Guru Nanak ji was the founder of Sikhism. His life history is known largely from tradition. He was born in 1469 CE in a village about 90 km further west of Lahore which is now known as Nankana Sahib. The Nanakana sahib Gurudwara was built ~ 1600 CE and renovated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1819-20. As a young man Guru Nanak ji worked in a granary but his religious insights led him onto udasis (travels) across India.

Source: Britannica. The Wikimedia image by Shahzaib Damn Cruze is of Gurudwara Janamsthan at Nankana Sahib.

Nanak ji spent a large part of his life on his udasis – spiritual travels where he went to important pilgrimage centres and interacted with common devotees. After his travels, Nanak ji probably returned to Punjab by 1520 since he mentions the attacks of Babur, the first Mughal. He spent the rest of his life till his passing in 1538 CE at Kartarpur, near the Indo-Pak border. Two Gurudwaras mark his stay here. Dera Baba Nanak in India, a km from the border, is where he meditated. Kartarpur Sahib 5 km across the border, marks the spot where he breathed his last. The visa free Kartarpur corridor connects the two sites now.
Source: Sikh Shrines in India; GS Randhir

Adi Granth (First Book) is the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. It has 6000 hymns. The first version of the book was compiled by the 5th Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev, at Amritsar in 1604 CE. Gurudwara Ramsar was the place where he went into seclusion for a year along with his scribe, the great savant Bhai Gurdas. He collected the hymns of the first three Gurus, added his own compositions and also those of many other great saints of the country. In 1704 CE the 10th and last Guru, Gobind Singh, added some more hymns and enjoined that after his own death the Granth would take the place of the Guru. Thus, it is called ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. The book starts with the Mul Mantra (“Basic Prayer”), which is a declaration of the nature of God as Truth, followed by the Japji (“Recital”), the most important Sikh scripture, written by Guru Nanak. The hymns are arranged according to the musical modes (ragas) in which they are to be sung. The Wikimedia image is of the Granth Sahib manuscript at Sri Patna Sahib with the signature of Guru Gobind Singh.

Source : “Sikh Shrines in India”, GS Randhir; Britannica.

Adjacent to the Harmandir Saheb at the Golden Temple in Amritsar stands the Akal Takht. Guru Sri Hargobind constructed the Akal Takht in 1609. The place where the Takht stands was a playground where the Guru played in his childhood. As Guru, he himself sat there and held a court of justice, redressing grievances of the Sikhs. Thus, the Hukumnama (order of justice) issued by the Jathedar of Akal Takht is binding on all Sikhs. The picture of Akal Takht by Amanji 25 is from Wikimedia Commons.

Source : “Sikh Shrines in India”, GS Randhir.

Guru Angad (1504 – 52 CE) is credited with organizing the Sikh sangat. The first meeting of the community (sangat) took place at his family home at Taran Taran in Punjab. It is now marked by the Gurudwara Mal Akhara. It takes its name from the fact that Guru Angad emphasized the importance of physical education and the need of a healthy body for a sound mind. He standardized the Gurumukhi script of the Punjabi language so that the discourses could be available to the common man in the sangat. To foster a feeling of oneness in the sangat and avoid feelings of high and low, he started the langar, the community meal that is now so intimately associated with Gurudwaras. The picture of Gurudwara Mal Akhara is from Sikhwiki.

Source: Britannica.

The land that is now Amritsar was donated to the Gurus by their followers. Guru Amardas chalked out a plan to excavate a holy tank (Amrit Sarovar shortened to Amritsar). Guru Ramdas executed this plan under the supervision of Baba Budha ji. Later the fifth Guru Arjan built the Sri Harmandir Sahib (the main shrine in the Golden Temple) in the holy tank to have a focal pilgrimage centre for Sikhs – ‘ath sath tirath’. The design of Sri Harmandir sahib was personally made by Guru Arjan. Guru Arjan requested a Muslim mystic, Mian Mir to lay the foundation of Sri Harmandir. It is made on a platform in the centre of the holy tank and has doors on all sides to signify openness to all. Darshani Deori (main gate) and Har ki Pauri (Holy Steps) are part of Sri Harmandir. The Wikimedia image originally from flickr by Ekabhishek shows the Harmandir Sahib being reflected in the holy tank at the Golden Temple.

