Step Down Into the Historical Background of Golden Temple

The Golden Temple’s actual name is Harmandir Sahib which means Temple of God. The story behind golden temple started when Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru of Sikhism, dug up a water pool in 1577 AD. The pool is known as Amritsar, which means ‘Pool of the Nectar of Immortality.’ The city which developed around the Golden temple received the name Amritsar from the pool. As days passed a magnificent temple arose in the centre of the pool and was called Harmandir Sahib, which meant "The abode of God." According to Golden temple history the Harmandir Sahib became the utmost place of worship for the Sikhs of our country. The Sikh scriptures were compiled by Guru Arjan Dev and the compilation was known as the Adi Granth meaning ‘the half scripture.’ Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth Sikh Guru and he completed the compilation in 1604. From 1706 to 1708 more holy Shababs were added to Adi Granth by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. He declared the Adi Granth as the eternal Guru of the Sikhs and it was known as Sri Guru Granth Sahib as per the Golden temple history. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib comprises works of the Sikh gurus and holy saints like Baba Farid and Kabir, and their sayings are believed to have high Sikh values and philosophies.

Construction of the Harmandir Sahib

The story behind golden temple begins with the construction of Harmandir Sahib in 1574 in a place in a small forest surrounded by a lake. Akbar, the Great Emperor, once came to a small town called Goidval to visit Guru Amar Das who was the third Sikh Guru. He was fascinated by the life that prevailed in the town and he gifted the land and the revenues of its neighbouring villages to the daughter of the Guru as a Wedding gift. She married Bhai Jetha who in due course became a Sikh Guru and was called as Guru Ram Das. Guru Ram Das who was the fourth Guru widened the lake and constructed a little town surrounding it. The town was then called in different names like Guru Ka Chak', Chak Ram Das or Ram Das Pura. As the plan to construct the Harmandir Sahib began to form, Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs welcomed Hazrat Mian Mir, who was a Muslim Sufi saint from Lahore and asked him to lay the first foundation stone in December 1588 A.D. The main story behind golden temple is that the construction was built at a level lower than the surrounding land such that the devotees will have to climb down the steps to get into the temple. Also four entrances were built to enter the Harmandir Sahib with the aim to invite all human beings inside the temple irrespective of their religion, cast or creed. 

The completion of the Gurdwara took place in 1604. Guru Granth Sahib was installed by Guru Arjan Dev and he also employed Baba Buddha as the first reader of the Granth on August 1604. The pathetic story behind golden temple is that the Harmandir Sahib was invaded by the Afghans led by Ahmed Shah Abdali and one of his general, named Jahan Khan, attacked it in the 18th century. It was rebuilt in the 1760 as per the Golden temple history, but the history did not end there. A Sikh Army was formed and they were sent to chase the Afghan force by way of revenge. The Sikh Army was asked not to show any sympathy over the Afghan Army and the Golden temple history recorded a victorious emergence of the Sikhs who destroyed Jahan Khan's army.