If Asked to name my favorite among the'spiritually charged' places of the world, among the many hundreds I have visited and photographed, it would be hard to choose any one in particular, but in the top ten would certainly be the Golden Temple. It is a place of both serene beauty and inner peacefulness. Originally a small lake in the midst of a quiet forest, the site has been a 'meditation retreat' for wandering mendicants and sages down the ages. Gautam Buddha is known to have spent time at this place in contemplation.Two thousand years later, another Enlightened Philosopher-saint came by the lake. This was Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion. The lake was enlarged and structurally contained during the leadership of the fourth Sikh Guru (Ram Dass, 1574-1581), and during the leadership of the fifth Guru (Arjan, 1581-1606), the Hari Mandir, or Temple of God was built. From the early 1600s to the mid 1700s the sixth through tenth Sikh Gurus were constantly involved in defending both their religion and their temple against Moslem armies. On numerous occasions the temple was destroyed by the Moslems, and each time was rebuilt more beautifully by the Sikhs. From 1767 onwards, the Sikhs became strong enough militarily to repulse invaders. Peace returned to the Hari Mandir.

The temple's architecture represents a unique harmony between the Islamic and the Hindu way of construction work and this is considered the best architectural specimens of the world. It is often quoted that this architecture has evoluted into an independent Sikh school of architecture in the history of art in India.Louis Rousselet, writing in 1882, regarded it as a "handsome style of architecture".

During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), Hari Mandir was richly ornamented with marble inlay art, golden gilding, and large quantities of precious stones. Within the sanctuary, on a jewel-studded platform, lies the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. This scripture is a collection of devotional poems, prayers, and hymns composed by the ten Sikh gurus and various Moslem and Hindu saints. Beginning early in the morning and lasting until long past sunset, these hymns are chanted to the exquisite accompaniment of musical instruments. Echoing across the serene lake, this enchantingly beautiful meditative music, induces a delicate state of peace and bliss in the pilgrims strolling leisurely around the marble concourse encircling the pool and temple. Next to the temple complex are enormous pilgrims' dormitories and dining halls where all persons, irrespective of race, religion, or gender, are lodged and fed for free.