A 60m causeway traverses the pool to reach the
Temple itself which is 12m square and rests on a 20m square platform in
the middle of the Pool of Nectar. Harmandar Sahib has entrance on
all four sides. Guru Arjan Dev ji exclaimed, "My faith is for the people of all
castes and all creeds from whichever direction they come and to which ever
direction they bow". Guru Amar Das ji,
the third Sikh Guru, asked Bhai Jetha (who would go on to become the fourth
Nanak, Guru Ram Das ji) to build a central place of congregation for the Sikhs.
Guru Ram Das ji started excavation work in 1577 during his lifetime. Guru Arjun Dev ji,
the fifth Nanak, completed excavation of the sarovar known as Amritsar
(the Pool of Nectar) in 1588. Guru Arjan Dev ji then started construction
of the Hari Mandir building, which was finally completed in 1601.
The Aad Granth compiled by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, installed there in 1604 with Baba Buddha as the first
granthi (reader of the holy scripture). The last Sikh Guru to live in Amritsar
was the sixth Nanak, Guru Hargobind ji. In 1664, Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, the ninth
Nanak, visited Harmandar Sahib but was refused entry by the corrupt caretaker
Masands. Harmandar Sahib has always been a rallying point for Sikhs
throughout Sikh history. Around 1740, Massa Ranghar, the ruler of Amritsar, desecrated
Darbar Sahib by using it as a dancing hall. Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh killed him. In 1761, Ahmed Shah Abdali blew
up the Harmandar and filled the Sarovar with refuse. The great Sikh
martyr Baba Deep Singh laid down his life in freeing Harmandar Sahib of
the desecrators. The construction of Harmandar Sahib as it appears today
was begun in 1764 when Jassa Singh Ahluwalia laid the foundation stone.
Many of the doors and domes were covered with copper sheets overlaid with
gold during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Bullets damaged Harmandar Sahib during the military invasion of the Indian Army during June 1984.
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