152-564: The Sikh Reference Library was a repository of an estimated 20,000 literary works located in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar , Punjab which was destroyed during Operation Blue Star . In 1984, the library's contents were confiscated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the empty building allegedly burned to the ground by the Indian Army on 7 June. In recent years
304-454: A writ petition at the filing counter of the court or by addressing a letter to the Chief Justice of India , highlighting the question of public importance for redress. These are known as public interest litigations . India has a quasi-federal form of government, called "union" or "central" government, with elected officials at the union, state and local levels. At the national level,
456-704: A republic with a president as head of state, replacing the monarch and his viceregal representative, the Governor-General . It was based in large part on the Government of India Act 1935 , which was itself based on the uncodified constitution of the United Kingdom . It also drew notable inspirations from the constitutions of several other Commonwealth dominions and the French , Soviet , Japanese , German and American constitutions. India today prides itself in being
608-599: A century after the Golden Temple was occupied by the Minas . In the 18th century, Guru Gobind Singh after creating the Khalsa sent Bhai Mani Singh to take back the temple. The Golden Temple was viewed by the Mughal rulers and Afghan Sultans as the centre of Sikh faith and it remained the main target of persecution. After the original temple was destroyed by hostile forces, the shrine
760-502: A clock tower, the offices of the Gurdwara Committee, a Museum and a langar – a free Sikh community-run kitchen that offers a vegetarian meal to all visitors without discrimination. Over 150,000 people visit the holy shrine everyday for worship. The gurdwara complex has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO . The Harmandir Sahib (Gurmukhi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ)
912-550: A constitutional crisis. Thus, in practice, the Council of Ministers cannot be dismissed as long as it holds the support of a majority in the Lok Sabha . The President is responsible for appointing many high officials in India. These high officials include the governors of the 28 states ; the chief justice ; other judges of the supreme court and high courts on the advice of other judges;
1064-507: A corridor around the compound called "Galliara" (also spelled Galiara or Galyara) for security reasons. This was made into a public park and opened in June 1988. In December 2021, a young man was allegedly beaten to death after disrupting the Rehras Sahib (evening prayer) at the sanctum of the temple. He reportedly jumped over a railing and picked up the sword lying before the temple's copy of
1216-416: A death toll about twice of what authorities had admitted. According to the dispatch, about 780 militants and civilians and 400 troops had perished in fierce gun-battles. Chellaney reported that about "eight to ten" men suspected Sikh militants had been shot with their hands tied. In that dispatch, Chellaney interviewed a doctor who said he had been picked up by the army and forced to conduct postmortems despite
1368-450: A gurdwara at a level lower than the city to emphasise humility and the need to efface one's ego before entering the premises to meet the Guru. He also demanded that the gurdwara compound be open on all sides to emphasise that it was open to all. The sanctum inside the pool where his Guru seat was, had only one bridge to emphasise that the end goal was one, states Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair. In 1589,
1520-564: A hub of trade and activity. The growing influence and success of Guru Arjan drew the attention of the Mughal Empire . Guru Arjan was arrested under the orders of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and asked to convert to Islam. He refused, was tortured and executed in 1606. Guru Arjan's son and successor Guru Hargobind fought a Battle at Amritsar and later left Amritsar and its surrounding areas in 1635 for Kiratpur . For about
1672-545: A kind of stone or gypsum. Gach was transformed into a paste and used on the walls, similar in nature to lime-plaster. Once applied to the wall, it was decorated into shape with steel cutters and other tools. Sometimes the gach had coloured glass pieces placed on it, which is known as tukri . The Shish Mahal features a lot of examples of tukri work. On the other hand, jaratkari was an art form and method which involved placing inlaid and cut stones of varying colours and types into marble. Surviving exemplars of jaratkari art from
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#17328451416041824-478: A member of one of the houses of the parliament. The cabinet is headed by the prime minister , and is advised by the cabinet secretary , who also acts as the head of the Indian Administrative Service and other civil services. Other members of the council are either union cabinet ministers, who are heads of various ministries; or ministers of state, who are junior members who report directly to one of
1976-495: A new Lok Sabha . The most recent election was in 2024 . After an election, the president selects as prime minister the leader of the party or alliance most likely to command the confidence of the majority of the Lok Sabha . In the event that the prime minister is not a member of either House upon appointment, he/she is given six months to be elected to either House of Parliament . The first seeds of responsible government during British colonial rule in India were sown by
2128-443: A palki, for sukhasana and Prakash . The floor with the seated scripture is raised a few steps above the entrance causeway level. The upper floor in the sanctum is a gallery and connected by stairs. The ground floor is lined with white marble, as is the path surrounding the sanctum. The sanctum's exterior has gilded copper plates. The doors are gold leaf-covered copper sheets with nature motifs such as birds and flowers. The ceiling of
2280-471: A quarter of the 543 elected members of parliament had been charged with crimes, including murder. Many of the biggest scandals since 2010 have involved high-level government officials, including cabinet ministers and chief ministers, such as the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam ( ₹ 700 billion (equivalent to ₹ 1.6 trillion or US$ 19 billion in 2023)), the Adarsh Housing Society scam ,
2432-489: A similar loss of its contents again. Digitization work first began under a private firm but this led to disappointments so the library started digitizing its own collection itself starting in 2013. As of September 2017, 4,000 works were fully digitized, with 15% of the entire stock being digitized since 2008. At the then rate of digitization using two cameras, one scanner, four lights, and other equipment, six books are transformed into PDF format weekly. The literary collection of
2584-473: A single entrance to the sanctum of the temple through a causeway. The art of the Golden Temple has rarely been analysed or studied in a serious manner. Within the Shish Mahal on the second-story of the building, there are mirror-work art designs which consist of small pieces of mirror which are inlaid into the walls and ceilings, highlighed with decorations of floral designs. The celings, walls and arches of
2736-460: A square plan with four entrances, and a circumambulation path around the pool. The four entrances to the gurudwara symbolises the Sikh belief in equality and the Sikh view that all people are welcome into their holy place. The complex is a collection of buildings around the sanctum and the pool. One of these is Akal Takht , the chief centre of religious authority of Sikhism . Additional buildings include
2888-454: A term that refers to the entire Golden Temple complex of buildings, was taken over by Ranjit Singh. He appointed Sardar Desa Singh Majithia (1768–1832) to manage it and made land grants whose collected revenue was assigned to pay for the Temple's maintenance and operation. Ranjit Singh also made the position of Temple officials hereditary. The Giani family was the only family allowed to do Katha in
