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A 'Gurdwara' (, '' or ਗੁਰਦਵਾਰਾ, ''), meaning "the doorway to the Guru", is the Sikh place of worship and may be referred to as a Sikh temple. The most famous and the holiest gurdwara is the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, in northern India.

Contents

History

Description

Visiting a Gurdwara

Seating segregation

Customs and etiquette

See also

External links

History

In the early days of the Sikh Gurus, before the first gurdwara, followers of Guru Nanak formed a congregation whose venue was known as a '' (place or seat of dharam or faith). A Gurdwara always houses the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib and displays a triangular orange flag called the Nishan Sahib.

Description

The Guru Granth Sahib is housed in the main hall known as the Darbar hall. In most modern Gurdwaras, the hall is large and will house many hundreds of visitors.

Most Sikh temple buildings will have the following important features:

★ 1. A triangular orange flag with a Khanda, a Sikh emblem in the middle of the flag. The flag is referred to as a Nishan Sahib - literally meaning ''Mark'' or ''Symbol''.

★ 2. Langar Hall is a large dining room where communal meals are served. Some temples may have tables and chairs but most will expect the devotees to sit on the carpeted floor.

★ 3. Darbar Sahib - A hall which houses the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. This hall in most modern temples is large and will house many hundreds of visitors. Devotees will sit cross-legged on the carpeted floor. All those who enter the Darbar Sahib also known as the Diwan Hall, must remove their shoes and cover their heads before entering. The devotees normally on entering this hall will walk slowly and respectfully to the dominant throne on which is placed the Guru Granth Sahib. They then stand before the Holy Scriptures, say silent prayers, offer some coins and then bow humbly before the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikhs treat their holy Book like a living Teacher or Guru. This act of respect is not to be taken as an act of worship as Sikhs are only allowed to worship the One God, who they call Waheguru.

★ 4. Night Room for the Guru Granth Sahib: A room where the Sikh Holy Book is placed overnight. This room is sometimes called "SachKhand" (which translates to True/Pure Domain/Paradise).

★ 5. Various utility rooms, washrooms, kitchen, etc. Some of the larger Sikh temples may also have bedrooms for the devotees to stay overnight with bathroom facilities.
The Sikhs treat their Holy Scriptures like a living teacher or guru. This act of respect is not to be taken as an act of worship as Sikhs are only allowed to worship the One Creator, for which the word in Punjabi is Waheguru. At night, the Guru Granth Sahib is placed in a resting room known as the Sach Khand (which translates to True/Pure Domain/Paradise).

Visiting a Gurdwara

Seating segregation

In most, but not all gurdwaras, men and women typically sit on different sides of the room, separated in the middle by a pathway that leads to the Guru Granth Sahib. Children of either gender may sit on either side. Some Gurdwaras, especially smaller ones, do not have this division. When entering the Darbar Hall Sikhs should have their mind on the guru while singing God's praises. With men and women separated, distraction by thoughts of lust, or Kaam, is avoided thus allowing the faithful to focus on Waheguru.

People of all religious backgrounds or of no religious faith are welcomed into a Sikh Gurdwara. However, it is necessary that any visitors remove their shoes and cover their head with a rumāl before entering the Darbar Sahib. Visitors are also forbidden to go into the gurdwara while they are inebriated or possess alcohol, cigarettes or any intoxicating substance.

Customs and etiquette

Devotees will sit cross-legged on the floor. All those who enter the hall must remove their shoes and cover their heads before entering. On entering the hall, devotees walk slowly and respectfully to the main throne on which the Guru Granth Sahib rests. Devotees then stand before the Holy Scriptures, often say a silent prayer, offer a donation (if able), then bow humbly. These manners and practices, though seemingly ritualistic in modern times are actually a well preserved extension of the ancient Punjabi practice of respect (for elders, ruling or religious persons).
When visiting a Gurdwara the following guidelines should be followed:

★ Dress appropriately so that you can comfortably and with decency sit on the carpeted floor. It is recommended to wear loose fitting clothing which covers most of your legs to reduce distraction and thoughts of kaam and lust.

★ While entering the main Prayer Hall (Darbar Sahib or Darbar Hall), all visitors will have to remove their shoes and place them in the shoe racks provided, for which a token will be issued depending on the practice of the gurdwara.

★ Visitors cannot enter the Gurdwara while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, tobacco products should not be taken into the Gurdwara, nor should they be used immediately before entering.

★ All visitors will need to cover their heads while in the Darbar Hall and Dining Hall (Langar Hall) inside the Gurdwara.
Head covering for men/boys will normally be available in the Gurdwara but a knotted handkerchief is acceptable. (The Gurdwara may provide handkerchief sized cloth to cover the head). Other hats (eg baseball-style caps) are not appropriate.

Women/Girls will need to wear a headscarf or such head covering but they can also wear a knotted handkerchief. The Gurdwara usually has a box of scarves, but you should bring your own headscarf for this purpose.

★ On first entering the large prayer room (called the Darbar Sahib), a small bow to the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book) shows respect to the 'Guru'. It is normal to sit cross-legged in a yoga style. It is recommended to practice this at home if possible before a visit to the Gurdwara.

★ Visitors will be offered Kara Parshad (sweet flour and oil based food offered as prashad) in the worship hall, which is usually given into the cupped hands of a visitor. If you are uncertain about your ability to eat a lot of this prashad – Say "thoda" “very small portion” to the Sewadar (volunteer) serving the Kara Parshad. You should take a small plastic bag (or ask for one from the Sewadar serving the Kara Parshad) to save your Kara Parshad for consumption later.

★ You may be offered Langar (vegetarian food from the communal kitchen). If not too certain about consuming this food you can ask to be excused although most people should take langar as it is regarded as a blessing by the Guru. When in the Langar Hall, it is better to ask for less rather than take too much and waste the food. Say “very little” to the Sewadar serving the Langar. If you require more later, just wait for the Sewadar to come around

★ If you are at fundamentalist Gurdwara, you may be required to sit on the ground while eating langar. The more modern, or "moderate" temples allow the visitors to sit comfortably on chairs and eat on tables.
Also within the Gurdwara is a learning center for Sikhs to learn more about their religion, as well as a library.

See also

★ Sikh Festivals

★ Sikhism

★ Sikh

★ Gurdwaras Worldwide

★ Gurdwaras in Africa

★ Gurdwaras in Asia excluding India, Pakistan

★ Gurdwaras in Australia and Oceania

★ Gurdwaras in Europe excluding UK

★ Gurdwaras in India

★ Gurdwaras in Pakistan

★ Gurdwaras in Canada

★ Gurdwaras in South America and Mexico

★ Gurdwaras in the United Kingdom

★ Gurdwaras in the United States

External links

★ Discipline and procedures in a Gurdwara

★ Global Gurudwara Database

★ Complete list of Directories for Gurdwaras worldwide.

★ Listing of Gurudwaras where pilgrims can stay overnight at no cost. Reviews and contact information provided where applicable

★ Historical Sikh Gurdwaras - SikhismGuide.org