Akal Takht

Akal Takht
ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ
Flag of Akal Takht
Photograph of Akal Takht
Alternative names	Akal Bunga
General information
Status	First Takht of the Sikh Nation
Architectural style	Sikh architecture
Address	Akal Takht, Golden Temple Rd, Atta Mandi, Katra Ahluwalia, Amritsar, Panjab
Town or city	Amritsar
Coordinates	31°37′14″N 74°52′31″E / 31.620556°N 74.875278°E / 31.620556; 74.875278
Construction started	26 January 1986 (re-construction following demolition began)
Completed	1995
Destroyed	6 June 1984
Design and construction
Developer	Sikh Nation

The Akal Takht (Punjabi: ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ), meaning throne of the timeless one, is one of five takhts (seats of power) of the Sikh religion. It is located in the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar, Panjab, about 290 miles (470 km) northwest of New Delhi. The Akal Takht was built by Guru Hargobind as a place of justice and consideration of temporal issues; the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa (the collective body of the Sikhs) and the place of the Jathedar, the highest spokesman of the Sikh Nation. The current Jathedar of Akal Takht is Giani Gurbachan Singh.

Originally known as Akal Bunga, the building directly opposite the Harmandir Sahib was founded by sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, as a symbol of political sovereignty and where spiritual and temporal concerns of the Sikh people could be addressed. Along with Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas, the sixth Sikh Guru built a 9 foot high concrete slab. When Guru Hargobind revealed the platform on 15 June 1606, he put on two swords: one indicated his spiritual authority (piri) and the other, his temporal authority (miri).

In the 18th century, Ahmed Shah Abdali and Massa Rangar led a series of attacks on the Akal Takht and Harmandir Sahib.Hari Singh Nalwa, a general of Ranjit Singh, the maharaja, decorated the Akhal Takht with gold. On 4 June 1984, the Akal Takht was damaged when the Indian Army stormed Harmandir Sahib during Operation Blue Star.