<P> The Harmandir Sahib literally means the Temple of God . Guru Amar Das had ordered Guru Ram Das to create a nectarous tank as a place for worship for the Sikh religion . Guru Ram Das instructed all his Sikhs to join in the work, under Bhai Budha's superintendence, and engaged labourers to assist them . He said that the tank of nectar should be God's home, and whoever bathed in it shall obtain all spiritual and temporal advantages . During the progress of the work, the hut in which the Guru first sheltered himself was expanded for his residence; it is now known as the Guru's Mahal, or palace . </P> <P> In 1578 Guru Ram Das excavated a tank, which subsequently became known as Amritsar (Pool of the Nectar of Immortality), giving its name to the city that grew around it . In due course, the Harmandir Sahib, was built in the middle of this tank and became the supreme centre of Sikhism . Its sanctum came to house the Adi Granth comprising compositions of Sikh Gurus and other saints considered to have Sikh values and philosophies, e.g., Baba Farid, and Kabir . The compilation of the Adi Granth was started by the fifth guru of Sikhism, Guru Arjan . </P> <P> Guru Arjan conceived the idea of creating a central place of worship for the Sikhs and designed it . Earlier the planning to excavate the holy tank (Amritsar or Amrit Sarovar) was chalked out by Guru Amar Das, the Third Sikh Guru, but it was executed by Guru Ram Das under the supervision of Baba Budha . The land for the site was acquired by the earlier Guru Sahibs on payment or free of cost from the Zamindars (landlords) of native villages . The plan to establish a town settlement was also made and the construction work on the Sarovar (the tank) and the town started simultaneously in 1570 . The work on both projects was completed in 1577 . In December 1588, Guru Arjan initiated the construction of the gurdwara and the foundation stone was laid by Hazrat Mian Mir on 28 December 1588 . </P> <P> The gurdwara was completed in 1604 . Guru Arjan installed the Guru Granth Sahib in it and appointed Baba Buddha as the first Granthi (reader) of it in August 1604 . In the mid-18th century it was attacked by the Afghans, by one of Ahmed Shah Abdali's generals, Jahan Khan, and had to be substantially rebuilt in the 1760s . </P>

Who built golden temple and in which year