Sikh Pilgrims At Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India Editorial Photo

Two Sikh devotees, sitting cross-legged in silent meditation, in front of the Golden Temple at Amritsar. The Temple complex, known as the Harmandir Sahib, is the holiest shrine for the Sikhs. Work on the Harmandir Sahib was started in 1577, by the fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Singh and completed in 1604; again rebuilt in 1764, after destruction by Afghan invaders. The golden lining and marble work was done in the early nineteenth century, by Maharaj Ranjit Singh and about 750 kg of gold was used. The fluted dome, or Gumbaz, is shaped like an inverted lotus. Temple is built in the center of the Holy Tank, or Sarovar, fed by the Ravi River