Mohave County miner., 1895-03-02
7hs Golden Temple at Amnfsar.

head-cener OF tie Sikh religion, 10 one of
the most beautiful temples in India, and
the charm 10 greatly heightened by the
surrounding grounds and famous lake,
which completely cut it off from the din
and noire Of the city. The scene is
eloQuenily described by Edwin Lord
Weeks IN An illustrated paper in Har.
per's Magazine, October, from which We
take the following:
"Amriissr, being the cathedral city Of
the S.khs. Is IN it's way great religious
center. As we'll as an important CONNER
cisl entrepot. II il city Of polemics,'
and is often chosen as iil,ing. gronnd
where wordy tournaments take place
between the professors Of diverse creeds,
where those who have gathered to dis
euss in epirit VI calm and temperate
investigation the merits Of each rec pec,.
i've faith often end 10 fierce controversy.
The Golden Temple and grounds are
the chief objects Of interest. At tho end
Of q narrow and crowded lane one comes
suddenly upon an open space, and below
the railing ut its edge lies tie far-fame1
Lake Of immortality, enclosed by palace
walls and screened by verdure. with the
'Golden Temple rising from an leland
IN the middle. But before descending
The steps, the prtfane visitor must halt
al the police station, and select q pair Of
slippers from the pile provided for the
use Of siraDgers. The uniformed Sikh
policeman who is deIsiled to accompany
each visitor first points out large sign,
with parallel columns in many languages,
enumersting at length the things which
one may not do on hsllo~ed ground.
The ssDciity Of the place conld not have
been more iealously guarded under Sikh
rule. From the border Of The tank which
li.s in the afternoon shadow, the Golden
Temple giytr. one the impression Of .
glitiering js~el, or Of some rare old
Byzantine cssk-t, wrought in enamel
and gold. aud sIudded With gems. Small
and eom2sc', glosjng with color and
scintilla,ing with light, its mirrored
image reaching far down into the purple
depths Of reflected sky, it has, at first
sight, 9 glamour Of unreality, like an
opium vision Of DE Quincy or the
pleasure dome Of Kublai Khan Two
coIors predomins'e, the gold of the upper
part Of the clustered domes, and The
white marble Of the base, toned and
softened by the faint color OF its inlaid
flowers. The curtained doors and d.
dows add fl ,shes Of scarlet. In it's en-.
vironment Of deep toned, dusky purple
sky and water II has the intensity Of =
luminous point or fccus Of light, and the
dark masses Of foliage in The background
are Of great value in the landscape.
"An advanced stale OF esiheiic culture
nay, it might be admitted, prove q
draw back TO the complete and unreas on.
ing enjoy ment Of this and Of similar
things in India, particularly il one 10
bisseed and hsmpered by preconceived
notions OF what is correct according 10
the canons Of conventional good taste In
matters Of classical, or Renaissance, or
Gothic art. The lake is surrour ded by
q tesselsted marble pavement, varitd d in
pattern, and shut 10 from the noise Of The
city by white palace walls. with balconies
and window-eeais overlooking The water,
and by great trees. On one side, there
is wilderness Of dark foliage belonging
TO distant gardens; among the trees are
q few cleaning kiosks snh domes, and
rising above them are three tall towers,
the most distant Of which is Of massive
form, and decorated with panels of tiles
and mosaic. Along the inlsid pavement
Of the margin, groups Of priests, worship-
era, and fakirs Of an order peculiar to the
Sikhs' religion, are slowly pacing. and
discoureing, let us hope. Of higher things,
and no Of the 'pice' which they have
extracted from their conhding followers.
Sometimes We come upon q priest or
pundit, seated under tree, or on little
marble seat at the waters edge, and
deeply absorbed in ponderous book.
Near the foot Of the step by which We
descend, there 10 usually schoolmaster
seated on the pavem ment, surrounded by
circle Of small students. A few artisans
who manufacture wooden spoons, com be-,
and other souvenirs of the shrine are
allowed to plv their trades in shady
corners around the tank, and the great
baskets OF the flower sellers beaped
hiuh with 1Oaea and ofhar Anuars