Which Sufi saint is believed to have laid the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar?

Mian Mir (about 1550-1635) was a famous Sufi saint of Lahore, belonging to the Qadiri order. He was known for his simple life, his tolerance and his friendship with people of all faiths. According to Sikh tradition, he laid the foundation stone of the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar in December 1588 (some accounts say 1589), at the invitation of the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev.

The construction of the Harmandir Sahib was a part of Guru Arjan Dev's work to give the Sikhs a central place of worship. The tank (sarovar) at Amritsar had been dug earlier, under Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru, who founded the town, then called Ramdaspur. Guru Arjan Dev designed the temple with four doors, open on all sides, to show that people of all castes and religions were welcome. He installed the first version of the Adi Granth, compiled by him, in the temple in 1604.

Mian Mir was close to Guru Arjan Dev. When the Guru was tortured and executed in Lahore in 1606 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, tradition says that Mian Mir offered to intervene, but the Guru accepted it as God's will. Mian Mir was also respected by Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan's son, Dara Shikoh, was a devoted follower of Mian Mir and wrote about him in his books Sakinat-ul-Auliya and Safinat-ul-Auliya. Mian Mir's tomb is in Lahore, in present-day Pakistan.

The gold covering of the Harmandir Sahib was added in the early 19th century by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Baba Farid was a Chishti saint of Pakpattan.
• ✗Shaikh Salim Chishti was a saint of Fatehpur Sikri, linked with Akbar.
• ✗Nizamuddin Auliya was a Chishti saint of Delhi.