Golden Temple
The Holiest Gurdwara Of Sikhism, Seat Of The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee'S Highest Shrine; The Akal Takht Faces It Across The Causeway · Amritsar, Punjab
The holiest shrine of Sikhism, a gold-covered temple standing in the middle of a square pool in the old city of Amritsar, reached by a single marble causeway. It is officially Harmandir Sahib, and the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, is read inside it continuously through the day to a steady stream of devotional music. Everything about it is free and open to everyone, of any faith, at almost any hour. Its langar, the community kitchen, serves a free vegetarian meal to tens of thousands of people every day, cooked and washed up by volunteers, and eating on the floor with everyone else is part of the visit rather than an extra. The marble walkway around the pool is the place to sit, and it is transformed at night, when the temple is lit and reflected in the water. Cover your head, take off your shoes and wash your feet, and nobody will ask anything more of you. Jallianwala Bagh, the site of the 1919 massacre, is a few minutes' walk away, and the Wagah border ceremony is an easy evening trip from the city.
Golden Temple Road, Atta Mandi, Amritsar, Punjab, 143006, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The complex is effectively open around the clock, every day of the year, and entry is always free. The sanctum closes for a short period late at night, after the Palki Sahib ceremony carries the scripture to rest, and reopens before dawn when it is brought back; the exact times shift between summer and winter. The langar serves day and night. The Central Sikh Museum keeps daytime hours. The Wagah ceremony starts in the late afternoon, earlier in winter and later in summer, and its gates close well before it begins. The traps: reaching Wagah too late to get in, and arriving on a festival day without expecting hours-long queues on the causeway. Confirm ceremony times locally.