Golden Temple Amritsar - A Photo Essay

Photo Essays
Golden Temple, Amritsar – 2

Photograph by Sukhdeep Singh

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The land for the site was acquired by the earlier Gurus on payment or free of cost from the Zamindars (landlords) of native villages. The plan to establish a town settlement was also made. Therefore, the construction work on the Sarovar (the tank) and the town started simultaneously in 1570. The work on both projects completed in 1577 A.D.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji got its foundation laid by a Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir ji of Lahore in December 1588. The construction work was directly supervised by Guru Arjan Sahib himself and he was assisted by the prominent Sikh personalities like Baba Budha ji, Bhai Gurdas ji, Bhai Sahlo ji and many other devoted Sikhs.

The Harimandir was destroyed by Afgan invaders thrice ( AD 1757,1762 and 1764) and finally rebuilt in its present shape and structure in the period of Sikh Misls (Confederacies) in AD 1764. After the conquest of Sirhind on January 1764 the Khalsa spread a sheet and collected offerings amounting to rupees nine lakhs. This time Sardar Jassaa Singh Ahluwalia laid the Foundation stone on AD 1764. With the sustained efforts of the Khalsa the construction of Amrit Sarovar, The Harimandir, the bridge and the Darshini Deorhi was completed by 1776.

The construction of Parikrama (circumambulatory) and the religious places around the tank were completed in 1784.

– Continued

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