The Golden Temple's history dates back to the 16th century. The land was initially a small lake deemed sacred by Sikhs. Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru, designed the temple and installed the Adi Granth (later Guru Granth Sahib) within it in 1604. Over the centuries, the temple faced destruction and reconstruction, notably being rebuilt with marble and overlaid with gold leaf by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the 19th century. It has since become a central hub of Sikhism and a prominent pilgrimage site.