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Golden Temple

Religious and Sacred Buildings
Domed Shrine on a Water Causeway

The Golden Temple is a gurdwara in Amritsar, Punjab, India, the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism and its holiest shrine. Its complex is built around the sanctum sanctorum and the Amrit Sarovar, the sacred pool that surrounds it, and includes the Akal Takht, the chief seat of religious authority in Sikhism, along with a clock tower, a museum and a langar, the free community kitchen that serves a vegetarian meal to every visitor regardless of background. More than 150,000 people visit the shrine each day, making it one of the most visited religious sites in the world, and it has been nominated to UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage Sites.

Facts
Disputed
Completed Year
1830 1
Construction spanned centuries: the sarovar pool was completed in 1577, Guru Arjan installed the Adi Granth in 1604, and the sanctum was rebuilt in marble and copper in 1809 before being overlaid with gold leaf in 1830, the event that gave the temple its current name and appearance; no single completion year is uncontested.
Building Type
Temple Complex 1
Location
Amritsar, Punjab, India 1
Classification
Standing Status
Standing 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)
Temple / Shrine 1
Connections

Has Building Type

Temple, Concepts

In Style

Indo-Islamic Architecture, Styles and Movements
Source Wikipedia: Golden Temple
Mughal Architecture, Styles and Movements
Source Wikipedia: Golden Temple
Rajput Architecture, Styles and Movements
Source Wikipedia: Golden Temple

Uses Element

Copper, Architectural Materials
Source Wikipedia: Golden Temple
Marble, Architectural Materials
Source Wikipedia: Golden Temple
In the Other Atlases

Located In

India

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Source Wikipedia: Golden TempleLead sentence 1
Quote, Lead sentence 1
The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Golden Temple
Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, sentence describing the gurdwara complex of buildings
    The gurdwara complex is a collection of buildings around the sanctum sanctorum and the sarovar (holy pool), known as the Amrit Sarovar.
  • Lead paragraph, opening sentence naming Amritsar, Punjab, India
    The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
  • Third paragraph, sentence on the 1830 gold leaf overlay
    overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830. This has led to the name the Golden Temple.
  • Wikipedia "Golden Temple" intro (read live, w-fk-arch-rel2-0927c, R-K)
  • Lead section
    The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism and its holiest site.
  • In Style: Mughal Architecture, Article body
    a mixture of the Indo-Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput architecture
  • In Style: Rajput Architecture, Article body
    a mixture of the Indo-Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput architecture
  • In Style: Indo-Islamic Architecture, Article body
    a mixture of the Indo-Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput architecture
  • Uses Element: Marble, Wikipedia lead
    Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after founding the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830.
  • Uses Element: Copper, Wikipedia lead
    Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after founding the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830.
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