This is my entry in the ArchitecturalPhotography contest by 
One of the most incredible edifices in India (if not the world), the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, is the prime spiritual site of the Sikhs. With initial construction having started in 1581, the temple is now over 400 years old. In the early 19th century, the local maharaja coated the upper walls with hundreds of kilograms of gold.
All are Welcome, to Gather in Harmony
The Sikh religion and the Sikh peope are open to all religions and all people. Consequently, the temple was intended as a place where people from different religions, different ethnic backgrounds, and different nationalities can gather and worship in harmony.
A Pilgrimage Destination ... with Delicious Hot Chai
While the Golden Temple is a prime pilgrimage destination for Sikhs from around the world, many others also come to visit it. Every day, it receives over 100,000 visitors, who come to worship and maybe partake in the free meals and the cups of delicious hot chai that are available to all.
We went there in the evening, as you can see from this “golden” snapshot. We had such a pleasant and interesting time that we went back there before leaving town the next morning – for the delicious chai, among other things.