3040-694: A very few. A traditional Sikh artist who had worked at the Golden Temple, named Hari Singh, had prepared a list of all the names of the artists, painters ( naqqashis ), and craftsmen he could recount that had also worked at some point in time at the Golden Temple, the names are as follows: Kishan Singh, Bishan Singh, Kapur Singh, Kehar Singh, Mahant Ishar Singh, Sardul Singh, Jawahar Singh, Mehtab Singh, Mistri Jaimal Singh, Harnam Singh, Ishar Singh (not to be confused with Mahant Ishar Singh), Gian Singh, Lal Singh Tarn Taran, Mangal Singh, Mistri Narain Singh, Mistri Jit Singh, Atma Singh, Darja Mal, and Vir Singh. Most of
3192-507: A vote in the house where he is not a member. A secretary to the Government of India , a civil servant , generally an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is the administrative head of the ministry or department, and is the principal adviser to the minister on all matters of policy and administration within the ministry/department. Secretaries to the Government of India rank 23rd on Indian order of precedence . Secretaries at
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#17328451416043344-530: A whole is responsible to the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha is a temporary house and can be dissolved only when the party in power loses the support of the majority of the house. The Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and can never be dissolved. The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected for a six-year term. The executive of government is the one that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of
3496-482: Is 550 Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts, 75 Dasam Granth manuscripts, and 1,300 general manuscripts. No issued edicts ( hukamnama ) signed by the Sikh Gurus have been recollected in the revived library. A special fumigation treatment chamber has been installed to preserve the works from insect and environmental damage. Digitization work began in 2008 and is being conducted to save the collection for posterity and to prevent
3648-645: Is a gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar , Punjab, India . It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism . It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur , and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib . The man-made pool on the site of the temple was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das , in 1577. In 1604, Guru Arjan ,
3800-465: Is a "decorative device involving knotted grapples between animals". The gharwanjh designs of the Golden Temple features cobras, lions, and elephants holding one another or carrying floral vases which feature fruit and fairies as decoration. The decorative border of the dehin is known as Patta , usually utilising creepers for its design. Furthermore, some dehin feature designs incorporating aquatic creatures. The only mural depicting human figures within
3952-409: Is a 12.25 x 12.25 metre square with two storeys and a gold leaf dome. This sanctum has a marble platform that is a 19.7 x 19.7 metre square. It sits inside an almost square (154.5 x 148.5 m ) pool called amritsar or amritsarovar ( amrit means nectar, sar is short form of sarovar and means pool). The pool is 5.1 metres deep and is surrounded by a 3.7 metre wide circumambulatory marble passage that
4104-487: Is a small Gurdwara underneath the tree. The Ath Sath Tirath , or the spot equivalent to 68 pilgrimages, is in the shade underneath the Dukh Bhanjani Ber tree. Sikh devotees, states Charles Townsend, believe that bathing in the pool near this spot delivers the same fruits as a visit to 68 pilgrimage places in India. The main ghanta ghari deori north entrance has a Sikh history museum on the first floor, according to
4256-712: Is also spelled as Harimandar or Harimandir Sahib. It is also called the Durbār Sahib (ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ), which means "sacred audience", as well as the Golden Temple for its gold leaf-covered sanctum centre. The word "Harmandir" is composed of two words: " Hari ", which scholars translate as "God ", and " mandir ", which means "house". " Sahib " is further appended to the shrine's name, the term often used within Sikh tradition to denote respect for places of religious significance. The Sikh tradition has several Gurdwaras named "Harmandir Sahib", such as those in Kiratpur and Patna . Of these,
4408-400: Is being constructed at Bhai Gurdas Hall to rehouse the library in, as the current building in the Golden Temple complex is deemed too small to meet the needs of the growing collection. This has been opposed by some on the grounds that the original location is a witness to history of the events of Operation Blue Star and serves as a reminder for devotees of that episode. There are also plans for
4560-411: Is called Laachi Ber , believed to the one under which Guru Arjan rested while the temple was being built. The third one is called Dukh Bhanjani Ber , located on the other side of the sanctum, across the pool. It is believed in the Sikh tradition that this tree was the location where a Sikh was cured of his leprosy after taking a dip in the pool, giving the tree the epithet of "suffering remover". There
4712-465: Is circled clockwise. The sanctum is connected to the platform by a causeway and the gateway into the causeway is called the Darshani Ḍeorhi (from Darshana Dvara ). For those who wish to take a dip in the pool, the Temple provides a half hexagonal shelter and holy steps to Har ki Pauri. Bathing in the pool is believed by many Sikhs to have restorative powers, purifying one's karma . Some carry bottles of
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4864-515: Is considered the lower house . The parliament does not have complete control and sovereignty , as its laws are subject to judicial review by the Supreme Court . However, it does exercise some control over the executive . The members of the Council of Ministers , including the prime minister , are either chosen from parliament or elected there within six months of assuming office. The council as
5016-470: Is mainly composed of the executive , the legislature , and the judiciary , and powers are vested by the constitution in the prime minister , parliament , and the supreme court , respectively. The president of India is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces , while the elected prime minister acts as the head of the executive and is responsible for running
5168-502: Is named after the Sikh warrior and Ramgarhia misl chief Jassa Singh Ramgarhia . It was constructed as the temple watchtowers for sentinels to watch for any military raid approaching the temple and the surrounding area, help rapidly gather a defence to protect the Golden Temple complex. According to Fenech and McLeod, during the 18th century, Sikh misl chiefs and rich communities built over 70 such Bungas of different shapes and forms around
5320-526: Is partly ahistorical such as a headless body continuing to fight, but a significant artwork and reflects the general trend in Sikhism of presenting their history to be one of persecution, martyrdoms and bravery in wars. Government of India The Government of India ( ISO : Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India and colloquially known as the Central Government )
5472-575: Is the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board, the Cabinet Secretariat , the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the head of all civil services under the rules of business of the government. The cabinet secretary is generally the senior-most officer of the Indian Administrative Service . The cabinet secretary ranks 11th on the Indian order of precedence . The cabinet secretary
5624-608: Is the government of the Republic of India , located in South Asia , consisting of 36 states and union territories . The government is led by the prime minister (currently Narendra Modi since 26 May 2014) who exercises the most executive power and selects all the other ministers . The country has been governed by a NDA -led government (a coalition of the BJP and its allies) since 2014. The prime minister and their senior ministers belong to
5776-403: Is the chief executive of the government and the leader of the majority party that holds a majority in the Lok Sabha. The prime minister leads the executive of the Government of India. The prime minister is the senior member of the cabinet in the executive government in a parliamentary system. The prime minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet; allocates posts to members within
