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Sun 1^st March 2009

I get to write about our visit to the golden Temple because we visited there on my birthday!

Our overnight train arrived into Amritsar about 8:30am, and we disembarked having watched a golden sunrise out of the train window. We decided to walk from the station to stretch our legs a bit, and enjoyed absorbing the morning street life of Amritsar; the the melange of chai stalls, donkey carts, men carrying big bundles on their heads (there always seem to be people carrying big bundles around the streets of India - I think it can be anything from animal fodder to laundry to wares to sell at shops), autorickshaws and cycle rickshaws, shoe shiners etc.

We reached the Golden Temple and checked our backpacks into the free luggage store and our shoes into the shoe store, then walked through the foot bath into the Temple. The veiw of the Gold gilded Harmandir reflected in the shimmering pool around it was beautiful. Pilgrims bathe in the holy water of the Amrit Sarovar ("Pool of immortality-giving nectar) which is deliciously cool and has giant goldfish swimming in it. We dipped our feet in, but didn't fully sumerge ourselves (much as I wanted to!)

We soon found the gigantic Guru-Ka-Langar, the communanal canteen where over 10000 people are served fantastically delicous thali style food in constant sittings. Ben and I found the humility of the service incredibly moving as we observed hundreds of Sikh volunteers in service: dishing out curry, dahl, rice pudding, chapatis to the lines of hungry visitor, cooking, passing dirty plates along an efficient chain to the washing up sinks and stationed at every turn around the temple to point people in the right direction. Not one appeared bored or as if were simply fulfilling a duty, on the contrary all gave off an air of a genuine desire to serve and assist, giving the Golden Temple a serene, safe and happy atmosphere. The idea of eating together is suppoed to reinforce the notion of equality. With all the families and pilgrims eating together, sitting on the floor outside to listen to the holy music, and dipping in the pool, there is a family festival feel to the place.

After eating, Ben and I joined the mass of people queing across the bridge to entre the Harmandir itself. We were the only foreigners and made to feel very welcome and accepted as we entred the holy building with the throng of pilgrims. the building has door on all four side signifying it is open to people from all religions, all parts of the world, and all castes. Inside, the building is beautifully decked out in blue satin, crystal light and golden carving. Readings from the Guru Granth Sahib continue 24 hours a day and after making their offerings, many people find a spot on the floor to sit and chant along with the text for a while. I feel highly priveledged to have participated in a visit to this stunning pilgrimage site.

I was planning to write a little about Lahore now, but find that I cannot do Lahore justice if I tack it onto the end of the Golden Temple! Suffice to say for now, that we continue to find Lahorites uncommonly welcoming and helpful, are enjoying the company of many other over landers at the Regale Internet Inn, and have had the priveledge of attending eventsm of traditional Qawali (Mulism) Music, a nation renouned deaf sufi drummer and sufi spinners, and last night a suf festival.

The only bad news is that Ben and I were refused an Iranian visa on our first attempt (British citizens are not popular with Iran at the moment, and considering our Governments middle eastern foriegn policy in the last few years who can blame them!). We are trying again through a VERY expensive agency and are yet again waiting for a reponse. We stilll hope we can finish this trip without resorting to a flight over Iran. Insh'Allah.

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