Guru Ram Das completed the sacred pool in 1577, and Guru Arjan began the Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, in 1581. The brick gurdwara was finished in 1589, and a copy of the Adi Granth, the Sikh scripture, was installed on August 16, 1604. The sanctum stands in the Amrit Sarovar pool, reached by a causeway, with four entrances that symbolize openness to all.
In 1809 Maharaja Ranjit Singh rebuilt the shrine in marble and copper, and in 1830 he gilded the sanctum, which gave the temple its popular name. The style is Sikh architecture, blending Mughal and Hindu influences.
Operation Blue Star in 1984 caused heavy damage and destroyed the Akal Takht, and the complex was rebuilt afterward. Langar, a free community kitchen, serves vegetarian meals to all visitors, and more than 150,000 people visit daily.
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