Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib): Aarti & Puja Schedule

• Prakash: Sri Guru Granth Sahib is brought in the Palki Sahib from the Akal Takht and installed in the sanctum to begin the dayapprox 2:00 to 3:00 AM (seasonal)
• Asa di Var: the grand early-morning kirtan of the Amrit Vela, considered the most soul-stirring hour to be presentapprox 3:00 to 5:00 AM
• First Hukamnama: the day's command is read aloud from the GuruAfter Asa di Var
• Continuous shabad kirtan by rotating ragis; the recitation and singing barely pausesAll day and evening
• Evening kirtan and Rehras Sahib prayer as the gold facade lights up over the waterSunset
• Sukhasan: the Guru is carried back to the Akal Takht in the Palki Sahib procession, the night's closing ceremonyapprox 9:30 to 11:00 PM (seasonal)

Sikhism has no idol worship and therefore no arti of a deity in the Hindu sense; here the daily rhythm is built around the Guru Granth Sahib and near-continuous kirtan. The two poles of the day are the Prakash procession that installs the Guru at dawn and the Sukhasan procession that carries it to rest at night, both in the ornate Palki Sahib borne on shoulders across the causeway. Witnessing either is the emotional high point of a visit.

Between them, the single most revered slot is Asa di Var, the grand kirtan sung in the early Amrit Vela roughly from 3:00 to 5:00 AM. Standing on the cool marble in the dark while the raagis sing, with the gold sanctum glowing over black water, is what most pilgrims remember for life. The first Hukamnama, the day's command read from the Guru, follows.

Through the rest of the day rotating raagi jathas keep the shabad kirtan going with barely a pause, and the evening Rehras Sahib prayer at sunset coincides with the illumination of the temple. All of these times shift with the season and are best treated as approx around the Prakash and Sukhasan anchors.

Compiled from public sources including Golden Temple official daily routine and timings (goldentempleamritsar.org) · SGPC (managing body of Sri Harmandir Sahib) · Langar at the Golden Temple · Accommodation at Sri Darbar Sahib. Timings and seasonal closures change; confirm with the temple trust before travelling.