GOLDEN TEMPLE

Sri Harmandir Sahib, more commonly known as the Golden Temple, is the world's most sacred Sikh place of worship, a marble and gold jewel-case built for Guru Granth Sahib. Enter through the main gate: the Clock Tower; go down a few steps and open your eyes: in the middle of the sacred pool, 5 m deep, stands the superb Golden Temple. A majestic edifice of white marble inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones, topped by a dome weighing over 600 kg of gold, shaped like an upside-down lotus flower. Birmingham's Sikh community makes regular contributions to replace the gold leaves. The lotus flower symbolizes the Sikh rule of conduct: lead a pure life. The architecture of this building blends Mughal and Rajput influences. If you can, go there once at night and return the next day during the day.

Take the Parikrama - the white marble walkway around the temple - and walk on the carpets if you don't want to burn the soles of your feet. Photos are only permitted around the pool. Inside the sanctuary, there are massive guards dressed in orange uniforms and armed with spears. Families sleep, eat or quench their thirst in the shade. Pilgrims, tourists and the curious loll about, lulled by the reading of the holy book Granth Sahib and hypnotic chants. Men bathe, wearing only their turbans and shorts in which they clasp their daggers. A weapon that Sikh women also carry slung over their salwar-kameez. After ablutions, the faithful gather in the temple.

To enter, one must cross the Guru's Bridge. The temple houses the object of all veneration and attention: the original pink silk-covered Granth Sahib, kept on the second floor. Priests take turns singing its praises to music. Crowds flock here at all hours of the day and especially at weekends (around 100,000 people a day). In the evening, the spectacle is sumptuous: the lights are reflected in the gold of the temple and the water of the pool. At 10pm, the religious fervor is at its height: the sacred book is brought back to the Akal Takhat, the Sikh parliament building, for the night. It remains there until 4am in summer and 5am in winter. During the day, it is kept in the Hari Mandir Sahib under a veil. At the moment of his transfer, a priest loads the baldachin on his head and crosses the bridge in the middle of the crowd. Clamor and song accompany him. The same ritual takes place in the early hours of the morning.

The temple also houses a small museum, the Central Sikh Museum (open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free admission). On display are portraits of various Sikh martyrs over the centuries. It contains numerous relics retracing the history of the gurus. A little daunting.

If you're feeling a little hungry, take your place in line for the Guru Ka Langar, the communal dining hall (see "Restaurants"). Here, a free meal is served to all, regardless of class or religion, prepared by Sikh devotees. It's said that the temple never sleeps, but check out the temple's gurudwara, which welcomes pilgrims for the night. A veritable city within the city, the temple also boasts a library, bank, tourist office and train ticket booking office.