Decided to visit the Golden Temple again....it's just that sort of place. Crowd much smaller but still in the tens of thousands. This gave us an opportunity to actually get into the central Temple. Only had to line up for half an hour. The best we can work out is that the center of attention in the Holy Scripture . The inner palace actually has golden plating on the walls, parapets, and the cupolas. The mosaic work and frescoes are amazingly detailed and beautiful, but inside and not respectful to take photos.
It's real gold.....
Just sat and watched the crowd go past and on no less than five times were we welcomed, hands shaken and blessed by different people. And the photo opportunities too......
Bit short on the side ..but for $4.00...
$1.10
..basically all sugar. (About $2.00 )
It was intended to be a photo of just Natahlie and ABC...but it is India. And ABC is not the only one wearing the safety orange hat.
The Sikhs have the Five Ks of their religion, long hair, combed twice daily, a Kirpan,kuchera which is an under/outer wear like draw string bloomers, and an iron bracelett. All of which have significance. The Kirpan, we discover, is only used in self defence, and defence of those in need of help..sounds familiar, and must always be ready. The undies are always to be worn to show that they always are ready with no hesitation to defend their faith, to the extent of one foot out of old, and one foot in new kuchera. They believe in the oneness of god, and that all religions have their place.Anyway...you can wiki all that stuff.
One of the thousands of sleeping Pilgrims, this gent showing his readiness to defend.
Many of the pilgrims are very aged, and some quite unwell....no stats we could find, but there would probably be quite a few who choose to take their last here.
Then the food Hall.
One of the other strict traditions of Sikhism, is the Langar or community kitchens which, for no charge , feeds all the pilgrims heading towards and at the Golden Temple.
The concept of Langar is that all who come, irregardless of your origin or station in life, sit in a row and are served equally.
The langer after our shift had left
So...with several thousand other pilgrims, we walked in, were handed a segmented metal plate, a spoon and a bowl, and directed into a huge hall, where we were told to sit.
Handing out the trays
The chapatti flinger....
Some of the crowd
Yep..be jealous
Trays on ground and servers ( all men) with big buckets of food , including dhal, potato curry, rice,were distributed by big ladles, then chapattis were distributed by being thrown in a polite way, and huge tea pots served the water. Sorry Rod, no Vegimite.
Not one of these people are paid, it is all volunteer, and donations. It is what is known as Sawar, or voluntary work. Then desert was a type of sugary potato pumpkin mix.
Foreground garlic prep, background ONE of the piles of pumpkins.
One of the amazing things here was the noise...those metal plates do not get emptied, cleaned, stacked or distributed quietly....it put the street noise to shame.
At no time did we feel anything less than absolutely welcome.....and on the way out made an appropriate donation.. Hey! We got a receipt...NJC suggested we must see what Rob ( the accountant) can do with that.....
Now for the washing up...we estimate about a thousand trays here...and there were many more of these..ain't no dishwashing machines here...all by hand.
The Sikh history museum, was on the way out, and it was a very gruesome telling, basically of the Sikh martyrs....and the horrible way they died, right up to the '80s, where 30 Sikhs, on a prison bus, travelling from a police court, were hit by a train....complete with pm photos. It does show the way the Sikhs have stuck strongly to their beliefs, against at times, horrendous persecution. But don't take the kiddies there.
The haircut..part two.
Nathalie, not being entirely happy with the Delhi hair cut (well not happy with the way ABC can not comb it) decide to get a hair cut and shave.
Stae of the art equipment- but a fresh blade was used
Could have charged admission-note the five of many spectators.
Before the temple went to a cafe and had some breakfast. The next people who walked were a couple, from Leiscester, UK. It so happens he is a plod from that part of the world and she a teacher. Comparing conditions of employment...I think we do pretty well. He has been to Melbourne, and will be seriously thinking about emigrating, especially when we get twice the leave, twice the pay, and guns as well....who hoo!
Siesta then plan to do the Golden Temple at night...we will see....
Surprisingly back to the Golden Temple area, because that is where the best street food is. ABC now BSC 5, so after no ill effects of the Langar, street food is on the cards again. Still beastly hot even at 8.00pm. Tea consisted of Palo Tika
And gulab Gulabi.(sp?)
Caught up with Avi once more and had a iced coffee with him. He has been a great help to us in Amritsar.
Then the closing ceremony at the Golden Temple. Which is when the Holy Scripture is moved from its place of daily repose to its bedroom. Most reverently done. Much singing, changing and music. 
The paliquin for the Holy Scripture
Then based on advice from Avi, we returned to the Langar, where we were invited into the Automated Chapatti Device (ACD), even hot than the daytime, and smiling people, making about 80 chapattis a minute.
The happy volunteers, more so because there was some interest in what they were doing.
The cleaning up part of the kitchen kitchen did remind me of a battery farm though.
That's all really for this post. Past midnight 5:30 start today..see ya.
Cool. What is the significance of the colour orange?
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