6 August 1604. There was a joyous gathering by the tank of Ramsar, in the town of Ramdaspur. Guru Arjan presided, beaming. It is a most ble...
6 August 1604. There was a joyous gathering by the tank of Ramsar, in the town of Ramdaspur. Guru Arjan presided, beaming. It is a most blessed day. A great endeavour had been completed.
The poet, Santokh Singh, sets the scene.
His court the Guru presides above
His Sikhs joyous are drenched in loveIn the midst, glorious the holy book
Reverently Sikhs serve and lookFlowers garland the Guru’s neck
Gorgeous blooms the court do deckThe choicest blooms the Guru took
Laid them before the holy bookCensers fragrant smell so good
Saffron showers, sandalwoodDevotion such the Sikhs do show
Lustily they conch shells blowAs one then all the faithful pray
Jubilant cries Oh Joyous dayRababs, Sitars the faithful bring
Hymns and many melodies sing
It was a profoundly important moment in the history of the faith that Guru Nanak had founded just a hundred years earlier. The Sikhs now had their own scripture, The Guru Granth Sahib. The joyous celebration continued.
Guru Arjan had made an important decision. He had already built the Har Mandar Sahib, which had started to draw the faithful from far and near. The town of Ramdaspur, which would be known as Amritsar, was flourishing as more and more Sikhs decided to settle there, driven by a desire to be near the Guru and the Har Mandar Sahib.
The faith of Guru Nanak was flourishing. Communities of Sikhs...
