Golden Temple, Harmandir Sahib and Sri Darbar Sahib: Names and History Explained
Harmandir Sahib, Darbar Sahib, the Golden Temple, Sachkhand: one shrine in Amritsar carries many names. Here is what each one means, where it comes from and when to use it.
Published Updated 5 min read
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Few places in the world are known by as many names as the shrine at the heart of Amritsar. A guidebook calls it the Golden Temple. A Punjabi grandmother might say Darbar Sahib. The SGPC's broadcasts announce Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib. A Hindi newspaper may write Swarn Mandir. All of them mean the same place.
This article explains each name, where it comes from, and what exactly it refers to. It also introduces the main parts of the complex, so that the names used in our other articles make sense.
Harmandir Sahib
Harmandir (ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ), also written Harimandir or Harimandar, combines two words:
- Har or Hari, one of the names for God used in Gurbani.
- Mandir, a temple or house.
So Harmandir means "the house of God" or "the temple of Hari". The honorifics are added out of respect: Sri at the beginning, a mark of reverence, and Sahib at the end, a word of Arabic origin meaning "master" or "lord" that Sikhs attach to revered places, texts and people.
In its most precise sense, Harmandir Sahib refers to the central sanctum standing in the pool, where Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is installed each day. It is the name most associated with the shrine's founding by Guru Arjan Dev Ji at the end of the sixteenth century.
Darbar Sahib and Sri Darbar Sahib
Darbar (ਦਰਬਾਰ) means a royal court, the place where a sovereign holds audience. In Sikh usage the Guru is the true sovereign, and a gurdwara hall where Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is installed is the Guru's court.
Sri Darbar Sahib is therefore "the revered court of the Guru". Many Sikhs use it as their everyday name for the shrine, and it is often used for the whole sacred complex around the pool rather than only the sanctum. The daily reading from the shrine is widely called the Hukamnama from Sri Darbar Sahib; our explainer on what a Hukamnama from Sri Darbar Sahib is covers that tradition.
Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib
Sachkhand means "the realm of truth", the highest spiritual state described in Japji Sahib. Prefixing it to the shrine's name expresses its status as a place of the highest spiritual significance. The SGPC's own broadcasts from the shrine use the name Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sri Amritsar.
The Golden Temple
The English name Golden Temple comes from the gilded copper plating that covers the shrine's upper storeys. This was added under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, ruler of the Sikh kingdom of Punjab, in the early nineteenth century. Travellers and colonial-era writers began calling it the Golden Temple, and the name became standard in English.
Equivalents exist in other languages: Swarn Mandir or Swarna Mandir in Hindi and Sanskrit-derived usage, and Sunehri Mandir in everyday Punjabi and Hindustani.
Amritsar: the city named after the pool
The city of Amritsar takes its name from the shrine's pool. Amrit means nectar, the water of immortality, and sar is short for sarovar, a pool or lake. Amritsar is thus "the pool of nectar".
The city began as a settlement founded by Guru Ram Das Ji, the fourth Guru, in the 1570s. It was known in its early years as Ramdaspur or Guru ka Chakk. As the sarovar and then the shrine took shape, the name of the pool gradually became the name of the city.
The names at a glance
| Name | Language and meaning | What it usually refers to | Where you will hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Harmandir Sahib | Punjabi: the revered house of God | The central sanctum; the shrine as a whole | Formal and religious use |
| Sri Darbar Sahib | Punjabi: the revered court of the Guru | The shrine and its sacred complex | Everyday Sikh speech |
| Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib | Punjabi: the shrine as the realm of truth | The shrine | SGPC broadcasts and notices |
| Golden Temple | English: from the gilding | The shrine and complex | International and tourist use |
| Swarn Mandir or Sunehri Mandir | Hindi or Hindustani: golden temple | The shrine | Hindi media, conversation |
Inside the complex: the names of its parts
The shrine sits within a larger complex. Knowing the main parts helps when reading about its history or planning a visit.
- Sarovar: the large square pool surrounding the sanctum, fed by water channels and cleaned periodically through kar seva, voluntary service.
- Parikrama: the broad marble walkway around the sarovar, walked clockwise by pilgrims.
- Darshani Deori: the ornate gateway at the head of the causeway leading to the sanctum.
- The causeway: the walkway across the water from the Darshani Deori to the sanctum, sometimes called the Guru's bridge.
- Har ki Pauri: the "steps of God", on the sanctum's far side, leading down to the water.
- Sri Akal Takht Sahib: facing the Darshani Deori, the highest seat of Sikh temporal authority, founded by Guru Hargobind Ji in 1606.
- Guru Ram Das Langar: the community kitchen, which serves free meals to visitors around the clock.
- Central Sikh Museum: near the main clock-tower entrance, with paintings, weapons and manuscripts from Sikh history.
- The ber trees: several jujube trees in the parikrama are associated with Sikh history, including the Dukh Bhanjani Beri and the Ber Baba Buddha Ji, where Baba Buddha Ji is remembered as having overseen the excavation of the sarovar.
A brief history behind the names
The sarovar came first. Guru Ram Das Ji began excavating it in the 1570s, and the settlement around it grew. Guru Arjan Dev Ji completed the pool and built the Harmandir in its midst. He installed the newly compiled Adi Granth there in 1604, with Baba Buddha Ji as its first granthi. Two years later, Guru Hargobind Ji established the Akal Takht facing it.
The shrine was destroyed several times during the eighteenth century and rebuilt by the Sikh misls from the 1760s. The gilding that gave it its English name followed under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Our full article on the history and architecture of the Golden Temple tells the story in detail.
Using the names respectfully
A few simple conventions help:
- In writing about Sikh practice, Sri Harmandir Sahib or Sri Darbar Sahib is the most respectful choice.
- For international readers, "the Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib)" on first mention, then either name, is clear and courteous.
- Keep the honorifics where you can. Dropping "Sahib" is common in casual speech but can feel abrupt in formal writing.
- Avoid "Sikh temple" as a generic term for other gurdwaras; "gurdwara" is correct.
Summary
Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sri Darbar Sahib, Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib and the Golden Temple are all names for the same shrine at the centre of Amritsar. Harmandir speaks of the house of God, Darbar of the Guru's court, Sachkhand of the realm of truth, and Golden of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's gilding. Each name captures something true about a place that has been the spiritual centre of the Sikh world for more than four centuries. If you plan to go, our visitor guide to Harmandir Sahib will help you prepare.
Frequently asked questions
Is Harmandir Sahib the same as the Golden Temple?
Yes. Sri Harmandir Sahib is the Punjabi name of the shrine in Amritsar that is known in English as the Golden Temple. Many Sikhs also call it Sri Darbar Sahib.
What does Harmandir mean?
Harmandir, also written Harimandir or Harimandar, means 'temple of Hari', that is, the house of God. Sri and Sahib are honorifics added out of respect.
What is the difference between Darbar Sahib and Harmandir Sahib?
They usually refer to the same shrine. Darbar Sahib, 'the Guru's court', is often used for the whole sacred complex around the sarovar, while Harmandir Sahib refers most precisely to the central sanctum. In everyday speech they are interchangeable.
Why is it called the Golden Temple?
Because its upper storeys are covered in gilded copper plating, added under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early nineteenth century. The English name spread through travellers and colonial writing.