5928-584: Is to act following aid and advice tendered by the Prime Minister, who leads the Council of Ministers as described in Article 74 of the Constitution . The council of ministers remains in power during the 'pleasure' of the president. However, in practice, the council of ministers must retain the support of the Lok Sabha. If a president were to dismiss the council of ministers on his or her initiative, it might trigger
6080-509: Is under the direct charge of the prime minister . Presently, the Cabinet Secretary of India is Rajiv Gauba , IAS . India's independent union judicial system began under the British, and its concepts and procedures resemble those of Anglo-Saxon countries . The Supreme Court of India consists of the chief justice and 33 associate justices, all appointed by the president on the advice of
6232-497: The Centre claimed it had returned confiscated items to the SGPC or Punjab Government already, stating: "About 4000 documents/books/files gold/gold ornaments, silver/silver ornaments, precious stone currency at sector were recovered by a central agency during Operation Blue Star in 1984. The articles and documents handed over either to SGPC or to the Government of Punjab." However, the SGPC denies
Sikh Reference Library - Misplaced Pages Continue
6384-481: The Chief Justice of India and 33 sanctioned other judges, it has extensive powers in the form of original , appellate and advisory jurisdictions . As the final court of appeal of the country, it takes up appeals primarily against verdicts of the high courts of various states of the Union and other courts and tribunals. It safeguards fundamental rights of citizens and settles disputes between various governments in
6536-496: The Chief Justice of India . The jury trials were abolished in India in the early 1960s, after the famous case KM Nanavati v. the State of Maharashtra , for reasons of being vulnerable to media and public pressure, as well as to being misled. Unlike its United States counterpart, the Indian justice system consists of a unitary system at both state and union levels. The judiciary consists of
6688-540: The Government of India Act 1919 , commonly known as the Montagu - Chelmsford reforms, which introduced a greatly expanded Imperial Legislative Council . It comprised a lower house, the Central Legislative Assembly of 145 members (of which 104 were elected and 41 nominated) and an upper house, the Council of State of 60 members (of which 34 were elected and 26 nominated). The next structural modification to
6840-590: The Guru Granth Sahib , before attempting to touch the Guru Granth Sahib itself. He was subsequently overpowered by the sangat and received fatal injuries to the head. The Golden Temple's architecture reflects different architectural practices prevalent in the Indian subcontinent , as various iterations of temple were rebuilt and restored. The first structure of the Harmandir Sahib constructed under
6992-582: The Guru Granth Sahib , the primary and central Sikh scripture . The library also held documents related to the Indian Independence Movement . Most of the literature was written in the Punjabi-language and related to Sikhism, but there were also Hindi , Assamese , Bengali , Sindhi , Persian , Arabic , Tibetan , English , and French works touching upon various topics. According to the Indian Army white paper on Operation Blue Star ,
7144-467: The House in which they sit, they make statements in that House and take questions from fellow members of that House. For most senior ministers this is usually the directly elected Lok Sabha rather than the (mostly) indirectly elected Rajya Sabha . As is the case in most parliamentary systems, the government is dependent on Parliament to legislate, and general elections are held every five years to elect
7296-417: The Indian Armed Forces . The President of India can grant a pardon to or reduce the sentence of a convicted person once, particularly in cases involving the punishment of death. The decisions involving pardoning and other rights by the president are independent of the opinion of the prime minister or the Lok Sabha majority. In most other cases, however, the president exercises his or her executive powers on
7448-402: The Indian Army as part of Operation Blue Star , leading to the deaths of thousands of soldiers, militants and civilians, as well as causing significant damage to the gurdwara and the destruction of the nearby Akal Takht . The gurdwara complex was rebuilt again after the 1984 attack on it. The Golden Temple is an open house of worship for all people, from all walks of life and faiths. It has
7600-613: The Indian Councils Act 1909 , commonly known as the Morley - Minto reforms. The Act introduced elections to the Imperial Legislative Council (then the unicameral Legislature for British India). Before that, governance was carried by an all-European Legislative Council and Viceroy's Executive Council . As such, no Indians were represented in government before 1909. India's current bicameral Parliament has its roots in
7752-577: The Operation Blue Star . It was the codename of an Indian military action carried out between 1 and 8 June 1984 to remove militant Sikh Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the buildings of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar , Punjab . The decision to launch the attack rested with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . In July 1982, Harchand Singh Longowal , the President of
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#17328451416047904-480: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has attempted to recover the looted material but has not yet recovered substantial materials. To date, the status of library manuscripts and artifacts is unclear; the vast majority remain in the hands of the government, a few office files and passports were returned, and as many as 117 items were destroyed for being "seditious" materials. After
8056-529: The Supreme Court of India , high courts at the state level, and district courts and Sessions Courts at the district level. The Supreme Court of India is situated in New Delhi , the capital region of India . The Supreme Court is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal under the Constitution of India , the highest constitutional court, with the power of constitutional review . Consisting of
8208-470: The Union Council of Ministers —its executive decision-making committee being the cabinet . The government, seated in New Delhi , has three primary branches: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary, whose powers are vested in a bicameral Parliament , a prime minister , and the Supreme Court respectively, with a president as head of state. The Council of Ministers are responsible to
8360-550: The attorney general ; the comptroller and auditor general ; the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners ; the chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission ; the officers of the All India Services ( IAS , IFoS and IPS ) and Central Civil Services in group 'A'; officers of the Indian Armed Forces ; and the ambassadors and high commissioners to other countries on
8512-500: The civil procedure code , the penal code , and the criminal procedure code . Similar to the Union government, individual state governments each consist of executive, legislative and judiciary branches. The legal system as applicable to the Union and individual state governments is based on the English common and Statutory Law . The full name of the country is the Republic of India . India and Bharat are equally official short names for
8664-473: The constitution empowers the union government to levy income tax , tax on capital transactions ( wealth tax , inheritance tax ), sales tax , service tax, customs and excise duties and the state governments to levy sales tax on intrastate sale of goods, taxon entertainment and professions , excise duties on manufacture of alcohol , stamp duties on transfer of property and collect land revenue (levy on land owned). The local governments are empowered by
