Its sanctum came to house the AdiGranth comprising compositions of Sikh gurus and other saints considered to have Sikh values and philosophies, e.g., Baba Farid, and Kabir.
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In due course, a splendid Sikh edifice, Harmandir Sahib (meaning “the abode of God”), rose in the middle of this tank and became the supreme centre of Sikhism. The fourth guru of Sikhism, Guru Ram Das, excavated a tank in 1577 CE which subsequently became known as Amritsar (meaning “Pool of the Nectar of Immortality”), giving its name to the city that grew around it. Harmandir Sahib literally means Temple of God. Over two lakh (200,000) people visit the holy shrine per day for worship. Its construction was mainly intended to build a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship God equally. The most holy text of Sikhism, the Guru GranthSahib, is always present inside the gurdwara. Harmandir Sahib is considered holy by Sikhs. Between 1802–1830Ranjit Singh did the sewa of adding gold plating and marble to the gurdwara, while the interior was decorated with fresco work and gemstones. The present day Golden Temple was rebuilt in 1764 by Maharaja Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (1718–1783) with the help of other Misl Sikhchieftains.The gold plating of all the domes of sriDarbar sahib was done by Maharaja Jassa Singh Ahluwalia‘sdescendents. In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh secured the Punjab region from outside attack and covered the upper floors of the gurdwara with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and English name of “Golden Temple”. During the eighteenth century, the Harmandir Sahib was the site of frequent fighting between the Sikhs on one side and either Mughal or Afghan forces on the other side and the gurdwara occasionally suffered damage.
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In 1634, Guru Hargobind left Amritsar for the Shivalik Hills and for the remainder of the seventeenth century the city and gurdwara was in the hands of forces hostile to the Sikh Gurus. In 1604, Guru ArjanDev completed the AdiGranth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, and installed it in the gurdwara.
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Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev. The Harmandir Sahib ( Punjabi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰਸਾਹਿਬ also Darbar Sahib ( Punjabi: ਦਰਬਾਰਸਾਹਿਬ,), also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India.