A nationwide civil defence drill was ordered by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday (May 7). It included a blackout in Amritsar to assess emergency preparations. The exercise involved scheduled blackouts at key locations across the country.
The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism.
Moments before the blackout in the Golden Temple.
Picture of the Golden Temple before going for a complete Blackout for a nationwide mock drill.
A blackout was observed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar as part of the nationwide emergency mock drill following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Moment of blackout at Golden Temple in Amritsar, as part of the mock drill ordered by the MHA.
This is the first time in 54 years that the lights were turned off in the Golden Temple. Talking to The Tribune, Kulwant Singh, former SGPC secretary, recalled that previously, during 1965 and the 1971 Indo-Pak wars, the Golden Temple complex's lights were turned off for security purposes.