INTRODUCTION
The Guru Granth Sahib (initially known as Adi Granth) was first compiled by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the Fifth Sikh Guru. During Guru Ji's time, his older brother Prithi Chand as well as others had started passing off some of their own compositions as the hymns of the Gurus. Guru Arjan Dev Ji realized that if this situation was allowed to continue it would be the undermining of the Sikh religion. The Sikhs needed an authentic compilation of the hymns of their Gurus. Thus He started collecting the original verses of all the Gurus. He sent his trusted Sikhs Bhai Piara, Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddha across the country in search of original manuscripts. Guru Arjan Dev Ji also made trips to Goindwal, Khadur and Kartarpur to visit the families of the previous Gurus. He collected original manuscripts of the Gurus from Mohan (son of Guru Amar Das), Datu (son of Guru Angad) as well as Sri Chand (son of Guru Nanak).
	Guru Arjan Dev now pitched a tent by the side of Ramsar tank in Amritsar and started the arduous task of compiling the first edition of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Gurdas was entrusted as the Guru's scribe for the master copy. The Adi Granth was written in Gurmukhi script and it contains the actual words and verses as uttered by the Sikh Gurus. On completion, the Adi Granth was installed in 1604, in the Harmandir Sahib (known as Golden Temple), in Amritsar. Guru Arjan Dev Ji seated himself at a lower level and instructed all Sikhs to bow before it, not as an idol, but as the book of divine inspiration which instructed living men in the ways of God and dedicated secular life.
The revered Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi (custodian) of the book. Guru Arjan Dev Ji dictated that the Adi Granth could be open to reading by anyone of any caste, creed or sex.

In 1705, the second and last version of the Guru Granth Sahib was compiled by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and it was finalized at Damdama Sahib. He added, to the original Granth Sahib, the hymns of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Ninth Guru, and only one of his own hymns. The writings of Guru Gobind Sing Ji are included in the Dasam Granth. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, before the end of his life, officially ended the line of the Sikh Gurus by raising the Adi Granth to the status of an eternal Guru and renamed it Guru Granth Sahib. He then commanded the Sikhs that it was to be revered as the body and spirit of the Ten Gurus. He ordered the Sikhs to treat the Guru Granth Sahib as their next eternal Guru. Guru Ji said - "Sab Sikhan ko hokam hai Guru Maniyo Granth" meaning "All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as the Guru."

WHAT IS GURU GRANTH SAHIB ?
	The Guru Granth Sahib is not merely the holy book but also the eternal living Guru of the Sikhs. It is a collection of devotional hymns and prayers.
	Most of the hymns are addressed to God and often describe the devotee's condition: his aspirations and yearning, his agony in separation and his longing to be with Lord.
	The subject of Guru Granth Sahib is truth: how to live a truthful living, that is, an ultimate for an ideal person. Its philosophy is propounded through the songs of love, truth, contentment, humility, fatherhood of Almighty, brotherhood of man, restraint of passions, mercy on living beings, purity of mind and body, search for the self and higher Soul, equality of man and woman, service to others, and varied way of life.
Guru Granth Sahib is a book of Revelation. It conveys the Word of the Master through His messengers on earth. It is universal in its scope. The greatness of Guru Granth Sahib lies not only in its being the holy scripture of the Sikhs but also in it being a general scripture available to mankind, intended for everybody, everywhere.
The Granth also explains what Guru Nanak Dev Ji meant by a "perfect individual" or a Gurmukh. It is a remarkable storehouse of spiritual knowledge and teachings. It does not preach any rites or rituals but stresses meditation on the Name of Waheguru. Through its teachings, it can enable men and women to lead a purposeful and rewarding life while being productive members of a society. It seeks universal peace and the good of all mankind. Guru Granth Sahib also stresses the democratic way of life and the equality of all people. It teaches that we are Karm Yogis, that is, we reap what we sow. The emphasis is on moral actions, noble living and working for the welfare of all people. Respect and veneration for Guru Granth Sahib does not imply idol worship, but rather respect for a divine message, the ideas and ideals contained in the Sikh scripture. Meditation on the True Word, Satnam or the Wonderful Enlightener, Waheguru, or on any line of a verse in Guru Granth Sahib, may bring the true devotee or disciple to be in tune with Waheguru.

The Guru Granth Sahib is the only scripture in the world which has been compiled by the founders of a faith during their own life time. In the religious assemblies of the Sikhs, the holy Granth is the presiding presence. No Sikh ceremony is regarded as complete unless it is performed in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. All who enter, bow before it and make offerings. These offerings are believed to be made to the holy Guru, and are intended to be utilized for the accomplishment of religious objectives and philanthropic purposes.

The Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a dominant platform in every Gurdwara in the main hall and covered by a canopy, to mark its sacred character. Everyday, in the morning, the holy Granth is brought out and placed over the designated platform in the main hall and at night time it is taken to a duly appointed place for retirement. It is thus, treated as a sacred Person, the Guru, rather than merely a book.

In addition, while the Granthi, reads from the Guru Granth Sahib, he also uses a Chaur, also called Chauri, (Yak hair or manmade fiber embedded in a metal placed in a wooden handle) and waves it over the Guru Granth Sahib as a symbol of respect.
Moreover, all must sit, at a lower level, with folded hands and in a prayerful attitude of reverence in its presence. No action or gesture smacking of levity or casualness is permitted.

The conveyance of the Guru Granth Sahib from one place to another too is attended by a ceremonial. Usually it is carried over short distances on a man's head, with a number of persons in attendance, chanting hymns and someone sprinkling ordinary or perfumed water in front. If carried over a larger distance, it must be placed reverently on a carriage or lorry, or in a car, with the attendants taking off their shoes as a mark of reverence.

Sikh religious occasions are generally marked by largely attended processions, chanting hymns and carrying in front on a properly decorated mount or vehicle the Granth Sahib.

ARRANGEMENT & LAYOUT OF THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB

The majority of the language of the Guru Granth Sahib is the Punjabi dialect prevalent at that time, some hymns are also found in Persian, medieval Prakrit Hindi and Marathi, Sanskrit as well as Arabic. All of these hymns are written in the standard Punjabi script known as Gurmukhi, popularized by the Second Master; Guru Angad. The Guru Granth Sahib is exactly 1430 pages in length. Each page contains in bold print 18 or 19 lines dependent on the page size.

The hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib have been laid out in a very scientific and well planned manner devised by Guru Arjan Dev. The hymns have been arranged according to the Ragas (musical measures) in which they are meant to be sung. Secondly they are arranged on the nature or the metre of the poems themselves. Next they are arranged by author and finally on the key deemed appropriate to them.

Divided into 33 sections, the first section comprises the soulful and inspiring hymn of Guru Nanak Dev Ji called Japji and also a few selected Paudis, the final section is a collection of assorted verses including the Slokas and the Swayyas of Bhatts. The remaining 31 sections are classified after the well-known classical Ragas, which are as follows:

1. Sri Rag 7. Bihagra 13. Bairari 19. Nat 25. Basant 2. Majh 8. Wadhans 14. Tilang 20. Maligaura 26. Sarang 3. Gauri 9. Sorath 15. Suhi 21. Maru 27. Malar 4. Asa 10. Dhanasari 16. Bilawal 22. Tukhari 28. Kanara 5. Gujari 11. Jaitsari 17. Gaund 23. Kedara 29. Kalian 6. Devgandhari 12. Todi 18. Ramkali 24. Bhairo 30. Prabhai                 31. Jaijawanti

The Ragas are further divided into the nature of the metre:

1. Chaupadas: an average of four verses each 2. Ashtpadis: an average of eight verses each 3. Special long poems 4. Chhants: six line verses 5. Special short poems 6. Vars: consisting of two or more paragraphs (Sloks) followed by a concluding stanza (Pauri) 7. Poems of Bhagatas (various saints)

The Guru Granth Sahib contains the Banis (the sacred compositions) of the first five Gurus; the ninth Guru and the tenth Guru. Moreover, the Guru Granth Sahib is the only scripture of its kind which also contains within its sacred covers the songs and utterances of a wide variety of saints, including Muslims, Hindus and even so called "untouchables". This was done to demonstrate the Sikh respect for other saints and tolerance for all faiths.

The writings of the Gurus appear in chronological order. Furthermore, each of their composition is preceded by a number (Mahalla) which denotes the name of the composer (i.e. Guru), starting from Guru Nanak onwards. For example Mahalla 1 is Guru Nanak; Mahalla 2 is Guru Angad and so on.

There are a total of 5867 Shabads (hymns) and other compositions included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Below is a list that shows the names of the contributor and the number of hymns contributed.

