Amritsar

The foundation stone for Sikhism, based upon equality and seva was laid down by Guru Nanak but later solidified by his three successors. To put it on a firm foundation, Guru Arjan set out to build Harminder Sahib (Golden Temple) in the exact location where his father had built the clay tank of Amrit and also established the town Amritsar around it, source reported.

Tolerance and equality are at the heart of the Sikh religion. It was in the same spirit of I am neither Hindu nor Muslim that Guru Arjan invited Mian Mir, a Muslim saint from Lahore, to formally lay the foundation stone of the Harminder Sahib. It was intended to be the tallest structure at the time by the Sikh Sangats, according to source, a new-age online digest that brings to you the latest in Punjab politics, history, culture, heritage and more.

The temple was built at the lowest level feasible in remembrance of Guru Arjan’s advice to his disciples that humility was the highest virtue. The Harminder Sahib has entrances on all four corners to disregard the Muslim idea that God is in the West and the Hindu concept that it is in the East, where the sun rises. My faith is for the people of all castes and of all creeds from whichever direction they come and to whichever direction they bow.

The Golden Temple’s completion and the creation of the Adi Granth are two of Guru Arjan’s most significant contributions to the spiritual and material components of Sikhism, according to source.