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Golden Temple, Amritsar
Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) · Amritsar, Punjab, India
The golden heart of Sikhism, where the spirit of equality and service is palpable.
Antes de ir · Know before you go
- No smoking, alcohol or meat anywhere in the temple complex
- don't touch the scripture
- keep your head covered throughout your visit.
Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.
Culture
Cultura y costumbres
Contexto cultural
The sacred pool of the Golden Temple was completed in 1577 by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru; the fifth, Guru Arjan, built the sanctum and installed the holy scripture in 1604; in the early 19th century Maharaja Ranjit Singh covered it in gold leaf, giving it the name 'Golden Temple'. The sanctum has doors on all four sides, symbolising openness to people of every caste and faith; its free kitchen (langar) serves free meals to tens of thousands of pilgrims and visitors every day, with volunteers of every background working side by side.
Costumbres locales
- You must cover your head (scarves are provided free at the entrance), go barefoot and cover your shoulders and knees
- the sacred pool (Amrit Sarovar) surrounds the sanctum, and worshippers wash their hands in its holy water.
Religión y creencias
- Sikhism's holiest site: the sanctum holds the Adi Granth scripture, recited day and night
- keep silent, walk clockwise, and don't take photos with your back to the scripture.
Etiquette
Normas y tabúes
Normas que se aplican aquí
India: some states ban alcohol completely
- Before visiting Bihar, Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland or Lakshadweep, learn the alcohol rules
- Drinking or carrying alcohol in a dry area
- Drinking in parks and other public places
Drinking or possessing alcohol in a dry state can lead to arrest without bail and 5 to 10 years in prison.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: India travel advice
India: e-cigarettes are banned
- Leave your e-cigarette at home
- Bringing an e-cigarette into India or buying one there
E-cigarettes and related products are banned in India.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: India travel advice
India: no satellite phones or GPS devices without a permit
- Before you leave, check whether your equipment needs a permit
- Carrying a satellite phone or satellite navigation device without a permit (even in transit)
Illegal; you can be fined or arrested and the device confiscated. British tourists have been arrested for this.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: India travel advice
No lo haga DON'T
- No smoking, alcohol or meat anywhere in the temple complex
- don't touch the scripture
- keep your head covered throughout your visit.
Lo que aprecian los locales DO
Punjabis are warm hosts and like to invite visitors to experience the 'community kitchen', sharing roti and dal.
Plan your visit
Información práctica
Consejos de viaje
- At night the lights of the Golden Temple reflected in the pool are stunning, so visit once by day and once in the evening
- meals in the langar are free, but take only what you need and clear your plate
- the early-morning recitation is solemn and worth getting up for.
Eat nearby
Qué comer cerca
Imprescindible
- Free communal kitchen (langar)
- Amritsari kulcha
- Amritsari fish
The free community kitchen (langar: dal, roti, vegetables and kheer rice pudding — all vegetarian), Amritsari kulcha (tandoor-baked bread with chickpeas), Amritsari fish (spiced fried fish, outside the temple), lassi
| Dónde comer | The Golden Temple's langar hall, kulcha shops and snack streets in the old town outside the temple |
|---|---|
| Normas en la mesa | Langar rules: cover your head, remove shoes, wash hands and feet, sit cross-legged on the floor in rows (pangat), receive food with your right hand, finish everything without waste, don't tip volunteers — donations are voluntary; no alcohol, tobacco or meat inside the temple |
| Precio orientativo por persona | Langar is free; a meal outside the temple costs INR 300–600 ≈ CNY 25–50 |
| Consejos | You can join seva as a volunteer, washing dishes or chopping vegetables; at peak times there's a queue for langar, but it moves quickly. |
Los precios son orientativos a octubre de 2026, no presupuestos exactos; en zonas con tipos de cambio muy variables solo se da un intervalo aproximado en yuanes.
LittleT889 · CC BY 4.0
Photos
Fotos
_at_night%2C_Amritsar%2C_Punjab%2C_India_(2017)_1.jpg?width=640)
Manpreet Singh Dhillon · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jasp95599 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0
Fuentes y notas de verificación
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