1. Guru Nanak Dev Ji: 947 hymns 2. Guru Angad Dev Ji: 63 hymns 3. Guru Amardas Ji: 869 hymns 4. Guru Ramdas Ji: 638 hymns 5. Guru Arjan Dev Ji: 2312 hymns 6. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji: 115 hymns 7. Guru Gobind Singh Ji: 1 hymn 8. Kabir: 534 hymns   Bhagat Kabir (1398 to 1495): Kabir was born to a Brahmin mother and raised by a Muslim step mother. Kabir was a proponent of the Bhakti movement. He lived as a householder, abhorred the caste system and religious rituals. He was a saintly apostle of peace, love and unity and a great poet. Kabir believed in inward purity, and was respected by both Hindus and Muslims. 9. Farid: 123 hymns   Bhagat Sheikh Farid (1175 to 1265): Sheikh Farid was a Muslim Sufi saint of great piety. He is considered the father of Punjabi poetry. He was greatly loved for his kindness and humanity. He stressed living a simple yet purposeful life concentrating on One God. 10. Namdev: 62 hymns   Bhagat Namdev (1270 to 1350): Namdev was a celebrated saint from Maharashtra who traveled extensively across the country. He lived in Punjab for a number of years. 11. Ravidas: 40 hymns   Bhagat Ravidas: A contemporary of Kabir and a disciple of Ramanand, Ravidas represent the culmination of the Bhakti Movement. He came from a low caste cobbler family but had many disciples because of his spirituality. He stressed a life of simplicity and piety. 12. Trilochan: 5 hymns   Bhagat Trilochan: A contemporary of Kabir and a celebrated Sain of the Vaish caste. He believed in One God and condemned superficial rituals and stressed the holiness of the heart. 13. Beni: 3 hymns   Bhagat Beni: Probably a contemporary of Namdev, not much is known about him. He was unperturbed by poverty and enjoyed a life of solitude enriched by his spiritual per suits. He was a great scholar as is evident from his writings. 14. Dhanna: 4 hymns   Bhagat Dhanna: Dhanna was a Jat from Rajasthan who was born in 1415. He lived most of his life as an idol worshipper but in later years became a worshipper of One God and renounced all superstitious practices. 15. Jaidev: 2 hymns   Bhagat Jaidev: Jaidev was a renowned poet laureate in the royal court of King Lakshman Sen of Bengal. His famous work of poetry Gita Govinda is well known for its poetic beauty and musical richness. 16. Bhikhan: 2 hymns   Bhagat Sheikh Bhikan: A Muslim Sufi scholar saint Sheikh Bhikan died in the early part of Akbar's reign. He was one of the most learned men of his time. He believed that only God's name can heal a diseased mind and body. 17. Sain: 1 hymn   Bhagat Sain: Sain was a barber of the royal court of Raja Ram, king of Rewa. He was a follower of Ramanand and Kabir. 18. Pipa: 1 hymn   Bhagat Pipa: Born in 1425, Pipa was the king of the princely state of Gagaraungarh. He abdicated his throne, traveled extensively and became a disciple of Ramanand. He lived a life of extreme austerity and humility. 19. Sadhna: 1 hymn   Bhagat Sadhna: A butcher by profession, Sadhana was born in Sind. His piety and meditation of God elevated him to saintly status. He was condemned by Brahmins and on a false charge was arrested and buried alive. 20. Ramanand: 1 hymn   Bhagat Ramanand: Ramanand, a Brahmin was born in 1359 in Madras. He is regarded as the pioneer of the Bhakti movement in northern India. A Vaishnava in his early life, he became a worshipper of Brahm and condemned the caste system. Kabir was the most renowned amongst his disciples. 21. Parmanand: 1 hymn   Bhagat Paramanand: Born in Maharashtra, little is known about Paramanand's life. It is believed that he lived in Maharashtra and was a devotee of Krishna. He later became a proponent of One God. 22. Surdas: 2 hymns   Bhagat Surdas: Surdas was a Brahmin born in 1529. He was learned in Sanskrit and Persian and studied music and poetry. He was appointed a governor by Emperor Akbar, but was later imprisoned for dereliction of duty. Towards the end of his life, he became a hermit and lived among holy men. 23. Sunder: 6 hymns   Bhagat Sunder: Baba Sunder (1560-1610) was the great grandson of Guru Amar Das. His composition called Sadd (Calling) was written at the request of Guru Arjan Dev after the death of Guru Ram Das. 24. Mardana: 3 hymns   Bhai Mardana: Mardana was a rabab (rebeck) player who spent most of his life as a disciple and musician of Guru Nanak. Born a Muslim, Mardana was a childhood friend of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on all his great travels. 25. Satta and Balwand: 8 hymns   Satta and Balwand: Satta was a rebeck player who served Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Gur Ram Das and Guru Arjan Dev. Along with his fellow musician Balwand they jointly composed a ballad which appears in the Guru Granth Sahib. 26. Bhatts: 123 hymns   The Bhatts: The Bhatts were a group of musicians who lived in the sixteenth century. All of them were scholars, poets and singers. Scholars differ on the exact number of contributors to the Granth Sahib, anywhere from eight to seventeen.