8816-569: The head of government , the prime minister , is appointed by the president of India from the party or coalition that has the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha . The members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected for a term of five years by universal adult suffrage through a first-past-the-post voting system. Members of the Rajya Sabha , which represents the states , are elected by the members of State legislative assemblies by proportional representation , except for 12 members who are nominated by
8968-538: The CBI packed the documents into 165 numbered gunny sacks and bundled the material into waiting army vehicles because of a meeting of Sikh high priests taking place at the time. He also showed a letter from his superiors commending his work "during examination of documents from SGPC ". Since 1988, the SGPC has written to the Central Government asking for the return of the material taken by the CBI but has only received minor office files. On 23 May 2000 George Fernandes wrote to
9120-697: The Central Sikh library. The Central Sikh library was then folded into the Sikh Reference Library. Prior to its destruction by Indian troops, the library hosted a vast collection of an estimated 20,000 literary works, including 11,107 books (another estimate puts the number of books having been 12,613), 2,500 manuscripts, 20–25 handwritten edicts ( hukamnama ) signed and issued by the Sikh Gurus , newspaper archives, historical letters, and documents or files. It also contained handwritten manuscripts ( bir ) of
9272-509: The Golden Temple as a specimen of one of the forms that the architecture of Hindu temples developed into in the 19th century. When a list of structures of interest was prepared and published by the colonial government of Punjab in 1875, it was claimed that the architectural design of the Golden Temple, in the form it was constructed as by Ranjit Singh, was based ultimately on the shrine of the Sufi saint Mian Mir . Louis Rousselet stated in 1882 that
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#17328451416049424-467: The Golden Temple complex on 3 June 1984. The fighting started on 5 June with skirmishes and the battle went on for three days, ending on 8 June. A clean-up operation codenamed Operation Woodrose was also initiated throughout Punjab. The army had underestimated the firepower possessed by the militants, whose armament included Chinese-made rocket-propelled grenade launchers with armour piercing capabilities. Tanks and heavy artillery were used to attack
9576-454: The Golden Temple during “Operation Bluestar” in 1984". In February and May 2009, A. K. Antony , defense minister of India, claimed in parliament that the Indian Army no longer had any material taken from the library. Various members of parliament and the SGPC criticized him for "misleading parliament". In a statement dated to 3 August 2018 as a response to a request-to-information inquiry,
9728-581: The Golden Temple over the centuries. The Clock Tower did not exist in the original version of the temple. In its location was a building, now called the "lost palace". The officials of the British India wanted to demolish the building after the Second Anglo-Sikh war and once they had annexed the Sikh Empire. The Sikhs opposed the demolition, but this opposition was ignored. In its place, the clock tower
9880-422: The Golden Temple's walls in a work published in 1875, Kanwarjit Singh Kang finds this to be a spurious account which is likely false because there is no corroborative accounts to support this. The various artists and craftsmen who worked on creating the mural artwork and other accessory art of the temple are mostly unknown and it is nearly impossible to link any particular art piece with a specific name, aside from
10032-507: The Golden Temple, they served the Sikh community till 1921, when the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee came into power, they were the only family allowed to do Katha since 1788 and were also he heads of the Giani Samparda, they had built all the Bungas around the Golden Temple and helped in construction work including overlaying the temple with Gold and Marble. One of the main Bungas that
10184-462: The Government; is the presiding member and chairman of the cabinet and is responsible for bringing a proposal of legislation. The resignation or death of the prime minister dissolves the cabinet. The prime minister is appointed by the president to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive. The Union Council of Ministers includes the prime minister, Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State (MoS). Each minister must be
10336-464: The Langar-kitchen and Assembly Hall. This office coordinates and oversees the operations of major Sikh temples. The Ramgarhia Bunga – the two high towers visible from the parikrama (circumambulation) walkway around the tank, is named after a Sikh subgroup. The red sandstone minaret-style Bunga (buêgā) towers were built in the 18th century, a period of Afghan attacks and temple demolitions. It
10488-479: The Republic of India in the Constitution, and both names appears on legal banknotes, in treaties and in legal cases. The terms "Union government", "central government" and " bhārat sarkār " are often used officially and unofficially to refer to the government of India. The term New Delhi is commonly used as a metonym for the Union government, as the seat of the central government is in New Delhi . The powers of
10640-550: The SGPC Secretary, Gurbachan Singh Bachan, and acknowledged that the Indian Army had taken the books and other documents from the Sikh Reference Library and handed them over to the CBI. He asked him to refer the matter to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions , whose jurisdiction the CBI falls under. In a visit to Jalandhar , Punjab Fernandes announced that the CBI had destroyed 117 "seditious" documents from
10792-410: The SGPC has contradicted their version of events. By using witness accounts, the SGPC has alleged that material from the library was taken in gunny sacks on military truck to Amritsar's Youth Club, a temporary office of the CBI, and the empty library was burned by the army afterwards. At that location, the CBI catalogued the materials until September 1984, when in light of a Sikh convention being held in
10944-551: The Sikh political party Akali Dal , had invited Bhindranwale to take up residence in the Golden Temple Complex to evade arrest. The government claimed Bhindranwale later made the sacred temple complex an armoury and headquarters. On 1 June 1984, after negotiations with the militants failed, Indira Gandhi ordered the army to launch Operation Blue Star, simultaneously attacking scores of Sikh temples across Punjab. A variety of army units and paramilitary forces surrounded
11096-402: The Sikh religion. Many Sikh soldiers in the army deserted their units; several Sikhs resigned from civil administrative office and returned awards received from the Indian government . Five months after the operation, on 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated in an act of revenge by her two Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh . Public outcry over Gandhi's death led to
11248-416: The Sikh tradition. The display shows various paintings, of gurus and martyrs, many narrating the persecution of Sikhs over their history, as well as historical items such as swords, kartar , comb, chakkars . A new underground museum near the clock tower, but outside the temple courtyard also shows Sikh history. According to Louis E. Fenech, the display does not present the parallel traditions of Sikhism and
11400-428: The Union government. Parliament is bicameral in nature, with the Lok Sabha being the lower house , and the Rajya Sabha the upper house . The judiciary systematically contains an apex supreme court , 25 high courts , and hundreds of district courts , all subordinate to the supreme court. The basic civil and criminal laws governing the citizens of India are set down in major parliamentary legislation, such as
11552-436: The advice of the prime minister. Presently, the President of India is Droupadi Murmu . The vice president is the second-highest constitutional position in India after the president. The vice president represents the nation in the absence of the president and takes charge as acting president in the incident of resignation impeachment or removal of the president. The vice president also has the legislative function of acting as
