The Sikh Reference Library was a repository of an estimated 20,000 literary works located in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar, Punjab which was destroyed during Operation Blue Star.

[1][2][3] In 1984, the library's contents were confiscated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the empty building allegedly burned to the ground by the Indian Army on 7 June.

To date, the status of library manuscripts and artifacts is unclear; the vast majority remain in the hands of the government, a few office files and passports were returned, and as many as 117 items were destroyed for being "seditious" materials.

Most of the literature was written in the Punjabi-language and related to Sikhism, but there were also Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Sindhi, Persian, Arabic, Tibetan, English, and French works touching upon various topics.

[2][4] According to the Indian Army white paper on Operation Blue Star, the library was destroyed on the night of 5 June 1984 in the midst of a firefight.

[1] Manjit Calcutta, a former secretary of the SGPC, corroborated Nanda's version of events but further alleged that the army set the library "on fire in desperation when it failed to find the letter".

[1] Nanda further confirmed the SGPC's version of events by describing how after inspecting each book and manuscript the CBI packed the documents into 165 numbered gunny sacks and bundled the material into waiting army vehicles because of a meeting of Sikh high priests taking place at the time.

[7] On 23 May 2000 George Fernandes wrote to the SGPC Secretary, Gurbachan Singh Bachan, and acknowledged that the Indian Army had taken the books and other documents from the Sikh Reference Library and handed them over to the CBI.

[14] This has been opposed by some on the grounds that the original location is a witness to history of the events of Operation Blue Star and serves as a reminder for devotees of that episode.

[4] There are also plans for the setting up of a building to be named Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan, where historical manuscripts of Sikh scriptures will be displayed for public viewing.