WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – CONVERGE
HARMANDIR SAHIB OR THE ‘GOLDEN TEMPLE’ , AMRITSAR ,INDIA
This picture was shot at a Sikh gurdwara , called the ‘Harmandir sahib’ (The temple of God ) or more informally ,referred to as the ‘Golden Temple’ , in Amritsar ,Punjab ,India.The Golden Temple stands amidst a large holy water tank. This man-made tank is popularly known as Amrit Sarovar, literally meaning a ‘Pool of Holy Nectar’.
CONVERGE ( In the LITERAL sense )
I love the way the magnificent gold plated, main structure of the temple , leads our bedazzled eyes into the blue sky. There is a clear convergence of the main gold coated structure , with the blue sky and the reflected waters .
CONVERGE ( in the FIGURATIVE sense )
Though constructed and considered sacred by the Sikhs , the main intention was to build a place of central worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship God equally.
The Gurudwara has FOUR ENTRANCES , and therefore , open from all four cardinal directions allowing people to enter from all sides , signifying the importance of acceptance and openness .Thus , leading to a ‘convergence‘ of people following different faiths and religions. Over 100,000 people visit the holy shrine daily for worship. So , this ‘GOLDEN TEMPLE‘ , is an apt symbol for converging faiths and religious sentiments !
The 'Pen'lightenment Of The Soul 