The fifth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan, was the religious teacher at a time when the Sikh community in the Punjab was becoming prosperous. He made a beautiful artificial lake at Amritsar, in the Punjab, in northern India, and on an island in the centre he built a Sikh Gurdwara, known as the Golden Temple of Amritsar. It is not a towering building, symbolizing a mountain, like a Hindu temple. It is deliberately built at a lower level to emphasize people’s humility before God, and it has doors on all four sides, because it is open to everybody.
The Golden Temple is also known as Harmandir, the Lord’s House. The present building is the fourth Golden Temple on this site and was built in the nineteenth century. The upper part of the building is covered in gold leaf, and the lower part is marble.
A Sikh should bathe before taking part in the worship in the Gurdwara. In Britain, this is not usually a problem, but in a hot and dusty country like India, it usually means that the believer has to bathe in a river or a lake.
Most Sikhs would like to make a pilgrimage to Amritsar and many thousands of pilgrims, Sikhs and non-Sikhs, visit the Golden Temple every day.
A young Sikh boy quoted; “The Gurdwara is like another home. Lots of my friends go there and it’s always warm and comfortable. In the entrance hall we take off our shoes. This makes it even more like home and means that everyone moves about very quietly. We also have to make sure our heads are covered. Then we go into the main room where our holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib is placed”.
A Guru is a teacher who leads people from darkness and ignorance to light and understanding. The Guru Granth Sahib is the most important object in the Gurdwara. It is treated as a living teacher. This is why it is very important to learn to behave properly in the worship room. Sikh children learn to call it Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, which is giving it a title of great respect.
A young Sikh girl quoted; “My dad used to give me some money. When I went into the worship room I walked straight up to the front and placed the money in a slot in a large box. Then I knelt and bowed right down to the ground in front of the Guru Granth Sahib with my forehead touching the floor. Without turning around I then walked backwards to find a place to sit. When we sat down we had to be careful that our feet didn’t point towards the Guru Granth Sahib. This would be very disrespectful.”
Men and women sit separately in the worship room so children sit either on their father’s or their mother’s side. When they are very young they can choose whom they wish to sit with.
An elderly lady quoted; “The nearest Gurdwara was thirsty five miles away. So when I was very young we only went about once a month. I can remember when the local town hall was hired. Lots of people came and for a day the town hall became our Gurdwara. Then later we bought an old warehouse and we made that into a Gurdwara. Everybody worked together and made it look very nice. Even before it was completely finished we went every Sunday morning”.
It is usually during the daylight when Gurdwaras are open. They provide places where people can sit and think and worship God.
In Indian villages, in the Punjab, many people go to the Gurdwara on the first day of the month. This day is called Sangrand.
Sikhs always try to fit in with the customs and traditions of the people around them. Friday is a special day in Muslim countries. So Sikhs in these countries go to the Gurdwara on Friday. In Britain very few people go to work on Sunday, so Sikhs in this country usually hold their main service on Sunday. This can be in the morning or evening. Times are chosen so that most people will be able to attend.
Depending on what people in the community prefer, services can last from one and a half to four hours. You can arrive and leave at any time during the service. But you must not disturb others.
- The Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random and a small section is read out by the Granthi.
- If the service is in the morning the Giani reads out the Sukhmani. In the evening the Rahiras is said.
- The main part of the service is kirtan. This is the singing of shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib. Musicians lead the sangat in kirtan. Everyone can join in if they want to.
- Children or adults sometimes read Sikh poetry or tell stories from the lives of the ten Gurus.
- Everyone says the Anand Sahib, the song of joy.
- Everyone stands with their hands clasped in front of their chests. Heads are bowed slightly. The Ardas prayer is sung by a Sikh who has joined the Khalsa. Between each verse everyone says ‘Vahiguru’ (Wonderful lord)
- At the end of Ardas the sangat says ‘Vahiguruji ka Khalsa, Vahiguruji ki fateh’ (The Khalsa belongs to God, Victory belongs to God)
- The Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random. A small section is read out by the Granthi. Sometimes this is explained.
- A small amount of karah prashad is given to everyone.
- Langar is served.
Karah prashad can be made at home or at the Gurdwara. Because it is sacred food, the person who makes it must have had a bath first. Shoes must be left outside the kitchen. All the utensils, the cooker and the kitchen must be clean. Shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib must be said while the karah prashad is cooking. During the Ardas prayers in the Gurdwara the karah prashad is marked with a kirpan. This is to bless the food. Karah prashad should not be wasted as it is very special.
The flag is called the Nishan Sahib and it flies above every Gurdwara. It is made of saffron cloth and the flag pole is covered with the same kind of cloth. In the middle of the flag is the khanda emblem. The actual khanda is the two edged sword in the centre. This symbolizes that there is one God and he is concerned with the truth and justice. The circle, or chakar, represents the one, never ending God. The two kirpans symbolize God’s power over both this world and the spiritual world.
Sikhism,
