The Golden Temple at 4AM
There was once a very arrogant king who believed he was more powerful than God, however, his daughter constantly told him no one can compete with God. The princess’s words did not sit well with the king, so he married her off to a crippled man and said, “here is your husband, let’s see how powerful your God is.” The princess married the crippled and took care of him to the best of her ability. She would carry him in a basket and set him down near the “sarovar” (pool of holy water) of the Golden Temple while she went to look for work in the city.
One day, the princess’s husband was sitting near the sarovar and saw a black crow enter the water and emerge as a beautiful white dove. The crippled man was shocked at what he saw and was curious to see if he could achieve the same results. He slowly, slowly crawled to the water and dipped his hand into the sarovar which was instantly cured. He decided he would submerge his entire body, except for one of his hands to show his wife proof he still the man she married. When the princess returned, she asked the handsome man standing before her if she has seen her husband, who sits in basket under this tree. The handsome man responded, “I am your husband.” The princess did not believe the “stranger,” but her husband was prepared for this reaction. He then said, “Look at my hand. The sarovar cured me!” The princess was shocked to hear the story but after seeing her husband’s one crippled hand she was convinced he was telling the truth.
Post-Bath under Dukh Bhanjanee Beri
To this day, most all Sikhs and several non-Sikhs who visit the Golden Temple bathe under this tree, known as Dukh Bhanjanee Beri (which translates to Pain/Suffering Removal Spot). If you bathe at this spot it is recommended to submerge your entire body 5 times, each time saying “Satnam Wahe Guru” (One True God). The number 5 is used in many instances in the Sikh religion and I don’t have the energy to give the several hundred examples when the number 5 is used…so just go with it…thanks!
The seat of the Sikh religion resides in Amritsar (Holy Nectar) and is the sight of the Golden Temple. The temple is surrounded by a large body of water called the “Sarovar” (tank of holy water). Despite the fact there were several hundred Sikhs at the temple at 4AM (many spend the entire night at the temple and sleep on the marble floor), I found a serenity in sanctuary. There are close to 30 rooms dedicated to prayers being conducted 24 hours/7 days-a-week. The main prayers of the day are broadcasted via load speakers so there are heard to everyone. The Golden Temple has a calming effect that helped me relax and forget about my worries. I do consider myself religious but never have had the temple create such an effect on me. If you do ever go to India, take the time to visit the Golden Temple. It isn’t as popular as the Taj Mahal, but it is well worth multiple visits.
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