11704-506: The art technique from the Mughal one is that the Sikh jaratkari art form also depicts human and animal figuratives with it, something that is not found in Mughal jaratkari art. Inlaid ivory work can be witnessed on the doors of the Darshani Deori structure of the complex. The structure of the Darshani Deori was made out of shisham wood, the front of the edifice is overlaid with silverwork, including ornamated silver panels. The back of
11856-424: The artwork lost over the years, throughout the various changes and renovations to the temple, were murals. Murals started being lost in the temple around the last years of the 19th century, when devotees were allowed to start donating inlaid marble panels to affix to the walls of the shrine. The walls that were covered by these marble panels usually were painted with murals and thus the murals were either hidden under
12008-420: The belief that visiting this temple is equivalent to 68 Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Indian subcontinent, or that a Tirath to the Golden Temple has the efficacy of all 68 Tiraths combined. The completion of the first version of the Golden Temple was a major milestone for Sikhism, states Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, because it provided a central pilgrimage place and a rallying point for the Sikh community, set within
12160-526: The budget will be presented on the 1st day of February. The budget has to be passed by the Lok Sabha before it can come into effect on 1 April, the start of India's fiscal year . The Union budget is preceded by an economic survey which outlines the broad direction of the budget and the economic performance of the country for the outgoing financial year India's non-development revenue expenditure had increased nearly five-fold in 2003–04 since 1990–91 and more than tenfold from 1985 to 1986. Interest payments are
12312-431: The cabinet ministers, often overseeing a specific aspect of government; or ministers of state (independent charges), who do not report to a cabinet minister. As per article 88 of the constitution, every minister shall have the right to speak in, and to take part in the proceedings of, either house, any joint sitting of the houses, and any committee of parliament of which he may be named a member, but shall not be entitled to
12464-457: The cause being Tara Singh Gheba, Partap Singh, Jodh Singh, and Ganda Singh Peshawari. Ganda Singh Peshawari sent his donation in the year 1823. For the decoration and gilding with copper of the main entryway and archway to the causeway leading to the temple proper, known as the Darshani Deori , the prime personality who helped assist with this work was Raja Sangat Singh of Jind State . Due to
12616-437: The central and paramount importance of the shrine in Sikhism, essentially every Sikh sardar of the era had contributed or donated in some manner to assist with the architectural and artistic renovations of the shrine. Owing to the large number of people helping with the renovation work back then, it is difficult to account for when certain parts of the temple were constructed or decorated and by whom (aside from instances where
12768-422: The chairman of the Rajya Sabha . The vice president is elected indirectly by members of an electoral college consisting of the members of both the houses of the parliament following the system of proportional representation employing the single transferable vote and the voting is by secret ballot conducted by the election commission . The Prime Minister of India , as addressed in the Constitution of India ,
12920-502: The city, the library's contents were moved to an undisclosed location. In 2003, Ranjit Nanda, a former inspector for the Central Bureau of Investigation, (CBI) turned whistleblower and revealed he was part of a five-member team which scrutinized the documents at the CBI's makeshift office at Amritsar's Youth Club. He revealed that officials from his department were "desperately looking for a purported letter written by Indira Gandhi ,
13072-524: The claim and claims the items were not returned to it. The library was restored after the original and its collection was destroyed in Operation Blue Star. Its collection has been refilled due to community, institutional, and individual-based donations of literary works. The revived library continues in operation to the present. It has amassed a collection of 24,540 books according to a 2017 estimate. Estimates for individual types of other literary works
13224-400: The country. As an advisory court, it hears matters which may specifically be referred to it under the constitution by the president. It also may take cognisance of matters on its own (or 'suo moto'), without anyone drawing its attention to them. The law declared by the supreme court becomes binding on all courts within India and also by the union and state governments. Per Article 142 , it is
13376-450: The daily ritual cleaning of the temple premises is also sourced from this section. The water is mixed with milk to dilute the milk content, with the combined solution used to clean the temple's surfaces on a daily basis. The sanctum has two floors. The Sikh Scripture Guru Granth Sahib is seated on the lower square floor for about 20 hours every day, and for 4 hours it is taken to its bedroom inside Akal Takht with elaborate ceremonies in
13528-471: The duty of the president to enforce the decrees of the supreme court. In addition, Article 32 of the constitution gives an extensive original jurisdiction to the supreme court concerning enforcing fundamental rights. It is empowered to issue directions, orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus , mandamus , prohibition , quo warranto and certiorari to enforce them. The supreme court has been conferred with power to direct
13680-546: The entry gateway or archway ( Darshani Deori ). The Golden Temple was the centre of historic events in Sikh history: Ranjit Singh founded the nucleus of the Sikh Empire at the age of 36 with help of Sukerchakia Misl forces he inherited and those of his mother-in-law Rani Sada Kaur. In 1802, at age 22, he took Amritsar from the Bhangi Sikh misl , paid homage at the Golden Temple and announced that he would renovate and rebuild it with marble and gold. The Sikh ruler donated
13832-537: The events of Operation Blue Star, the library was revived and its current collection has surpassed the total contents of the original library. The Sikh Reference Library was established by the SGPC with a resolution dated 27 October 1946. The library had its roots in a meeting of the Sikh Historical Society under the presidency of Princess Bamba on 10 February 1945 at Khalsa College, Amritsar which established
13984-489: The face of hostile opposition from the sons of Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das founded the town that came to be known as "Ramdaspur". He started by completing the pool with the help of Baba Buddha (not to be confused with the Buddha of Buddhism). Guru Ram Das built his new official centre and home next to it. He invited merchants and artisans from other parts of India to settle in the new town with him. Ramdaspur town expanded during
14136-429: The fact he had never done any postmortem examination before. In reaction to the dispatch, the Indian government charged Chellaney with violating Punjab press censorship, two counts of fanning sectarian hatred and trouble, and later with sedition, calling his report baseless and disputing his casualty figures. The military action in the temple complex was criticised by Sikhs worldwide, who interpreted it as an assault on
14288-614: The fifth Sikh Guru, placed a copy of the Adi Granth in the Golden Temple and was a prominent figure in its development. The gurdwara was repeatedly rebuilt by the Sikhs after it became a target of persecution and was destroyed several times by the Mughal and invading Afghan armies. Maharaja Ranjit Singh , after founding the Sikh Empire , rebuilt it in marble and copper in 1809, and overlaid
14440-404: The gilded copper panels for the roof, which was worth 500,000 rupees in the erstwhile currency. He entrusted Mistri Yar Muhammad Khan to carry-out the roofing work, who himself was supervised by Bhai Sand Singh. The first gilded copper panel was placed on the shrine in 1803. Various personalities helped decorate and embellish the ceiling of the first floor, with names of some contributors to
