Golden Temple to get more golden with 160 kg more gold
50 crore to be spent
At the cost of Rs 50 crore, the Golden temple, home to the Akal Takht (highest temporal seat of the Sikhs) is set to witness a little makeover. A total of 160-Kg of gold is to be used to beautify the four entrances domes of the Golden Temple complex.
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BCCL
Open for all
According to a reports, the plan to beautify the Sikh-shrine is to symbolise that the Golden temple is open for all. The temple located in Amritsar, provides food for more than 50,000 people per day through its famous langar.
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AFP
40kg of gold on each entrance
The renovation will see a total of 40 KG of gold being placed on each of the four entrances. These are in addition to the main entrance which is being gold-plated since April.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the one who covered it in gold in 1830, two centuries after its construction. This took 162 kg of gold, then worth about Rs 65 lakh.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh used just 7-9 layers of gold in plating the Golden Temple; during the 4-year long renovation, 24 layers were used.
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AFP
Earlier renovations
In 1984 after Operation Bluestar, Golden temple underwent repair and renovation. 1995-1999 fresh plates of gold were used to coat. The Golden temple which stood witness to the 1984 Operation Bluestar, underwent renovation in 1995. The renovation lasted four year with Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha and Gurdwara Soho Road, UK bearing the expenses of the renovation.
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AFP
Cost to be born by sangat
The cost of the current revamp will be borne by the sangat or the devotees. Devotees visit the holy shrine also known as Harmandar sahib all year long and donate their jewellery or cash for gold, which will be used for the beautification of the Entrance domes.
