My visit to Harimandir Sahib

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa
Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh

Sangat Jee,

I need your help!

I am making a very short trip to India this friday, and am landing in Amritsar becuase I have craved Darshan of Sri Harimandir Sahib for the last 5 years. Last time I was there in 2005, I had no care or concern or knew much about the History of Harimandir Sahib which i am very regretable for.

With more love for sikhi and alot more yearning and knowledge about Sri Harimandir Sahib, I had to go against all odds to book my ticket for Amritsar. Thankfully, I feel Vaheguru heard my plea and is allowing me to come. However, I only have very short time, as I will be landing at 9 am and will need to leave Amritsar by noon as my family is travelling to Rajasthan from there on wards.

Sangat Ji, my only hope for my physical alliments and worldy alliments is an ardas at sri harimandir sahib, reciting chaupai sahib or sukhmani sahib while i am there, ishnaan, and perhaps visiting the dukh bhanjani beri. I read a beautiful article a while ago, listing all the places within Harimandir sahib that people should visit and their significance and I can't seem to find it any longer, i think i had read it on this website but i cant seem to find it now.

Please help me on determing what i should be visiting within the complex in my very short visit. As well as I would like to sit and do atleast 5 Sri Chaupai Sahib or 1 Sri Sukhmani Sahib Paat, where is the best place for me to do that within the complex.

Thank you.

Vaheguroo! I'm glad to your thirst for Sikhi is leading you back to the most pavitar place on this planet. When in Amritsar, you should definetly also visit the four other sarovars, the weather there is nice now and you should be able to take Eshnaan at all five sarovars. The harmandir Sahib complex itself is not a good place for personal bhagtee, it is more suited for getting laha of sangateee keertan, and the noise of the keertan is all you hear over the whole complex. But if you want to do some path i would suggest either the roof of Darbar Sahib, or roof of Akal Takht Sahib. Another place you should defiantly do Sukhmani Sahib da path is at Ramsar because that is where Sri Pancham Pita Sahib Ji, first ucharred that bani.

Off the beaten track you can have a glimpse of the Ramgarhia bunga. It is a heritage building and one of the only puratan bungas left of the Sikh Misl Period. To access the place you can go behind the langar hall and ask a sewadar. The underground of the bunga really takes you back to the Misl Period with Nanakshahi bricks, niches to keep lamps for lighting and an old well untouched by the modern builders. It is advisable to take a torch there as it is dark.

Then you can go and meet Bhai Sahib Bhai Jeevan Singh ji. They live just behind Shree Akaal Takht Sahib ji. Its a wonderful experience

Also One would love to meet Bibi Amarjeet Kaur ji, the Singhni of Shaheed Bhai Fauja Singh ji, who just lives near Akaal Takht Sahib within the complex.

The Central Sikh Museum is a wonderful place to see in Amritsar Sahib. Among the famous artifacts it includes is a crystal vase which is an offering of Queen Elizabeth II, old poles which were used during the 1830's Gold Seva of Shree Harmandir Sahib, Old notice from 1850's asking Europeans to abide with Sikh rules when near to Amritsar, The shield used by Bhai Fauja Singh ji during 1978 Nirankari clash and much more...

The Company Bagh which is a little away from Amritsar Khas (takes about 15 minutes from Golden Temple when on a rickshaw). It is a wonderful yet not much known place. Company Bagh was the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh ji. Now it has a Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama Museum which exhibits wonderful displays from Maharaja's life. Also at the main gate of the Bagh one can see a Namdhari Shaheedi Asthan where the real Khalsa Kookas were hanged for killing the butchers of Amritsar.

If you would love to shop some Sarbloh bhande from Amritsar, don't buy them from the shops near to Harmandir Sahib for many of them are very costly and not real sarbloh (polished). There is a shop called Bhai Sohan Singh and sons in Lakshman Chowk, Amritsar (Near to Baba Deep Singh ji GURDWARA) that sells wonderful products made out of Sarbloh.

Hope this was helpful

Fateh to Guru Ram Dass ji's Charan

Dass
Harleen Singh

ਇੱਕ ਵਾਰੀ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਸ਼ਾਇਰ ਨੂੰ
ਪੁਛਿਆ :
"ਤਾਜ ਮਹਲ"ਅਤੇ"ਸ੍ਰੀ ਦਰਬਾਰ
ਸਾਹਿਬ, ਸ੍ਰੀ ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ
ਜੀ"ਵਿੱਚ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਰਕ ਹੈ ?
ਉਸ ਸ਼ਾਇਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ :
"ਤਾਜ ਮਹਲ ਦੇ
ਅੰਦਰ"ਮੌਤ"ਦਾ ਸੰਨਾਟਾ ਹੈ
ਪਰ"ਸ੍ਰੀ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ,
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ"ਅੰਦਰ
ਮੁਰਦਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ ਮਿਲਦੀ ਹੈ !"
____
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ਦੇਖਾ !
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ਖਾਤੇ ਦੇਖਾ !
ਔਰ ਮੁਰਦੋੰ ਕੋ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ ਪਾਤੇ ਦੇਖਾ !"