Akal Takht

Punjab`s chief centre of religious authority for Indian Sikhs, Akal Takht is located in Amritsar opposite the Golden Temple. It is the second most sacred place in the Golden Temple Complex that was built by Guru Hargobind. It also serves as the headquarters of the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee, a party predominant among the Sikhs. Since the line of Gurus came to an end in 1708, the Sikh community has settled religious and political disputes at meetings in front of the Akal Takht. In the 20th century local congregation began to pass resolutions on matters of Sikh doctrine and rules of conduct disputed resolutions may be appealed to the Akal Takht. During the 1984 siege, Bhindranwale and his army used this golden-domed building as their headquarters, enduring this place with sandbags and machine gun posts. When the Indian military people tried to enter the shrine, hundreds of them were scythed while crossing the way of courtyard. Then the army had to switch to heavier machineries and artillery to end the siege. The destruction of Akal Takht hurt the deep and sensitive feelings of the Sikh. Then the shrine was largely renovated after June 6, 1984 and now it looks almost the same as it looked before 1984. It has been largely embellished with elaborate materials.