New doors installed at Golden Temple's 'Darshani Deori'

New doors were fitted Saturday at 'Darshani Deori', an archway leading to the Golden Temple sanctum sanctorum, officials said.

Jathedar Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, Giani Gurbachn Singh, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, Sikh priests of the temple and SGPC members were present at the time of installation, they said.

The new doors, which are the replica of the original 200-year-old doors installed by Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, are118 inches in height, 110 inches wide and with a thickness of four inches, SGPC officials said.

The new doors were manufactured with six quintals of 'sheesham' wood and 65 kg of silver.Craftsmen were brought from Agra for the purpose of special type of carvings, they said.

The original doors, which were sandalwood base with silver sheet, would be persevered in a special glass case at the marbled periphery of the Golden Temple, the officials said.