Reflections on my week in Amritsar and the Golden Temple

As the plane flew over night-time Amritsar for its landing, I caught my first glimpse of the Golden Temple after almost a decade. It glowed like a yellow jewel in the darkness outside the plane window.

The next morning, arriving at the Golden Temple, I was once again struck by the beauty of this religious icon. Seeing the shining Golden Temple in the serene pool is mesmerizing. It is a sacred place with prayers going on 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Although it has become a major tourist attraction, the Golden Temple remains the place where numerous people from around the world come hoping to have their prayers answered, and for those who have had their wishes fulfilled, to do their vows and give thanks to the Almighty.

To pay respect to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh holy book), one must wait in long queues, and it is hard to find any sitting place in the small inner sanctum to listen to the prayers. Walking around the pool, I came across the bathing areas for men and women where people can take dips in the sacred pool. On the sides, you see people resting or sleeping at all hours of the day. One can find peace sitting on the side of the pool, closing one’s eyes to the music-accompanied shabads (prayers), especially at night when the crowds are thinner. During the day, such peace is virtually impossible due to the noise of the crowds circulating around the pool.

In line with Sikh tradition, all are welcomed to the temple, irrespective of race, creed or religion. All are also welcomed to enjoy the langar (free community kitchen), with everyone sitting on the floor, regardless of social status. And langar is served 24 hours a day at the Golden Temple. The logistics of feeding the crowds in the large dining halls and preparing the food in the large communal kitchen are truly amazing. The never-ending queue of people, the endless rounds of serving food, cleaning up, and preparing for the next group is an endless cycle for the sevadars (volunteers) who handle the langar service at the Temple.

The logistical details of managing the many visitors and devotees also appear to be well-managed - from the footwear deposit service, the feet washing areas and the public facilities at the periphery of the Temple complex.

However, there are downsides: the large crowds make it difficult to find a peaceful moment. Then there are the occasional conmen waiting to take advantage of foreigners. One must also get used to the constant shoving, cutting of queues, and lack of respect for personal space.

Maintaining control of such large crowds and ensuring people do not do foolish things or behave disrespectfully is a task that falls upon the blue-robed Sikh guards with spears. The presence of these guards ensures that the experience of visiting is enjoyable for everyone. However, sometimes their behaviour seems arbitrary and unnecessarily abrasive. I experienced this on a couple of occasions while sitting beside the pool taking photos of the Golden Temple. One shouted at me that I cannot take videos, even though I wasn't. The worst one insisted I put away my camera because I cannot use it without "permission." Outside the inner sanctum of the Golden Temple there is no prohibition against photography, but I was not going to argue with a belligerent spear-wielding man in the early hours of the morning. So, I made peace. But the arbitrary behaviour of these individuals took away some of the joy of being in this holy place. They could probably do with better training in terms of how they interact with the public.

There was another strange practise that caught my eye. In the early morning, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is ceremonially brought into the inner sanctum of the Golden Temple at around 4:30am. All Sikhs must bow before the Sri Guru Granth Sahib as a sign of respect. What was disconcerting was to see large crowds queuing and bowing to an empty space, before the Granth Sahib had even arrived. Why the temple authorities were allowing this is beyond me. Perhaps, somebody with greater insight into this practice can enlighten me.

Amritsar itself is considered a holy city but beyond the immediate vicinity of the Temple, it doesn't look like one. It is dusty and dirty with uncollected refuse lying at the side of the narrow alleys. Waste is hauled away in overflowing open trailers hitched to tractors. Traffic conditions around Amritsar remain chaotic, with few traffic lights and even fewer traffic rules. In the decade since I last visited, the Punjab authorities do not seem to have done much to develop the city, except for a highway that runs through the middle of town and some better-quality hotels. But otherwise, Amritsar is as it was. Which is unfortunate given that the Sikhs are a proud people with a proud history.

The Punjab and Amritsar authorities need to start doing their jobs. Amritsar is a disgrace to the Punjabi people and only highlights their incompetence in managing their own affairs. The widespread corruption goes against the core teachings of the Sikh Gurus. Instead of practising Sikhism through having extra-large turbans, flowing beards and other outward manifestations of the faith, Punjab would be better served if Sikh politicians and civil servants practised 'sewa" or selfless service – a core tenant of Sikhism – and adopting the virtues preached by the religion.