Harmandir Saheb, Sikh Pilgrimage in India
Guru Arjan Sahib got its foundation laid
by a muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir ji of Lahore on 1st of Magh, 1645
Bikrmi Samvat(December,1588). The construction work was directly
supervised by Guru Arjan Sahib himself and he was assisted by the
prominent Sikh personalities like Baba Budha ji, Bhai Gurdas ji, Bhai
Sahlo ji and many other devoted Sikhs.
Unlike erecting the structure on the
higher level(a tradition in Hindu Temple architecture), Guru Arjan Sahib
got it built on the lower level and unlike Hindu Temples having only
one gate for the entrance and exit, Guru Sahib got it open from four
sides. Thus he created a symbol of new faith, Sikhism. Guru Sahib made
it accessible to every person without any distinction of Caste, creed,
sex and religion.
The building work completed in 1601 A.D.
on Bhadoon Sudi 1st, 1661 Bikrmi Samvat (August/September,1604). Guru
Arjan Sahib installed newly created Guru Granth Sahib, in Sri Harmandir
Sahib and appointed Baba Budha ji as its first Granthi i.e. the reader
of Guru Granth Sahib. After this event it attained the status of ‘Ath
Sath Tirath’. Now the Sikh Nation had their own Tirath, a pilgrimage
center
Sri Harmandir Sahib, is built on a 67ft.
square platform in the centre of the Sarovar(tank). The temple itself
is 40.5ft. square. It has a door each on the East, West, North and
South. The Darshani Deori (an arch) stands at the shore end of the
causeway. The door frame of the arch is about 10ft in height and 8ft
6inches in breath. The door panes are decorated with artistic style. It
opens on to the causeway or bridge that leads to the main building of
Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is 202 feet in length and 21 feet in width.
The bridge is connected with the 13 feet
wide ‘Pardakshna’ (circumambulatory path). It runs round the main
shrine and it leads to the ‘Har ki Paure’ (steps of God). On the first
floor of ‘Har ki Paure’, there is continuous reading of Guru Granth
Sahib.
The main structure of Sri Harmandir
Sahib, functionally as well as technically is a three-storied one. The
front, which faces the bridge, is decorated with repeated cusped arches
and the roof of the first floor is at the height of the 26 feet and 9
inches.
At the top of the first floor 4 feet
high parapet rises on all the sides which has also four ‘Mamtees’ on the
four corners and exactly on the top of the central hall of the main
sanctuary rises the third story. It is a small square room and have
three gates. A regular recitation of Guru Granth Sahib is also held
there.
On the top of this room stands the low
fluted ‘Gumbaz’(dome) having lotus petal motif in relief at the base
inverted lotus at the top which supports the ‘Kalash’ having a beautiful
‘Chhatri’ at the end.
Its architecture represents a unique
harmony between the Muslims and the Hindus way of construction work and
this is considered the best architectural specimens of the world. It is
often quoted that this architecture has created an independent Sikh
school of architecture in the history of art in India.
