VII

ei|^ ^myU Df H^ (3Ml^ 3uiwe

<7jrHE iris of the eye contracts as the gaze goes up to

-4" the gilded dome that, shimmering and glistening,
reflects in myriad images the summer sun of the
Punjab. The golden temple of Tarn-Taran is reflected
in all its beauty by the waters of its sacred tank; the
liquid image of the phantom dome is real, soft, and
lovely, and the iris of the eye opens as it takes in its
beauty. Graceful trees overhang the margin of the tank
whose waters are said to restore health to lepers; any
corner under the shade of the trees on the steps of the
tank is a quiet spot, quiet except on days when the
fairs, so dear to the heart of the Sikh, take place.

It is true, perhaps, that Tarn-Taran with its temple
surpassingly beautiful both in architecture and setting is
not so far famed as the Golden Temple of Amritsar; this,
perhaps, because it lies off the beaten track. Religion
and relief to the poor are the main concern of the
inhabitants whose ancestors welcomed the great Eanjit
Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, to this temple. The Sikh
Lion came here because he revered it as much as the
Golden Temple of Amrifcsar. He gave it its gilded dome
and caused the walls and ceilings to be beautifully
decorated.

In Jehangir's reign, it was at Tarn-Taran that
Prince Khusru sought shelter with Guru Arjun. The
Guru gave asylum to the Prince and a gift of money.
Later, when Khusru was captured, the Guru received
the supreme penalty at the hands of the Emperor. To