Introduction

The year 1606 marked a watershed in Sikh history. The death 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 Guru 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.

Special Attributes

Temporal headquarters of the Sikh faith

Nuisance

The site is very peaceful and free of irritants.

Dressing restrictions

Dress conservatively

Connectivity

Well connected by rickshaws and auto rickshaws

Enjoyed by

Religious minded, culture and history buffs

Exposure

The marble flooring heats up during the day especially in summer.

Avoidable Season

May, June

Facilities

Basic, plan accordingly

Things Not Allowed

No such restriction.

Tip

Cover your head

Type of site

Religious complex