Amritsar, founded by Guru Ram Das as Ramdaspur around the Amrit Sarovar

Background

Amritsar's coming 450th foundation anniversary is being discussed by civic groups in October 2026, with talks on protecting the walled city's heritage. The Amritsar district administration records that the city was founded by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, in about 1574 A.D. The Guru shifted to live among the people of the new settlement, which came to be called Ramdaspur. He also began building the Amrit Sarovar, the tank from which the city gets its present name. His successor, Guru Arjan Dev, completed the project and located the Harmandir Sahib in its midst. Maharaja Ranjit Singh took full control of Amritsar by 1802.