14592-646: The governance of British India , the Government of India Act 1935 (the longest Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom until surpassed by the Greater London Authority Act 1999 ) was aimed at devolution of powers by establishing provincial governments and the creation of civil service institutions . However, it was unpopular amongst Indians and is considered a failure as it did not give Indians self-rule and permanent dominion status (the form of government followed in Canada , Australia and New Zealand ) as
14744-414: The gurdwara made with bricks was complete. Guru Arjan is believed by some later sources to have invited the Sufi saint Mian Mir of Lahore to lay its foundation stone, signalling pluralism and that the Sikh tradition welcomed all. This belief is however unsubstantiated. According to Sikh traditional sources such as Sri Gur Suraj Parkash Granth it was laid by Guru Arjan himself. After the inauguration,
14896-408: The headquarters of the main political party of the Indian state of Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (Supreme Akali Party). The Akal Takht issues edicts or writs ( hukam ) on matters related to Sikhism and the solidarity of the Sikh community. The Teja Singh Samundri Hall is the office of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (Supreme Committee of Temple Management). It is located in a building near
15048-416: The higher level are assisted by one or many additional secretaries , who are further assisted by joint secretaries . At the middle they are assisted by directors/deputy secretaries and under secretaries. At the lower level, there are section officers, assistant section officers, upper division clerks, lower division clerks and other secretarial staff. The Civil Services of India are the civil services and
15200-452: The killings of more than 3,000 Sikhs in Delhi alone, in the ensuing 1984 anti-Sikh riots . A few months after the government operation of 1984, major kar seva renovations were undertaken at the shrine complex, including a complete draining and then cleaning of the temple tank ( sarovar ) by volunteers. Following the operation the central government demolished hundreds of houses and created
15352-475: The land was purchased with Sikh donations of 700 rupees from the people and owners of the village of Tung . In another version, Emperor Akbar is stated to have donated the land to the wife of Guru Ram Das. In 1581, Guru Arjan initiated the construction of the Gurdwara. During the construction the pool was kept empty and dry. It took 8 years to complete the first version of the Harmandir Sahib. Guru Arjan planned
15504-509: The legislature in India are exercised by the Parliament , a bicameral legislature consisting of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha . Of the two houses of parliament, the Rajya Sabha (or the 'Council of States') is considered to be the upper house and consists of members appointed by the president and elected by the state and territorial legislatures . The Lok Sabha (or the 'House of the People')
15656-404: The library is planned to be available for online reading through a digital portal: The digitisation process is under way. Till date, around 80 per cent of our prized possessions have been scanned and digitised. Our motive is to make these available online so that the devotees can access those on their mobile phones or PCs. The original library building is a small, two-story complex. A new building
15808-507: The library was destroyed on the night of 5 June 1984 in the midst of a firefight. However, according to V. M. Tarkunde , the library was still intact on 6 June when the Army had gained control of the Golden Temple , and was in fact burned down by the army at some point between 6 June and 14 June. Although the Indian Army has maintained that the library's contents were completely destroyed on 5 June,
15960-421: The marble panels of the walls around the sanctum are Arabesque . The arches include verses from the Sikh scripture in gold letters. The frescoes follow the Indian tradition and include animal, bird and nature motifs rather than being purely geometrical. The stair walls have murals of Sikh Gurus such as the falcon carrying Guru Gobind Singh riding a horse. The Darshani Deorhi is a two-storey structure that houses
16112-543: The marble panels or destroyed. The Golden Temple used to have many traditional buildings, known as bungas , surrounding it. These bungas were a great source and collection of murals and thus their artwork was lost when the vast majority of the bungas were demolished over the years under the guise of modernising the religious site and expanding its parikrama . When the Darshani Deori was covered with marble panels, many wall paintings that had been executed by Mahant Ishar Singh were covered up and lost due to them. In front of
16264-465: The material taken from the Sikh Reference Library. On 25 March 2003, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam made assurances that the books, documents, and manuscripts would be returned; however, he took no further action. On 26 April 2004, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the Central Government , Government of Punjab , and the CBI to return the "valuables, books, scriptures, paintings, etc, that were seized from
16416-493: The militants, who responded with anti-tank and machine-gun fire from the heavily fortified Akal Takht. After a 24-hour firefight, the army gained control of the temple complex. Casualty figures for the army were 83 dead and 249 injured. According to the official estimates, 1,592 militants were apprehended and there were 493 combined militant and civilian casualties. According to the government claims, high civilian casualties were attributed to militants using pilgrims trapped inside
16568-539: The one in Amritsar is most revered. According to the Sikh historical records, the land that became Amritsar and houses the Harimandir Sahib was chosen by Guru Amar Das , the third Guru of the Sikh tradition. It was then called Guru Da Chakk , after he had asked his disciple Ram Das to find land to start a new town with a man-made pool as its central point. After Guru Ram Das succeeded Guru Amar Das in 1574, and in
16720-402: The people themselves. But the handful of ministers is not expected to deal personally with the various problems of modern administration. Thus the ministers lay down the policy and it is for the civil servants to enforce it. The cabinet secretary ( IAST : Maṃtrimaṇḍala Saciva ) is the top-most executive official and senior-most civil servant of the Government of India. The cabinet secretary
16872-461: The permanent bureaucracy of India. The executive decisions are implemented by the Indian civil servants. In the parliamentary democracy of India, the ultimate responsibility for running the administration rests with the elected representatives of the people which are the ministers. These ministers are accountable to the legislatures which are also elected by the people based on universal adult suffrage . The ministers are indirectly responsible to
17024-456: The pool was filled with water. On 16 August 1604, Guru Arjan completed expanding and compiling the first version of the Sikh scripture and placed a copy of the Adi Granth in the gurdwara. He appointed Baba Buddha as the first Granthi . Ath Sath Tirath , which means "shrine of 68 pilgrimages", is a raised canopy on the parkarma (circumambulation marble path around the pool). The name, as stated by W. Owen Cole and other scholars, reflects
17176-459: The pool water home particularly for sick friends and relatives. The pool is maintained by volunteers who perform kar seva (community service) by draining and desilting it periodically. There is a section of the shrine known as the Har-Ki-Pauri , located on the backside of the temple proper, where pilgrims and worshippers can take a sip of the water from the holy temple tank. The water used for
17328-419: The president. India is currently the largest democracy in the world, with around 900 million eligible voters, as of 2019. In India, power is divided between the governments of the union and the states of India , the latter being ruled by the chiefs ministers . The state legislature is bicameral in five states and unicameral in the rest. The lower house is elected with a five-year term, while in
