Most of the painters and craftsmen, who worked in various branches of the Golden Temple, remained unknown. The late Bhai Hari Singh, himself an artist, prepared a list consisting of twenty names of painters and craftsmen who worked in the Golden Temple. This list serially included the names of Baba Kishan Singh, Baba Bishan Singh, Kapur Singh, Bhai Kehar Singh, Mahant Ishar Singh, Bhai Sardul Singh, Bhai Jawahar Singh, Bhai Metab Singh, Mistri Jaimal Singh, Bhai Harnam Singh, Bhai Ishar Singh, Bhai Gian Singh, Lal Singh Tarn Taran, Bhai Mangal Singh, Mistri Narain Singh, Mistri Jit Singh, Bhai Atma Singh, Baba Darja Mal and Bhai Vir Singh. A good deal of the old work, particularly mural in character, has disappeared from the Golden Temple. Initially, the disappearance of murals started at the close of the nineteenth century, when devotees were permitted to present contributions in the form of inlaid marble slabs, which were fixed on the walls painted with frescoes.
From the early 1600�s to the mid 1700�s the temple was demolished many times by Muslim armies and the sacred tank was filled with dirt. Each time it was rebuilt more exquisitely and the Sikhs restored the sanctity of the temple and tank. In 1767, the Sikhs gained enough military strength to repel invaders, allowing peace to return to the Harmandir Sahib once again.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the King of Punjab repaired the principal building in 1802 A.D. The courtyard of the Golden Temple was extended and amenities were provided for the growing number of pilgrims. He contributed lavishly for the development of Amritsar, by attracting more and more traders and merchants to settle there. Being a devote Sikh he donated priceless gifts and artifacts to Harmandir Sahib and its treasury. He contributed a huge amount of Gold to plate the entire building of Harmandir Sahib. The architectural shape of the golden temple was redesigned and artistically decorated under Ranjit Singh�s command. He made a grant of Rs. 500 000 (a huge amount in 1808) for this purpose. The embellished interior with lovely ceilings, adorned with relief�s and mirrors, was also renovated, finished and perfected under Ranjit Singh�s command. This act is commemorated by an inscription over the entrance to the central shrine, which reads: The Great Guru in His wisdom looked upon Maharaja Ranjit Singh as his chief servitor and Sikh, and, in His benevolence, bestowed on him the privilege of serving the temple.
In June 1984 the Indian armies attack on the Golden Temple abused the shrine and was very tragic. However, Sikhs, being resilient and enduring absorbed the unbelievable shock and restored the original glory to the temple by cleaning up the mess and destruction.
This holy site became a religious resort not only for the Sikhs but also for other communities, searching for safety from Royal oppressions. The Sikh gurus embraced everyone, irrespective of caste and creed who came to reside in Amritsar, creating an atmosphere of religious tolerance and a refuge not only for holy men but also for freedom fighters.