And then he took the legacy forward.

O Savior Lord, save us and take us across.
Falling at the feet of the Guru, our works are embellished with perfection!
May you get the strength to follow the ideals of Guru Arjan Dev ji
and be reminded of His sacrifice at all times!

   Guru Arjan Dev Ji - Guru from 1581 to 1606

His Teachings

Equality of man kind –  The soul of every human was considered respectable and no human being was considered inferior to another. As caste system was abolished amongst the followers of the Gurus, literacy for all was advocated.

Equality between a man and woman was practiced -Every woman was considered capable of meditation, following all religious practices. Women were prohibited from wearing a veil, a cloth that covers head and face .

Equality in work - Need to work was prescribed for all followers. The Guru himself devoted substantial time in charity and organize relief camps and natural calamities.

Equality of and respect for all religions was emphasized - Sikh religion has always emphasized on meditation and purity of action, but not on the rituals. Sikh religion says that no religion is big or small, instead one should obey every religion but should follow only one.

The following is a summary of the main highlights of Guru Ji's life:

• Compiled and collated the hymns of the previous Sikh Gurus as the foundation of the Guru Granth Sahib.

• Additionally Guru Ji contributed a total of 2218 hymns to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

•  Authored the Sukhmani Sahib Bani – Prayer for Peace 

• Installed for the first time the holy Sikh scriptures, which at that time was called the 'Adi Granth', a major achievement. 

• Developed Amritsar as a centre of excellence. 

• Enhanced the structure of Sikh society by further developing the masand system.

• Guru Arjan Sahib was the first Sikh Guru to be tortured (for 5 days) and martyred by muslims for his refusal to convert to islam.