As the anniversary of Operation Sindoor is observed, residents of the border city are recalling a rare moment when the Golden Temple briefly plunged into darkness after over five decades.The military operation, launched in response to the Pahalgam killings, had sharply escalated tensions between India and Pakistan last year. Given Amritsar’s proximity to the International Border, fears of potential retaliatory strikes had intensified, with even iconic landmarks seen as possible targets.Against that backdrop, a rare blackout was enforced across the city as part of a nationwide civil defence mock drill on May 9. For 30 minutes (10.30 pm to 11 pm), the usually radiant Golden Temple complex plunged into darkness, an occurrence unseen for 54 years.The shrine, globally admired for its uninterrupted illumination and shimmering night time presence, had only witnessed similar blackouts during the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971.Even in that moment of heightened alert, religious maryada remained intact. In adherence to Sikh traditions, the sanctum sanctorum and areas where the “parkash” ceremony of Guru Granth Sahib was underway were kept illuminated.Officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had then described the move as a necessary precaution, balancing security concerns with religious sanctity.The blackout was carried out following directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which had asked several states to conduct such drills to assess preparedness and reduce visibility in case of aerial threats.One year on, while normalcy has long returned and the Golden Temple once again glows through the night, the brief darkness continues to resonate in public memory.