Akal Takht

Akal Takht, the chief center of religious authority of Sikhism, located in Amritsar, Punjab, northwestern India. “Takht” is a Persian word that translates to a throne or a seat of authority. There are five Takhts, the highest temporal and spiritual centers, in Sikhism. The Akal Takht (“Throne of the Immortal”) is the first Takht of Sikhism and holds the supreme position among the five Takhts.

The Akal Takht gurdwara is part of the complex of religious buildings centered on the Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib, the principal place of worship for the Sikhs. It is linked by a marble causeway across from the Amrit Sarovar (Punjabi: “Pool of Nectar”) that leads to the Golden Temple.

History and structure

The oldest accounts of the construction of the Akal Takht suggest that it was established by the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, on June 15, 1606 (some also suggest the year as 1609). The cornerstone was laid by Guru Hargobind, and the construction was completed by Sikh poet Bhai Gurdas and Sikh leader Bhai Buddha. The Takht includes a high throne, which, at the time of its construction, was positioned at a height three times higher than what the Mughal rulers allowed for any authority. This symbolized the rejection of Mughal rule and the emergence of Sikhs as an independent and sovereign community. The Akal Takht is housed in Akal Bunga (a bunga is a defensive building) near the Darshani Deori, the main entrance to the pathway of the Golden Temple.

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Initially, the Akal Takht was a raised platform approximately 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) high. Repeated destruction and rebuilding—particularly during Mughal persecution and later under Maharaja Ranjit Singh—transformed the Akal Takht into a five-storied structure. An open-air semicircular area built on marble columns and a gilded interior were some later additions to the structure of Akal Takht. The final five-storied structure has inlaid marble and a gold-leafed dome.

Akal Takht and Operation Blue Star

The Akal Takht sustained damage in June 1984 during Operation Blue Star, an Indian army attack to dislodge Sikh separatists from the site. The military operation, ordered by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was a reaction to the occupation of the Akal Takht in 1982 by a Sikh fundamentalist, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and his armed followers, who sought the creation of an independent Sikh-majority country called Khalistan. Bhindranwale and dozens of his followers were killed, and more than 80 soldiers and hundreds of pilgrims caught in the crossfire were confirmed dead according to government officials (although Sikh sources suggest the number of soldiers and civilians killed may have exceeded 1,000). The Akal Takht has since been repaired, and the Golden Temple complex now includes a memorial to those killed in the raid.

Significance of the Akal Takht

Akal Takht was used by Guru Hargobind Singh as a location for ceremonies of succession since its construction in 1606. This is also where the secular affairs of the community were addressed. (In this context, secular affairs refers not to a modern separation of religion and state but to the ethical regulation of social and political life under spiritual principles.) In the open space between the Golden Temple and the Akal Takht, physical tournaments were organized. The Akal Takht and the Golden Temple together embody the Sikh doctrine of miri-piri which was also instituted by Guru Hargobind Singh. It is believed that on his succession ceremony, the Guru asked to wear two kirpans (swords). These two kirpans represented miri—the temporal authority—and piri—the spiritual authority. The concept of miri-piri means that temporal and spiritual authority go hand in hand. In this sense, the Akal Takht should be understood as an institution of temporal, or worldly, authority that exists in conjunction with spiritual authority.

It is here that matters of the Sikh community were traditionally discussed and decisions were made at annual or semiannual meetings. Resolutions had to be carried unanimously; they then became gurmatas (decisions of the Guru) and were binding for all Sikhs. Both political and religious decisions were taken at Akal Takht meetings up until 1809, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the leader of the newly unified Sikh state, abolished political gurmatas and began to seek counsel from both Sikhs and non-Sikhs. Resolutions of local congregations on nonpolitical matters relating to the interpretation of Sikh doctrine or rules of conduct now can be appealed to the Akal Takht; decisions taken there are conveyed in the form of hukamnamas (orders). A hukamnama issued from the Akal Takht is considered mandatory for all Sikhs.

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