Akal Takht in Amritsar

Adjacent to the Golden Temple, is the marble paved square facing the Darshni­ Deorhi. On the opposite side of the marble square stands the Akal Takht, which is regarded as the supreme seat of Sikh religious authority. It was constructed by the sixth Guru Sri Hargobind in 1609. It is also called as Akal Bunga, the house of the Lord. The place is repository of the various weapons used by Sikh Gurus and heroes. These weapons are ceremoniously displayed every evening to the congregation of devotees. The Akal Takht being the holiest of holy seats of the Sikhs, was used for a special purpose which considerably changed the Sikh character and organization. The sixth Guru himself sat here and held a court of justice. Many Sikhs gathered here for the redressal of their grievances. Offerings were made to the Guru.

The year 1606 marked a watershed in Sikh history. The passing of Guru Arjan Dev on the diktat of Mughal Emperor Jahangir triggered a significant change in direction of the new faith. Guru Hargobind, who succeeded him, started adding a martial dimension to the spiritual tenets of Sikhism to tackle future Mughal persecution. This led to the construction of the Akal Takht within the Harmandir Sahib Complex. And from here strategies of battles ahead were worked out. Writes Khushwant Singh in his seminal book 'A History of the Sikhs', "It was here that] instead of chanting hymns of peace, the congregation heard ballads extolling feats of heroism and discussed plans of religious discourses."

As part of this approach, Guru Hargobind welcomed arms and horses from followers and well wishers. He went on to build a fort called Lohgarh. It was later destroyed by the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Abdali, but he had sown the seed of a warrior community. One that was perfected by the 10th Guru – Gobind Singh! History enthusiasts can see remains of the walls of the fort behind rows of shops in the bazaar near the temple.

Today, the Akal Takht is a five-storeyed white marble edifice with a gold-plated roof on the lines of Harmandir Sahib. The present structure was built by Ranjit Singh's braveheart general - Hari Singh Nalwa. He played a valiant part in spreading Ranjit Singh's territory well into the Pathan territories.

The Akal Takht was later extensively damaged during 'Operation Bluestar' by the Indian Army to flush out terrorists in 1984. It was rebuilt thereafter.

The Akal Takht also has a religious significance. There is a long tradition started by Guru Hargobind wherein the Granth Sahib is brought here from the Harmandir Sahib at night (10.45 pm) and carried back to Harminder Sahib (4 am) the next morning. This is based on the Miri Piri concept propagated by Guru Hargobind Singh. Miri stands for temporal or political authority while Piri stands for spiritual authority and Guru Hargobind symbolically associated Miri with the Akal Takht and Piri with the Harmandir Sahib. In a manner of speaking the Guru thus signified the separation of sacred religious thought from politics even while establishing the link between the two.

A trip to Amritsar will give you an opportunity to explore the authentic beauties of the past as well as the present. Book your cheap flights to Amritsar with Oceans Travel and experience the colourful traditions and values of India. With regular flights from Birmingham to Amritsar, London Heathrow to Amritsar and all other major UK airports you will find a fantastic deal. Popular flights such as Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkmenistan Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways fly to Amritsar. Don't miss out and book your cheap ticket to Amritsar with Oceans Travel.