As the sun set over the sacred “Pool of Nectar” the temple’s golden coating glowed...

The first destination of my very first backpacking adventure - India. This photo was taken a few weeks into the trip while celebrating Diwali at the incredible Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest site in Sikhism.
That evening, we spent hours sitting cross-legged, waiting for the celebrations to begin (stretching your legs out is considered disrespectful). Every minute was worth it though, as the sun set over the sacred “Pool of Nectar” the temple’s golden coating glowed. Its reflection shimmering across the water.
While these moments were amazing, Diwali itself is certainly not for the faint-hearted. The rest of the night was spent watching fireworks from the rooftop of our hostel. Let’s just say that firework safety standards in India are a little different from those in the UK.