistent local tradition highlights the medicinal properties of the waters of the pond: Rajni, the daughter of Rai Dhuni Chand, a kardar (revenue collector) of Patti, brought her leper husband here and he was cured after having a dip in the pond. It is said that Ram Das (at that time, on a visit to a nearby area) came to the place to investigate the above episode and was so much impressed with the beauty of the surroundings that he decided to make it a pilgrim center

The actual idea of establishing various places of pilgrimage had been conceived by Guru Amar Das. The predominant factor which motivated the Guru was to initiate centers where the traditions of the faith could be preached. The second factor was the consideration for the peaceful settlement of his future successor, Ram Das. In order to avoid all possibilities of clashes between his own progeny and the appointed successor Ram Das, Guru Amar Das deemed it better that his children stay at Goindwal and Ram Das settle at some new place.'

The new pilgrim center lay amidst the villages of Sultanwind, Tung, Gumtala and Gilwali at that time in the pargana of Jhabbal. The acquisition of the site by the Sikh Gurus is told in different versions by different historians: That the land was granted by Emperor Akbar to Guru Amar Das as a token of thanksgiving for his conquest of the fort of Chittor, when he visited the Guru at Goindwal, enroute to Lahore," that it was acquired by Guru Ram Das before the grant was actually obtained or purchased by the Guru on payment of Rs. 700 from the Zamindars of Tung at the instance of Emperor Akbar," that it was presented by the people of Sultanwind to the Guru out of reverence.'

Thus a group of Muslim architects, masons, carvers and other craftsmen were brought to Amritsar and lodged in a huge building known as Haveli Chaniotian, situated inside the Lahori Gate. (The Haveli Chaniotian was situated in Kucha Tarkhana, Gali Qabarwali. During the riots of 1947, this Haveli, along with its adjoining mosque, was demolished. The ruins of the mosque can still be.seen there, but there are absolutely no remnants of the haveli.) The entire Naqqashi (floral decoration) and Jaratkari (stone inlay) work was done by these artisans, under the supervision of Badaru-Mohiudin, the chief architect. After the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, the task of completing the work fell on three Sikhs – Bhagwan Singh Jamadar, Mangal Singh Ramgarhia and Rai Bahadur Kalyan Singh. Later, when the Muslim craftsmen emigrated through lack of patronage, the rest of the work was completed by local Sikh and Hindu artisans. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was fond of giving paintings, gold ornaments and fine textiles as gifts, in the course of his diplomatic dealings. Thus he had invited and patronized a number of skilled artisans and accomplished painters from the Pahari regions of Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Jodhpur. At his request, the Pahari painters (of whom only Parkhu's name is recorded) as well as some from Delhi, such as Jeevan Ram and Hasan-al-Din, came to settle in the plains of Punjab, both in Lahore and Amritsar. Along with the painters came the Pahari folk-songs and Pahari dishes as well. The courtyard of the Golden Temple was extended and remodeled in our own time. Amenities for hundreds of devotees who visited the town every day were provided with a view to attract more settlers. Ranjit Singh had displayed remarkable foresight in inviting the Marwari traders to settle in Amritsar, for he knew well that trade had an important part to play in the evolution of a society. (Among these eminent Marwaris of the time, Seth Radha Krishan, a social worker, and Padma Prakash Maheshwari deserve special mention.) During the reign of Ranjit Singh, a leading figure among these Marwari traders was Raja Vir Bhan: a scholar-priest, who brought along a number of Marwari merchants. He built a Saivite shrine, known as Vir Bhan-ka-Shivala (Vir Bhan was a devotee of Siva), inside the Ghee-Mandi Gate and commissioned painters to decorate its walls.

Through Ranjit Singh's initiative, Amritsar became a flourishing business centre. A business street now known as Katra Ahluwalian was at first Nauriah Bazar, named after a well-known community of the Marwaris. There is a popular tale retold by the old folk which further substantiates the habitation of Marwaris in this area: It is said that the Marwaris entreated Ranjit Singh to lay the foundation stone of Katra Ahluwalian. It was a momentary slip on his part that he laid the first brick in a slanting position, whereupon a priest, who was present on the occasion, predicted: "It is inauspicious that this has happened thus; now, instead of prosperity and good fortune, the reverse would befall." Ranjit Singh, the noble and generous king that he was, allotted each shop for a paltry rupee and a quarter by way of compensation against the threat of any future loss.
Ranjit Singh also encouraged the nobles of his court to reside in Amritsar. This triple blend of trade, religion and aristocratic patronage was soon to find reflection in art and architecture. Numerous Hindu temples, palatial havelis and burjs (residences of the rich), akharas of the Mahants (priests), dharamshalas for the convenience of pious pilgrims, sprang up.Amritsar, beginning from its pool of nectar, has remained the humming center of millions of devotees, the caravanserai of travelers, the greatest trade center of northern India, and an inspiration in the struggle for freedom for four centuries. And it will remain, what it has been since its foundation, the source of the passion for unity of faiths, which the Sikh Gurus preached for generations, as well as of the love that the poet-saint Nanak brought to a troubled world.