Punjabi Darbar Sahib or Harimandir
Chief house of worship for the Sikhs of India (see Sikhism ) and their most important pilgrimage site, located in the city of Amritsar in Punjab state.
Founded by Guru Ramdas (157481) and completed by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604, the temple has entrances on four sides, signifying a welcome to all creeds and castes. Though destroyed in the 1760s by Afghan invaders, it was rebuilt, and in the early 19th century it acquired its marble walls and gold-plated copper domes. The surrounding buildings include a meeting hall, reference library, and museum, as well as the shrine known as the Akal Takhat. In 1984 the complex was seriously damaged during a confrontation between Sikh separatists and government troops; it was subsequently restored.