Harmandir Sahib Golden Temple

LED high-performance floodlights illuminate this important pilgrimage site

The Golden Temple, Harmandir Sahib, is the most important pilgrimage site for Sikhs and has housed the original holy scripture of the Sikhs since 1604. Built during the 16th century in northwestern India in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, Harmandir Sahib was created with a unique style of Sikh architecture. Located on a small island in the center of the “Pool of Nectar,” the temple is connected to land by a marble walkway. The foundation was intentionally laid below its surroundings to represent humility which is a significant value in the religion - so that even the most devout visitors must step down to worship in the temple. Large entrances on all four sides are meant to signify that the holy site is welcoming of all people from all religions and walks of life.

When originally built in the 16th century, Harmandir Sahib was not coated in the golden layer that it is known for today. The temple was renovated in 1830 to include a large dome and cover the majority of the facade in pure 24-karat gold. In the 1980s Harmandir Sahib became a battleground where many people lost their lives. Sikh extremists seeking to proclaim the independent state of Khalistan used the temple as a fortress until the Indian army stormed the temple and regained control in June 1984.

Today, an average of 100,000 people visit the Golden Temple and its surrounding grounds each day. The illumination of this holiest of Sikh sites after sunset and throughout the night is the task of BEGA high-performance floodlights. Rated for high ambient temperatures, these luminaires are able to withstand the hot summer months in this Indian city. Symmetric, very narrow beam light distributions were selected to illuminate the facade from all four sides, each providing a luminaire luminous flux over 18,000 lm. Warm light from the 2,200 K color temperature LED source emphasizes the golden color and incredible beauty of this iconic temple.