Guru Granth Sahib: The Guru Eternal

To mark the tercentenary of Gurugaddi Divas of Guru Granth Sahib in 2008, this volume has been brought out to highlight some distinctive features of the Sikh scripture. It was for the first time in the history of world religions that a religious teacher had himself created an authorized version of the scripture. Guru Arjan Dev went a step further by including the hymns of the Hindu Bhaktas, Muslim Sufi Saints and the so-called low castes. In medieval times when society was divided in narrow sectarian and caste basic compartments this was a revolutionary step indeed. Guru Granth Sahib opens with Mool Mantra, the primal creed, wherein Guru Nanak, makes a definitive statement about the unity of God and brotherhood of mankind. Set in musical modes, the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib are composed in poetic meters. The vision of Guru Granth Sahib embraces the whole humanity - its concerns are universal and transcend linguistic and geographical boundaries. This is what Arnold Toynbee says in this contexts: "...In the coming religious debate, the Sikh religion and its scripture, the Adi Granth, will have something of special value to say to the rest of the world." With scholarly introduction by Dr. J.S. Neki and text by Dr. Mohinder Singh, distinguished historian, the volume contains pictures of various Gurdwaras and Ceremonies covered by India's leading photographers. It also provides glimpses of rare Guru Granth Sahib Birs from different repositories in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and U.K. pictures of Mool Mantra in the hand of Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Hargobind, Guru Har Rai, Guru Har Krishan, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh in different rare Birs and Hukamnamas have been included in this volume. Works of William Simpson, William Carpenter, Sobha Singh, Bodhraj, B.S. Malhans, Sidharth and other eminent artists and first ever camera photograph of the Golden Temple by William Baker, also find a place of prominent in the volume.