Panj Takht

A takht, or takhat (Punjabi: ਤਖ਼ਤ), literally means a throne or seat of authority and is a spiritual and temporal centre of Sikhism. There are five takhts (Punjabi: ਪੰਜ ਤਖਤ, romanized: Pañj takhat, lit. 'five thrones'), which are five gurudwaras that have a very special significance for the Sikh community. Three are located in Punjab whilst the remaining two are located outside of it. The first and the most important takht was established by Guru Hargobind in 1609: Akal Takht (the Throne of the Timeless God), located just opposite the gate of Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple), in Amritsar. While the Harmandir Sahib, or Golden Temple, represents Sikh spiritual guidance, the Akal Takht symbolizes the dispensing of justice and temporal activity. It is the highest seat of temporal authority of the Khalsa and the seat of the Sikh religion's earthly authority. There, the Guru held his court and decided matters of military strategy and political policy. Later on, the Sikh Nation (Sarbat Khalsa) took decisions here on matters of peace and war and settled disputes between the various Sikh groups. In December 2010, the Deccan Odyssey train, taken on charter from the Government of Maharashtra, started with the aim to have a journey across four Sikh takhts, with a flight by devout and sightseers to the fifth takht (Takht Sri Patna Sahib). A special train for the pilgrimage to the five takhts, named Panj Takht Special Train, began service on 16 February 2014.