Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-09-03
The Indian Temple at Amrltsar.

As to the golden temple at Amritsar.
called Hari- -mandir, or sometimes Durhar
Sahib, il may be SAID to rank next TO the
TAI at Agra as one of the most striking
sights of India. To form an idea of the
unique spectacle presented by this sacred
locality one must picture to oneself large
square sheet. of water, bordered by mar
bic pavement, in the centre of picturesque
Indian town. Around the margin of this
artificial lake are clustered numerous fine
mansions, most of them once the property
Of sikh chiefs who assembled here every
year and spent vast sums on the endowment
OF fhe central shrine. One of the houses is
now occupied by Sirdar Mangal Sinh Ram
gnTia, well-knOwn and much-esteemed
member OF the Sikh community. Ii has
two lofty towers, from one Of which | en-
joyed grand panoramic view of the lake
s,sa It's vicinity-one of those rare sights
seiSat intervals dnrinG life rshieh fly than
Centre of the water rises the beautiful tenn
pie with its gilded dome and cupolas, ap-
preached by a marble causeway, and quite
unlike any other place of worship to be seen
throughout India. In structure and ap-
pearance it is kind of compromise between
a HindOo temple and MOhammedan
mosque, reminding one of the attempted
compromise between Hindooism and Islam,
which was once a favorite idea with both
Kabir and Nanak. In point of mere size
the shrine is not imposing, but its proper
tions strike one as nearly perfect. All tine
lower part is of marble, inlaid, like the
Tai, with precious stones, and here and
there overlaid with gold and silver. The
principal entrance facing the causeway
looks toward the north. The interior is
even more gorgeous than the exterior. On
the ground-fioor is well-proportioned
vaulted hall, its richly gilded ceiling orna-
mented with an infinite number of small
mirrors, and its walls decorated with inlaid
work of various designs, flowers, birds and
elephants. Four short passages, entered by
carved silver doors, one on each of its four
sides, lead to this vaultcd chamber, giving
il shape not unlike that of a Greek cross.
All around on the outside is a narrow cOrri-
dor. In the interior, opposite the principal
entrance, sits the presiding Guru-his legs
folded under him on the bare grOund-with
the open Granth before him. He is attend
ed by other officials of the temple, who as
sist him in chanting1he sacred texts. And
be it observed, that although the temple is
conspicuously free from images and is de
dicated TO the one Supreme Being (under
his name Hari), a visible representation
of the invisible God is believed TO be pres
ent in the sacred book. The Granth is, in
fact, the real divinity of the shrine, and is
treated as if il had veritable personal eX-
istence. Every morning it is dressed ont
in costly brocade, and reverently placed on
low throne under a jeweled canopy, said
to have been constructed by Ranjit Sinh at
a cost of $4,000 rupees. All day long
chowries are waved over the sacred volume,
and every evening it is transported to the
second temple on the edge of the lake op-
posite the causeway, where it is made to
repose for the night in u golden bed within
a consecrated chamber rallied off and pro
tected from all profane invasion by bolts
and bars.