Guru Arjan Dev Ji Gurdwara Sikh Temple was established in the 1960's and is currently established at its third site since 1993 and is the Largest and oldest gurdwara in Derby.
Gurdwara, pronounced ‘Gur-Dwa- raa’ means the ‘Guru’s Door’ or ‘through the Guru’. Sikhs comes here to learn how to live a spiritual and moral life and earn Guru’s blessings.
Guru Arjan(Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation:[Gu-ru Ar-Jan]; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib Ji which is now considered the present Guru of the Sikhs. He is regarded as the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith. The second being Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was born in Goindval, in the Punjab, the youngest son of the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das, and Bibi Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das. He completed the construction of Darbar Sahib/Harimandir Sahib popularly known as the Golden Temple in Amritsar, after the fourth Sikh Guru founded the town and built a sarovar. Guru Arjan Dev Ji compiled the hymns of the previous Gurus and of other saints into Adi Granth, the first edition of the Sikh scripture, and inaugurated it in Harimandir Sahib.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was arrested under the orders of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir accusing him of supporting a rebellion under Khusrau Mirza. He was asked to convert himself to Islam. He refused and, as a result, was tortured and executed in 1606 CE. Historical records and the Sikh tradition indicate that Guru Arjan Dev Ji was executed by having hot sand poured upon him on a giant hot plate and tortured and then entered into the River Ravi where their physical body was not seen again.
The Sikh tradition states the Guru's execution was a part of the ongoing persecution of the Sikhs under the Mughal Empire. His martyrdom is considered a pivotal event in the history of Sikhi. It is remembered as Shaheedi Divas of Guru Arjan Dev Ji in May or June
