The anniversary of first Parkash Gurpurb of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is being celebrated in Amritsar’s Golden Temple complex today. The main function was held at Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib, which was attended by a large number of devotees.After ‘ardas’, a ‘nagar kirtan’ was taken out from the gurdwara under ‘Panj Pyare’. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Baba Tek Singh Dhanola were among those present. The Nagar Kirtan will pass through various parts of the city before concluding at Sri Akal Takht Sahib.Devotees pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Parkash Gurpurb of Guru Granth Sahib in Amritsar on Saturday. Photo: Vishal KumarWhen the ‘Shabad’ became the GuruFour centuries ago, on a September morning in Amritsar, a scripture was carried with great reverence into the newly built Darbar Sahib. Baba Buddha carried the Adi Granth, while Guru Arjan Dev Ji followed the sacred tradition of humility, performing ‘chaur sahib’.The fifth Sikh Guru had brought together the ‘bani’ of the earlier Gurus, his own compositions and the words of Bhagats from different social backgrounds. The scripture was placed at the centre of the Sikh spiritual tradition, while Baba Buddha was appointed its first granthi. Baba Budha was the first student of Gurmukhi, who learnt the script from Guru Nanak at Kartarpur.More than a religious ceremony, the first Parkash of the Adi Granth marked the public expression of an idea that was far ahead of its time, that the voice of the spiritually enlightened mattered more than the caste or social position of the person who spoke it.For a society deeply divided by caste and status, this was a powerful message.Guru Arjan Dev had supervised the compilation of the Adi Granth, with Bhai Gurdas writing down the bani. The inclusion of the Bhagats was particularly significant. Many belonged to communities that were treated as socially inferior under the caste hierarchy of the time. Yet their spiritual compositions were not placed separately or treated as secondary. They were given an honoured place alongside the bani of the Gurus.Dr Kulwinder Singh Bajwa, former head of the Department of Punjab Historical Studies at Punjabi University, describes this as one of the most important social messages of the compilation.According to him, Guru Arjan Dev challenged the accepted social order by giving the bani of people from marginalised communities the same spiritual status as the compositions of the Gurus. The message was simple but profound: spiritual wisdom did not belong to a particular caste.The Adi Granth was also not a random collection of hymns. Guru Arjan Dev arranged the compositions according to different ragas. At the same time, Darbar Sahib was taking shape as the place where the scripture would be installed. Thus, two major developments in Sikh history came together in Amritsar in 1604 , a central place of worship and a central spiritual scripture.The first ‘Hukamnama’ taken after the Parkash was from Guru Arjan Dev’s bani in Raag Suhi: “Santa ke karaj aap khaloiya, har kam karavan aaya Ram” (Page 783).With the Parkash of the Adi Granth, the Shabad was given a central place in Sikh life. But the new spiritual order also emerged in a period of growing political and religious tension.Dr Bajwa says Guru Arjan Dev faced opposition from sections of the religious establishment, including orthodox upper caste priests and Mulanas. The growing influence of the Sikh community and the Guru’s message of equality were seen as a challenge to established hierarchies.Mughal emperor Jahangir also referred to Guru Arjan Dev Ji in his autobiography, the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri. He recorded his decision to take action against the Guru Arjan and described the growing influence around him in hostile terms.Guru Arjan Dev was subjected to severe torture and attained martyrdom in 1606.The events of 1604 therefore cannot be seen only through the lens of a religious installation. They were part of a wider transformation taking place in South Asia, a transformation in which caste, privilege and social status were being challenged by the idea of equality before the divine Word.Every year, Sikhs across the world gather to mark the first Parkash Gurpurab. In Amritsar, the celebration returns to the same historic space where the Adi Granth was first installed in 1604.The flowers, lights, prayers and kirtan of the modern-day celebrations may look very different from the scene of September 1604. But at the heart of the observance remains the same idea that the Shabad is supreme.