17480-405: The purview of Guru Arjan combined the concepts of dharamsaals and the holy water tanks ( sarovar ). Rather than copying the traditional method of Hindu temple construction by building the shrine on a high plinth, Guru Arjan rather decided to build the shrine lower than the surroundings so that devotees would have to walk downwards to reach it. The four entrances represented that the Sikh faith
17632-463: The recommendations of the Council of Ministers, among others. The President, as the head of state , also receives the credentials of ambassadors from other countries, while the prime minister , as head of government , receives credentials of high commissioners from other members of the Commonwealth , in line with historical tradition. The President is the de jure commander-in-chief of
17784-602: The renovations of the temple undertaken by Ranjit Singh and done through Giani Sant Singh, of the Giani Samparda . "The Great Guru in His wisdom looked upon Maharaja Ranjit Singh as his chief servitor and Sikh and, in his benevolence, bestowed on him the privilege of serving the temple." After learning of the Gurdwara through Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad " Mir Osman Ali Khan " started giving yearly grants towards it. The management and operation of Durbar Sahib –
17936-520: The sanctum and the causeway is the Akal Takht building. It is the chief Takht , a centre of authority in Sikhism. Its name Akal Takht means "throne of the Timeless (God)". The institution was established by Guru Hargobind after the martyrdom of his father Guru Arjan, as a place to conduct ceremonial, spiritual and secular affairs, issuing binding writs on Sikh Gurdwaras far from his own location. A building
18088-609: The sanctum with gold leaf in 1830. This has led to the name the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is spiritually the most significant shrine in Sikhism. It became a centre of the Singh Sabha Movement between 1883 and the 1920s, and the Punjabi Suba movement between 1947 and 1966. In the early 1980s, the gurdwara became a centre of conflict between the Indian government and a radical movement led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale . In 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent in
18240-405: The scripture of Sikhism inside the new gurdwara in 1604. Continuing the efforts of Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan established Amritsar as a primary Sikh pilgrimage destination. He wrote a voluminous amount of Sikh scripture including the popular Sukhmani Sahib . Guru Ram Das acquired the land for the site. Two versions of stories exist on how he acquired this land. In one, based on a Gazetteer record,
18392-582: The setting up of a building to be named Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan , where historical manuscripts of Sikh scriptures will be displayed for public viewing. Golden Temple The Golden Temple (also known as the Harmandir Sahib ( lit. ' House of God ' , Punjabi pronunciation: [ɦəɾᵊmən̪d̪əɾᵊ saːɦ(ɪ)bᵊ] ), or the Darbār Sahib , ( lit. ' 'exalted court' ' , [d̪əɾᵊbaːɾᵊ saːɦ(ɪ)bᵊ] or Suvaran Mandir )
18544-441: The shrine was a "handsome style of Jat architecture." Major Henry Hardy Cole described the architecture of the edifice as being primarily drawn from Islamic sources with a significant input from Hindu styles . Percy Brown also classified the temple as being a synthesis of Islamic and Hindu architectural styles, but also observed that the structure has its own unique characteristics and inventions. Hermann Goetz believed that
18696-494: The single largest item of expenditure and accounted for more than 40% of the total non-development expenditure in the 2003–04 budget. Defence expenditure increased fourfold during the same period and has been increasing to defend from a difficult neighbourhood and external terror threats. In 2020–21, India's defence budget stood at ₹ 4.71 trillion (equivalent to ₹ 5.5 trillion or US$ 66 billion in 2023). In 2009, several ministers are accused of corruption and nearly
18848-464: The state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the republican idea of the separation of powers . The executive power is vested mainly in the President of India , as per Article 53(1) of the constitution. The president has all constitutional powers and exercises them directly or through subordinate officers as per the aforesaid Article 53(1). The president
19000-405: The state government to levy property tax and charge users for public utilities like water supply , sewage etc. More than half of the revenues of the union and state governments come from taxes, of which 3/4 come from direct taxes . More than a quarter of the union government's tax revenues are shared with the state governments. The tax reforms, initiated in 1991, have sought to rationalise
19152-416: The structure are embellished by intricate mural artwork. The pietra dura (inlaid stone design) artwork of the shrine, which features avian and other animalistic designs using semi-precious stones, was mostly inspired by the Mughal tradition. The temple premises is also decorated with embossed copper, gach , tukri , jaratkari , and ivory inlay artwork. The external portions of the upper story's walls of
19304-411: The structure is decorated with panels consisting of floral and geometric designs but also animal figuratives, such as deer, tigers, lions, and birds. Portions of the inlaid ivory had been coloured red or green, an aspect of the artwork that was praised by H.H. Cole for its harmoniousness. The oldest extant murals in the complex date back to the 1830s. Most of the vast array of murals that once coated
19456-452: The tax structure and increase compliance by taking steps in the following directions: The non-tax revenues of the central government come from fiscal services, interest receipts, public sector dividends, etc., while the non-tax revenues of the States are grants from the central government, interest receipts, dividends and income from general, economic and social services. Inter-state share in
19608-492: The temple as human shields . Brahma Chellaney , the Associated Press 's South Asia correspondent, was the only foreign reporter who managed to stay on in Amritsar despite the media blackout. His dispatches, filed by telex , provided the first non-governmental news reports on the bloody operation in Amritsar. His first dispatch, front-paged by The New York Times , The Times of London and The Guardian , reported
19760-460: The temple can be found on the bottom-section of the exterior walls which are encased with marble panels featuring jaratkari artwork. The jaratkari marble panels in this lower exterior section is classified as pietra dura and semi-precious stones, like lapis lazuli and onyx, were utilised. While the Mughals also decorated their edifices using jaratkari and pietra dura art, what sets apart the Sikh form of
19912-536: The temple have been affixed with beaten copper plates that feature raised designs depicting usually florals and abstracts but there are some depictions of human figures as well. An example of embossed metal designs depicting humans are two raised copper panels located on the front-side of the temple prior, the first which depicts Guru Nanak surrounded by his companions, Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala , on each side. The second embossed panel features an equestrian portrayal of Guru Gobind Singh . Gach can be described as
20064-473: The temple management offices and treasury. At the exit of the path leading away from the sanctum is the Prasada facility, where volunteers serve a flour-based sweet offering called Karah prasad . Typically, the pilgrims to the Golden Temple enter and make a clockwise circumambulation around the pool before entering the sanctum. There are four entrances to the gurdwara complex signifying the openness to all sides, but
20216-601: The temple proper is located on the wall behind the northern narrow staircase leading to the top of the shrine, and it is a depiction of Guru Gobind Singh on horseback alongside his retinue leaving the fort of Anandpur, ultimately a mural adaptation of what was originally a Kangra miniature painting. When H.H. Cole wrote about the murals of the Golden Temple, he witnessed many murals depicting Indic mythological scenes but these murals have since been seemingly lost to time and are no longer extant. While W. Wakefield had recorded that he observed murals depicting erotic scenes painted on
