The foundation of the Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) was laid by Guru Arjan Dev on January 3, 1589 along with Saint Mian Mir, a Muslim holy man. By 1601, the Golden Temple was ready. In 1603-04, the first volume of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, was prepared and was installed at Darbar Sahib on August 16, 1604.
The building of Akal Takht Sahib was twice demolished—once by the Afghan armies and then it was very badly damaged during Operation Bluestar in June 1984. However, the government repaired it in September 1984. The present structure has been constructed by five service groups.
FOOTFALLS
Nearly 1.10 lakh pilgrims visit the Golden Temple daily. On weekends, the number increases to 1.5-2 lakh. The peak season is for nine months between March 1 and November 30, and then the last week of December and first week of January.
CROWD MANAGEMENT
The temple is managed by a team of 200 sevadars and eight parkarma in-charges. A total of 200 CCTV cameras are used for surveillance through a control room that operates round the clock. To manage the security of the temple, there is a manager and an additional secretary. The affairs of the Golden Temple, however, are run by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC). As the sanctorum is surrounded by sarovar, there is only one way to get in and out. The sevadars control the crowd and at one time, only few are allowed to go in, and when they are back, others are allowed. So there is no rush at any time.
There are seven Niwas Asthans (inns) which provide lodging facilities for pilgrims, maintained by the temple authorities. The reception counters work round the clock to attend to the devotees. There is an inn for NRIs and foreign tourists which has 66 rooms. In toto, there are 600 rooms for boarding and lodging in the temple, besides langar (community kitchen). On festivals and special days, over one lakh devotees partake of the langar.