Akal Takht

Just near the Golden Temple of Amritsar and opposite to the marbled Darshni Deorhi, the Akal Takht stands pretty. Considered the highest seat of the Sikh authority, the Akal Takht was built by Guru Hargovind in the year 1609.

Shri Hargovind was the sixth guru of the Sikhs who made immense contribution to popularize the religion. Regarded as the Lord's home, it is called - Akal Bunga.

Respected as the holiest place of the Sikhs, the Akal Takht visited by thousands of devotees every day. They offer prayers to the Gurus and seek their divine blessings. The traditional arms and weapons used by the earlier Gurus and Sikh warriors are displayed every evening at the Akal Takht.

The place where the Akal Takht is located shares many historical events. It is said that before the Akal Takht was constructed, it was a play ground where the sixth Guru as a child used to spend time with his playmates.

It was here that he was established as the Guru after his father - Guru Arjan Dev's death. Guru Hargovind used to supervise the young Sikhs practicing their warfare exercises in the same spot. Later he decided to build the imposing Akal Takht at that site.

Akal Takht today, is an imposing five storied premise. Four stories of the majestic Akal Takht of Amritsar was built by the great follower Maharajah Ranjith Singh while Han Singh Nalwa constructed the Golden Dome. The Akal Takht is an integral part of the Golden Temple complex and one of the popular Amritsar Tourist Attractions.



Last Updated on 14 January 2011