Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib): Dress Code & Temple Rules

• Cover your head at all times inside the complex. This applies to everyone, men, women and children, of every faith. Free head-cloths are handed out at the entrance if you forget one.
• Remove shoes and socks before entering; deposit them free at the joda ghar counter, then wash your feet by walking through the shallow water channel at the threshold.
• Dress modestly: shoulders and legs covered. Avoid shorts, short skirts and revealing clothing; a dupatta or scarf helps.
• No tobacco, alcohol, cigarettes or any intoxicants may be carried inside; this is a strict religious rule, not a suggestion.
• Do not sit or point your feet toward the sanctum or the Guru Granth Sahib. Sit cross-legged or with feet tucked away.
• No photography or videography inside the sanctum (Harmandir Sahib itself). Photos are fine on the marble parikrama, but never with flash or tripods near the Guru during ceremonies.
• Maintain silence and reverence; do not jump the darshan line on the causeway, and follow the sevadars' directions.

The etiquette here is strict but egalitarian, and sevadars will gently guide first-timers. Covering the head is non-negotiable for everyone, every faith, every age; if you arrive without a scarf or turban, free head-cloths are available at the entrance and vendors on Heritage Street sell bandanas cheaply. Shoes and socks come off and go into the free joda ghar cloakroom, after which you walk barefoot through a shallow water channel that washes your feet before you step onto the parikrama.

Dress modestly with shoulders and legs covered; skip shorts, short skirts and anything revealing. The hard prohibitions are on tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol and any intoxicant, none of which may even be carried inside, and on any disrespect toward the Guru, so never point your feet at the sanctum and sit cross-legged or with feet tucked away.

Photography is welcome on the marble walkway around the sarovar, where most visitors take their iconic shots, but it is not permitted inside Harmandir Sahib, and flash and tripods near the Guru during ceremonies are a clear no. Keep voices low, do not push ahead on the darshan causeway, and accept the karah prasad with both cupped hands.

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.