India / Punjab/ Amritsar/ Amritsar
Sight Address : Akal Takht is located in the Harmandir Sahib complex in Amritsar, Punjab Edit
Detail InformationEdit
Akal Takht, literally means Eternal Throne. It is considered as the one among the five sacred Takhts and has obtained the status of the power point of all religious activities of the Sikhs. Situated in the holiest premises of the Golden Temple, Akal Takht is conferred with the authority to call upon and order contrition on persons blamed with breach of sacred regulation.The oldest of the all takhts, Akal Takht stands as an insignia of righteousness. Guru Granth Sahib, which adorns the sanctum of the golden temple, is kept at Akal Takht in the night. Conventionally all Sikh combatants seek blessings here before leaving to the battlefield. The social life of the entire community is hang around Akal Takht where they hold meetings and make decisions. It is the most supreme of all the Takhts.
HistoryEdit
Akal Takht was built by the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji as a symbol for political sovereignty of Sikhs. It was established as the place from which the spiritual and temporal concerns of the Sikh people could be acted upon. It stood as a symbol of political and military resistance against the tyranny and cruelty of the 17th- and 18th-century rulers. In the 18th century, Ahmed Shah Abdali led a series of attacks on the Akal Takht and Harmandir Sahib. Akal Takht Sahib represents the sovereignty of the Sikh Nation. It stood as a symbol of political bulwark against the Mughal emperors in the 17th and 18th century. Various attacks on the Akal Takht and Harimandir Sahib have been led in past by Ahmed Shah Abdali and Massa Rangar in the 18th century. On June 4, 1984, the Akal Takht was badly damaged when the Indian Army attempted to invade the Darbar Sahib Complex. The Jathedar of the Akal Takhat is the highest spokesperson of the Sikh religion. Khande-Bate-Dee-Pahul or the initiation with the sword, initiated by Guru Gobind Singh, continues to be routinely performed at the Akal Takht. Hari Singh Nalwa, a General under Maharaja Ranjit Singh the leader of the Sikh Kingdom, wished to make the Akal Takht resplendent with gold and had donated a part of his wealth for this purpose.
Must SeeEdit
Popular
Visiting TimeEdit
N.A.
Closed OnEdit
N.A.
Best Season to VisitEdit
Winter, between October and March.
Best Time To VisitEdit
Morning , Afternoon , Evening.
Time Required for SightseeingEdit
1-2 Hour.
Ticket Required : No Edit
Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.
Kids Rs. : N.A.
Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.
Kids Rs. : N.A.
Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.
Video Camera Rs. : N.A.
Guide Required : No Edit
Approximate cost: N.A.
Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit
Dress Require: N.A.
Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit
- Bubby Dhaba ; Amritsar, Punjab 143001 ; Ph/M – N.A. ; Food Serve – N.A.
How to ReachEdit
Taxi : This is place is well connected by road and it is easily accessible by taxi.Cabs will cost you more than Rs 200, and these can be taken up at the following agencies. Jawala Taxi Service- Ph: 0183 2532500
Punjab Taxi Service- Ph: 0183 2553761
Bus : Amritsar lies on the Grand Trunk Road that connects it with Delhi. Amritsar is well connected by road network with cities and towns in and out Punjab. State Transport Buses as well as other private buses are easily available to and from Amritsar. Daily direct buses to New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu, Katra, Dharamsala etc. are available from here. You can even find Volvo buses from Chandigarh, Delhi and Katra to Amritsar. Amritsar is 65 km from Kapurthala, 80 km from Jalandhar and 100 km from Pathankot.
Buses are the preferred mode of transport in Amritsar and buses that are run by the government normally charge around Rs 4 to 10 for a trip. However, Amritsar has a free bus service that you can avail in order to get to the Golden Temple from the local railway station. You can opt for this service in case you are looking to make a quick visit and travel back home from the city. Buses are well maintained and moderately crowded in Amritsar.
Train : Amritsar Railway Station is an important junction which is very well connected with major cities of India as well as with Lahore, the capital of Pakistan via rail rout. Some of the chief trains that can be availed to reach Amritsar include: Shatabdi Express, Shan-e-Punjab Express, Golden Temple Mail, Paschim Express, Akal Takht Express, Howrah-Amritsar Mail, Jan Shatabdi Express, Muri Express, Swarna Shatabdi, Amritsar Shatabdi and so on. Major destinations accessed from Amritsar via rail include Delhi, Mumbai, Howrah, Patna, Varanasi, Haridwar, Lucknow, Jammu and many more. After getting down at the railway station, take an auto-rickshaw, bus or hire a taxi to reach the destination within the city. Enquiries : 139, 0183 – 2210809
Reservation – 0183 – 2566486
Air : Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, located about 11 kilometers northwest from the city is the closest airbase from Amritsar. Placed on the Amritsar-Ajnala Road near a village of Raja Sansi. Presently, over 100 commercial flights a week; both domestic and international are handled at the airport. The airlines operational here include Air India, Air India Express, British Midland International , Jet Airways, JetLite, Kingfisher Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkmenistan Airlines, Air Slovakia and Uzbekistan Airways. The destinations accessed from here are: Delhi, Dammam, Sharjah, Toronto-Pearson, Bergamo, Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Dubai, Birmingham, Muscat, Bratislava, London-Heathrow, Ashgabat, Tashkent etc. To reach Delhi from Amritsar it takes just an hour via air. From the city to the airport you can reach by auto rickshaws or taxis.The travel from airport to the heart of the city, costs only about Rs 100 by taxi. Enquiries :
Amritsar International Airport, Rajasansi, Amritsar – 143101
Phone : 0183-2214166, Fax : 0183-2214358
Others : Auto rickshaws are also present in Amritsar and these are a faster mode of travel. By taking an auto rickshaw, you can reach your destinations easily while under a time crunch. Auto rickshaws do not run on meter and will cost you anywhere around Rs 20 to 40.
Things to CarryEdit
- Amritsar gets really hot during the summer period that is from April to September. This is the time, when carry light cotton outfits are advisable. Always carry packaged water and a bottle of juice during the summer.November to March is the winter season, so, carry warm clothes.
Safety / WarningEdit
N.A.
HelplineEdit
- Police Control Room, Amritsar : 100, 0183-228185
- Fire Station, Town Hall, Amritsar : 101, 0183-557366
- Tourism Police helpline:9914508821, 9914508901
- Adhlakha Hospital, Amritsar : 102, 0183-225353, 229183.
