Akal Takht In Amritsar, Punjab

History of Akal Takht Sahib: Its construction was started in 1606 by Shri Guru Hargobind. He was the 6th Sikh Guru who laid down this foundation with a view to create a central place for justice and consideration of temporal issues. When the construction was completed, Guru Sahib put forth 2 swords of miri (indicating temporal authority) and piri (indicating spiritual authority).

The Architecture of Akal Takht: The original architecture of Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar was a simple platform for the Guru to sit. Later, an open-air semi-circular structure supported by marble pillars was also added to the original structure. The modern structure features a 5-storey building including a marble dome plated with gold. The Akal Takht in 1984 was attacked by the Indian Army during Operation Blue Star but later it was restored by the Sikhs.

Role of Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar: Akal Takht Amritsar is still headed by an appointed head known as the Jathedar. Each Akal Takht has an appointed Jathedar. Currently, Singh Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh is the Akal Takht jathedar. The jathedars of different takhts are appointed by the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee).

List of Artifacts at Akal Takht: There are many artifacts at Akal Takhat and some of these are Swords of Guru Hargobind Sahib, Sword of Baba Buddha Ji, Sword of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Pistol of Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed, Medium-Sized Khanda of Baba Deep Singh Ji, Two arrows of Guru Gobind Singheach containing one Tola of Gold and many more.

5 Akal Takhts of Sikhism: The 5 Akal Takhts of Sikhism are Sri Akal Takht, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, and Takht Sri Patna Sahib. Sri Akal Takht is located in Golden Temple Amritsar. Takht Sri Damdama Sahib is located in the village of Talwandi near Bhatinda. Khalsa is home to Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra on the banks of Godavari River. Takht Sri Patna Sahib is located in the capital city of Bihar which is Patna.

Being a religiously, and historically important place, Akal Takht is a must-visit place for people who are visiting Amritsar. A visit to the Akal Takht lets a person peep into the illustrious Sikh history, and also reveals the significance of this sacred place.