20368-461: The temple to watch the area, house soldiers and defend the temple. These served defensive purposes, provided accommodation for Sikh pilgrims and served as centres of learning in the 19th century. Most of the Bungas were demolished during the British colonial era. The Ramgarhia Bunga remains a symbol of the Ramgarhia Sikh community's identity, their historic sacrifices and contribution to defending
20520-559: The temple's architecture was a " Kangra transformation of Oudh architecture" that the Sikhs adopted for their own constructions, which he praises, however he also critiqued the temple for having "gaudy" elements commonly found in Indian gurdwaras, an example being the rococo-styled art . The Temple is described by Ian Kerr, and other scholars, as a mixture of the Indo-Islamic Mughal and the Hindu Rajput architecture. The sanctum
20672-476: The then Prime Minister, to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale ", and reported seeing letters from the other leaders addressed to Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. Manjit Calcutta, a former secretary of the SGPC, corroborated Nanda's version of events but further alleged that the army set the library "on fire in desperation when it failed to find the letter". Nanda further confirmed the SGPC's version of events by describing how after inspecting each book and manuscript
20824-490: The time of Guru Arjan financed by donations and constructed by voluntary work. The town grew to become the city of Amritsar, and the area grew into the temple complex). The construction activity between 1574 and 1604 is described in Mahima Prakash Vartak , a semi-historical Sikh hagiography text likely composed in 1741, and the earliest known document dealing with the lives of all the ten Gurus. Guru Arjan installed
20976-480: The transfer of any civil or criminal case from one state high court to another state high court, or from a Court subordinate to another state high court and the supreme court. Although the proceedings in the supreme court arise out of the judgment or orders made by the subordinate courts, of late the supreme court has started entertaining matters in which the interest of the public at large is involved. This may be done by any individual or group of persons either by filing
21128-542: The union tax pool is decided by the recommendations of the Finance Commission to the president. Total tax receipts of Centre and State amount to approximately 18% of national GDP. This compares to a figure of 37–45% in the OECD. The Finance minister of India usually presents the annual union budget in the parliament on the last working day of February. However, for the F.Y. 2017–18, this tradition had been changed. Now
21280-452: The upper floor is gilded, embossed and decorated with jewels. The sanctum dome is semi-spherical with a pinnacle ornament. The sides are embellished with arched copings and small solid domes, the corners adorning cupolas, all of which are covered with gold leaf-covered gilded copper. There is a pavilion located on the second-floor called the Shish Mahal (mirror room). The floral designs on
21432-411: The upper house one-third of the members in the house gets elected every two years with six-year terms. Local governments function at the basic level. It is the third level of government apart from union and state governments. It consists of panchayats in rural areas and municipalities in urban areas. They are elected directly or indirectly by the people. India has a three-tier tax structure, wherein
21584-457: The walls of the complex were destroyed in subsequent renovation works conducted under the guise of kar seva , such as by being covered by marble slabs affixed to the walls. A prominent artist who painted many of the murals in the complex was Gian Singh Naqqash . The mural artwork of the temple consists primarily of floral designs with scattered examples of animal designs and themes. There are over 300 different design patterns dispersed all over
21736-408: The walls of the edifice. These wall paintings were created by Naqqashi artists, who had developed their own lingo to differentiate their various themes and designs. The most prominent design category was referred to as Dehin, which is described as "a medium of expression of the imaginative study of the artist's own creation of idealized forms". The base of dehin is known as Gharwanjh . Gharwanjh
21888-432: The work has a date inscribed to it) and a chronological record of how the temple evolved over time (in-regards to its murals, decorations, and other aspects) is near-impossible to complete. The Temple was renovated in marble and copper in 1809, and in 1830 Ranjit Singh donated gold to overlay the sanctum with gold leaf. There is an inscription on embossed metal located at the entrance to the temple proper which commemorates
22040-478: The world's largest democracy , and the 4th largest economy in the world. Even though much remains to be done, especially in regard to eradicating poverty and securing effective structures of governance, India's achievements since independence in sustaining freedom and democracy have been singular among the world's new nations. The Government of India is modelled after the Westminster system . The Union government
22192-507: Was added. The clock tower was designed by John Gordon in a Gothic cathedral style with red bricks. The clock tower construction started in 1862 and was completed in 1874. The tower was demolished by the Sikh community about 70 years later. In its place, a new entrance was constructed with a design more harmonious with the Temple. This entrance on the north side has a clock, houses a museum on its upper floor, and it continues to be called ghanta ghar deori . The Golden Temple complex originally
22344-631: Was destroyed in 1988 was the Burj Gianian . The other family were the Kapurs, who were made as the Head Granthis, this included the ancestors of Bhai Jawahir Singh Kapur who also did try to become the Head Granthi in the late 1800s, but was not allowed (his father Bhai Atma Singh, grandfather Bhai Mohar Singh and their ancestors were also Head Granthis). The destruction of the temple complex occurred during
22496-457: Was equally open to all four of the traditional Indian caste classifications ( varnas ). No surviving account, depiction, or record is extant or known of the proto-type, pre-1764 Harmandir Sahib that was built by the Sikh gurus themselves. However, Kanwarjit Singh Kang believes the original, Guru-constructed structure was mostly comparable and similar to the present-day structure said to have been constructed in 1764. James Fergusson considered
22648-499: Was later constructed over the Takht founded by Guru Hargobind, and this came to be known as Akal Bunga. The Akal Takht is also known as Takht Sri Akal Bunga. The Sikh tradition has five Takhts, all of which are major pilgrimage sites in Sikhism. These are in Anandpur, Patna, Nanded, Talwandi Sabo and Amritsar. The Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex is the primary seat and chief. It is also
22800-486: Was open and had numerous trees around the pool. It is now a walled, two-storey courtyard with four entrances, that preserve three Ber trees ( jujube ). One of them is to the right of the main ghanta ghar deori entrance with the clock, and it is called the Ber Baba Buddha . It is believed in the Sikh tradition to be the tree where Baba Buddha sat to supervise the construction of the pool and first temple. A second tree
22952-625: Was previously promised. Between midnight on 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950 , India was an independent, self-governing dominion of the Commonwealth of Nations , a constitutional monarchy with a Prime Minister and a Governor-General as the viceregal representative of the head of state, George VI . Its unicameral legislature, the Constituent Assembly , was tasked with drafting the country's constitution. The Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 , making India
23104-409: Was reconstructed in 1764 (a date which H.H. Cole affirms in his monograph on the temple), however most of the elaborate decorations and additions were added to the shrine in the early 19th century. However, according to Giani Gian Singh 's Tawarikh Sri Amritsar (1889), a slightly later date of 1776 is given for the construction of the temple tank (sarovar), the temple edifice proper, the causeway, and
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