Golden Temple of Japan and Golden temple of India

 Golden temple of Japan

KINKAKUJI

The Golden Temple of Japan is the most famous and historical Buddhist temple. The temple was built in 1937, However, it was burnt by a monk student Hayashi Yoken in 1950, and rebuilt in 1955. The length of the temple is 11.7m and 8.5 mm and the height is 12.5 m. This is not an exact quantity, but around 20kgs of Gold has been used for the plating. This Golden temple was built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, originated as his villa. The temple is located in Kyoto, the southern side of Japan. This temple is popularly known as KINKAKUJI. The name Kinkakuji is derived from the gold leaf that the pavilion is covered with. Here KIN means gold, KAKU means a palace or building, and TERA is a temple. And ROKUON-JI is the official name of this O-tera (temple). 

It is one of the most attractive places in Kyoto. The easy and cheap way to get to Kinkakuji is by bus. Buses depart from the main station terminal. Once you reach Kinkakuji, you need to pay the entry fee of 400 JPY (around 270 INR). However, you can not go inside the temple. During the autumn, the falling of red and yellow leaves and the reflection in the pond makes it more beautiful, that you can not take your eyes away. In the winter, the temple covered in Ice is the scenic beauty one should never miss. Along with the Kinkakuji, with around 15 mins walking distance, there are other two temples, named Ginkakuji also known as a silver temple, and Kiyomizudera. Around the temple, there are not many restaurants, or shops located.

KIYOMIZUDERA

GINKAKUJI

The Golden temple of India

GOLDEN TEMPLE

Golden Temple of India is a Sikh Gurudwara, located in Amritsar, Punjab. Founded by 5th Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev. When it was originally built, gold was not used. It is 4177 sqft in size. In 1809, Maharaja Ranjit Singh applied marble and copper. And in 1830, it was overlaid with the Gold foil. At that time around 750Kgs of Gold had been used. Gold has been reapplied in the 90s. And around 160Kg more gold is going to be applied. This Sikh Gurudwara is popularly known as ‘The Golden temple of India’, also known as, Harmandir Sahib, Darbar Sahib.

Though it is a Sikh Gurudwara, it is open for all religions and with no entrance fee and langar. Langar is a portion of food provided by the Temple. However, traditional attire is mandatory and the head must be covered by Dupatta (veil).

To get to Golden temple, there are direct flights from all major cities, however, due to the Fogg flight delays could occur. Another option is the train. Amritsar is divided into old and new parts. Golden temple comes under the old part. It is located 15 minutes from the railway station. Temple management committee gives the service of the free shuttle buses. The best season to visit the temple is October-November, February-March, As in the summer, it gets hotter and very cold in winter.