Source: goldentempleamritsar.org

Guru Harkrishan was appointed as the eight Guru by his predecessor, Guru Har Rai. His elder brother disputed the succession and approached Emperor Aurangzeb to intercede. Guru Harkrishan came to Delhi to meet the emperor and stayed here. Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber (Jaipur) made his stay comfortable and the Guru took the opportunity to serve the people of Delhi who were facing an epidemic of cholera & small pox. Mirza Raja Jai Singh was the foremost general of Emperor Aurangzeb and inflicted a major defeat on Chatrapati Shivaji, resulting in the treaty of Purandar in 1665 CE. The picture of Bangla Sahib from Wikimedia Commons is by Ram Singh -commonswiki.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1675. He paid the price for espousing the cause of the freedom of worship of Kashmiri Pandits against whom the emperor had unleashed atrocities. He was executed at Chandni Chowk in Delhi at a place marked by Gurudwara Sis Ganj, ‘sis’ means head. His followers escaped with his severed head to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab under great danger. His headless body was secretly carried by Lakhi Shah and his son to their house in Delhi to avoid any desecration. They burnt down their house to cremate the Guru. Gurudwara Rakabganj (‘rakab’ means body) stands at this spot, very close to Parliament house. The Sikh General Baghel Singh captured Delhi in 1783CE and forced the weak Emperor Shah Alam to allow him to build small shrines at the two locations. These were expanded later. The picture from Wikimedia by Ravi Dwivedi is the entrance to Gurudwara Sisganj in Delhi.

Source: Sikhwiki, Wikipedia.

Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606 CE) profoundly shaped Sikhism. He compiled the Adi Granth which later became the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh sacred scripture. He completed the construction of the Golden Temple and built the beautiful sarovar (pond) next to it. He institutionalised the masand (tax) system of administering the community. In 1605 CE, Jahangir ascended the Mughal throne and was embroiled in a rebellion by his son, Khusrau. The Guru’s detractors spread rumours that he had blessed or supported Khusrau. He was taken before Jahāngīr, who fined him and either asked him to convert to Islam or eliminate sections of the Adi Granth deemed objectionable. Guru Arjan refused and was tortured and executed by drowning. Some say he died during torture. His martyrdom made the Sikhs more militaristic and sowed the seeds of a prolonged Sikh-Mughal conflict. The picture is a 1800CE Pahari painting of Guru Arjan from the Chandigarh museum.

Source: Britannica.

Guru Gobind Singh ji, the tenth Guru founded the Khalsa panth on Baisakhi day in 1699 in Anandpur. Takht Keshgarh sahib marks the spot where he administered amrit to the Panj Pyaras, the five beloved ones. He said, “The entire sangat is very dear to me; but is there a devoted Sikh who will give his head to me here and now? A need has arisen at this moment which calls for a head.” A hush fell over the assembly. Daya Ram, a native of Lahore, arose and offered himself. He walked behind the Guru to a tent nearby. Guru Gobind Singh returned with his sword dripping blood and demanded another head. This time Dharam Das, a Jat from Hastinapur, emerged from the audience and followed the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh gave three more calls. Muhkam Chand, a cloth-printer from Dwaraka, Himmat, a water-bearer from Jagannath, and Sahib Chand, a barber from Bidar, stood up one after another and advanced to offer their heads. After some time, the Guru emerged hand in hand with the chosen five. They were administered “khanda di pahul”, rites of the two edged sword after which they took the generic name ‘Singh’ and were called Khalsa. The community of Khalsa has played an important role in preserving the Sikh panth over the years. The Wikimedia image by Punjabeditorji is of Takht Keshgarh sahib at Anandpur.

Source: https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Panj_Piare

Guru Har Rai (1630-1661CE) became Guru at age 14. Inspite of his age, he was an inspiring military leader following the footsteps of his grandfather, the sixth Guru Hargobind. He strove to maintain friendly relations with the Mughals and once possibly helped cure Dara Shikoh from poisoning. When Aurangzeb became Emperor after defeating his elder brother Dara, he summoned the Guru to explain his friendship with the defeated prince. The Guru sent his son Ram Rai to the new emperor. Aurangzeb questioned Ram Rai about a line in the Adi Granth, deeming it against Islam. To appease the emperor, Ram Rai offered to amend the line. When the Guru came to know of this, he excommunicated his son. Shortly before his untimely death, he named his five year old son as the next Guru Har Krishan. Ram Rai continued to dispute the succession. He founded a heretical sect called Ramraiyas in and around Dehradun where Aurangzeb gave them some land. The Wikimedia image is of an eearly 19th cent CE painting of Guru Har Rai.

Source: Britannica

The Sikh Gurus are mostly associated with Punjab. But Guru Gobind Singh ji was born and breathed his last outside Punjab. He was born in Dec 1666 at Patna at the site of gurudwara Sri Harimandir ji, Takht Patna Saheb. Guru Gobind was assassinated in 1708 CE on the orders of a Mughal general and breathed his last at Nanded in Maharashtra. Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib at Nanded was built between 1832 and 1837 on the instructions of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Guru Gobind Singh was a saint, poet, musician, scholar & warrior; achieving great heights in each of these endeavours in his short life of 40 years. It is an extraordinary combination that has rarely occurred in global history. The Wikimedia image by Neelsb is of Sri Harmandir Sahib, Patna.

Source : “Sikh Shrines in India”, GS Randhir; Prof Kapil Kapoor, you tube lecture