Gurudwara

Hazur Sahib, officially Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts (religious centres) in Sikhism. The gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) was built between 1832 and 1837 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839)

History

Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared that the Guru Granth Sahib would be the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs. With this, he ended the line of personal Gurus and gave the community the Gur-Ta-Gaddi (succession) of the Granth Sahib. He emphasized that while human life is perishable, divine wisdom is eternal, and the Granth Sahib would guide Sikhs as the living embodiment of the Guru. Containing the hymns of Sikh Gurus along with saints from Hindu, Muslim, and other traditions, it stood as a symbol of unity and brotherhood for all humanity. During this period at Nanded, Guru Gobind Singh Ji initiated Madho Dass Bairagi into Sikhism, giving him the name Banda Singh Bahadur, who would later challenge the Mughal Empire and pave the way for Sikh sovereignty. Another disciple, Bhai Santokh Singh, was instructed to remain at Nanded and serve the community by starting Guru Ka Langar for devotees. These events made Nanded a sacred place of Sikh history, forever linked with the legacy of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s last days and the spiritual succession of the Sikh faith.

The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

History

According to Sikh tradition, the land for Amritsar was chosen by Guru Amar Das in the 16th century, who asked his disciple Ram Das to establish a new town with a sacred pool at its center. After becoming the fourth Guru in 1574, Guru Ram Das founded Ramdaspur (later Amritsar), where he settled with artisans and traders, and began construction of the pool with the help of Baba Buddha. This laid the foundation of what would become the holiest city of Sikhism. During the time of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the town expanded further through donations and voluntary service. In 1604, Guru Arjan installed the Adi Granth (Sikh scripture) inside the new gurdwara, establishing Amritsar as the central pilgrimage site for Sikhs. He also composed many hymns, including the revered Sukhmani Sahib. This marked the beginning of Amritsar as both a spiritual and cultural center for the Sikh community.