# The Ghar Ghar Andar Dharamsaal Transformed Into THE Gurdwara



## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Jun 5, 2010)

*Gurdwara, a gateway to dharma*

Gurdwara literally the Guru’s portal or the Guru’s abode, is the name  given to a Sikh place of worship. Many ask the meaning of Gurdwara and  its significance in the community. Gurdwara plays a central role in the  life of the Sikhs and others. Wherever there are Sikhs, there will be a  Gurdwara.  Such place of worship are ubiquitous in the Panjab and  wherever the Sikh community lives whether it is in Kuala Lumpur or San  Francisco, there are Gurdwaras erected from public funds to gather the  community together for worship and also a centre for education of Gurmat  parchar and sangeet. It is a place for the congregation to sit and  glorify the name of God and sing his praises; also a place for  dissemination of Sikhi beliefs and practices. The location of Gurdwara  has its own reasons as migration to another country for labour roots  them to that particular spot and the need for the Gurdwara. In India,  historically Gurdwaras are built to sanctify the spot to commemorate the  presence of the Great Gurus who have placed their feet (charan). The  location of the Gurdwara reflects its own beauty, splendour and its  history. The Gurdwara is usually recognized by Nishan Sahib, the Sikh  flagstaff, flying over or in front of the temple, giving the message  nice clear of the Sikh presence in that area and for them to visit ,  pray, rest and have their nourishment(langar).

The concept of Gurdwara, is generally attributed to the Sikh faith and  Gurbani and it is used to convey, “By God’s Grace”, because of God’s  will” or even “God willing”. With Nanak’s birth, in 1469, Gurdwara  started off as house of prayer, piety and probity and special space was  set aside for the Guru Granth Sahib to be housed in the Gurdwara and for  the devotees to pay obeisance to the Living Guru.  In early Sikh  history, the place of worship used for congregational prayers was called  dhramsala, the abode of dhrama. Guru Nanak Dev Ji called upon his  followers to establish dharamsalas and congregate in them to repeat  God’s name, and to recite His praise. In the time of Guru Hargobind,  dharamsals began to be called Gurdwaras. The Gurdwara has came about to  represent the Sikh house for prayers and devotion.

Originally Gurdwaras were called dharmsala, which signifies a  rest-house, a place not only to rest but to place for devotional kirtan  and prayers. Bhai Gurdas Ji described it as: Centres of worship were  established wherever Baba Nanak set foot. All the Siddh centres  (religious centres) in the world became centres of Nanak’s teaching.  Every house became a dhramasala and kirtan was sung as if it were an  unending Vaisakhi festival (Var 1, pauri 27). In the B40 Janam Sakhi,  God addresses the following words to Guru Nanak Dev Ji: As the Vaishavas  have their temples, the yogis their asan, and the Muslims, their  mosque, so your followers shall have their dhramsala.

What else one see when you enter a Gurdwara, almost anywhere in the  world. The ornate canopy, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji(Sri Guru Granth Sahib), a  fan(chauri), musical instruments and people sitting in the hall with men  and women separate, usually dressed either in the Sikh insignia(turban,  keski with 5 Ks or some may have their head covered with a cloth as a  sign of respect for the Holy Scripture. The Darbar has no such  segregation and whether woman or man, they all sit in the Darbar Sahib  and outside or in the parakarma around the sarowar. Sitting on the floor  is an indication of equality: pehle pangat, piche sangat meaning first  eat together and then worship together is a major tenet of the Sikh  faith. The devotees bow themselves in front of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji  to mattha teakna (bowing your head with obeisance) and accept the karah  parshad (made of flour, sugar, ghee) and served after blessed with the  kirpan (short sword) after prayers. The rationale is to strengthen it  symbolically before served and the same applies to the langar, food  cooked by the devotees.

The main function of the Gurdwara is to provide the Sikhs or others with  a meeting place for worship. This consists of singing the hymns,  hearing kathas or lectures and sermons. It also serves as a community  centre, a school, a guest house for pilgrims and travelers. Apart from  the morning and evening prayers, the Gurdwaras hold special congregation  to mark important births and deaths of the Gurus (Gurpurb). The aspects  of Sikh faith most closely linked with Gurdwaras are Guru Ka Langar and  voluntary service (sewa) as an integral part of the existence of the  Sikhs.

The essential feature of a Gurdwara is the presiding presence of the  Sri Guru Granth Sahib and this unique Eternal Living Guru has since been the Guru’s  places of worship where religious ceremony, like Anand Karaj, Gurpurb,  celebrations of birth and deaths focuses around it. Sikh form of  worship, individual or congregational consists of recitation or singing  of Gurbani, the scriptural texts and ardas, the supplicatory prayer. It  is a place usually for congregational worship of God, not of Guru, in  the presence of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Shabad Guru. It is  also accessible to everyone without distinction of caste, class, status  or gender. One of the main requirements for a Sikh place to be so known  is the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Every Sikh place by  that token is the house of the Guru. Hence, Guru+dwara is the name given  to the guru’s door, threshold, house or abode is how the Sikhs call a  place of worship. Gurdwara neither have idols nor altars in their holy  places; they have no sacraments and no priestly order. At the Gurdwara,  they have the Nishan Sahib (flagstaff) and the devotees before entering  the Gurdwara, usually bow their head and touch it and put their hands on  their forehead. As Guru Ram Das Ji said in the Bani: Wherever my  Satguru goes and sits, that place is beautiful. The Guru’s disciples  seek that place and take and apply its dust to their foreheads (Sri Guru Granth Sahib  540; Guru Ram Das Ji)

Historically, Gurudwara succeeded dharmsal, literally abode of dhrama.  Guru Nanak Dev Ji, wherever, he went advised his devotees to assemble in  sangat for congregational prayer. Sat sangat as an institution is  considered to have, besides its cementing effect, for acquiring higher  knowledge or spiritual awakening.  Sangat is meant for practicing naam  and kirtan. As Guru Nanak Dev Ji described the true sangat where only  naam is described and naam is the order. Guru Ram Das Ji says: that one  is a true sangat where God’s glory is sung or listened to and Guru Arjan  Dev Ji declares: Singing of God’s glory in Holy congregations is the  noblest of the actions. The place where the devotees usually congregated  was called the Gurdwara. The place where Guru Granth Sahib was placed  was properly the Guru house, Guru-ghar, i.e. Gurdwara.

Gurdwaras multiplied after the Sikhs had become masters of the Land of  Five Rivers They were established at places sanctified by the Great  Gurus and also in villages and towns inhabited by the Sikhs. Historical  Gurdwaras sanctified by the presence of the Gurus came to be treated as  places of pilgrimages, for example Sis Ganj marks the martyrdom of Guru  Tegh Bahadur Ji, Keshgarh Sahib where Khalsa Panth was created by Guru  Gobind Singh Ji and many others. As Patwant Singh in his book Gurdwara  began by saying that “Gurdwara emerged as a new edifice on India’s  religious landscape in the 17th.Century. Ever since then this  indestructible symbol of the Sikh faith has stirred intense and  indefinable feelings in millions of Sikhs everywhere. These feelings  range from a yearning for the comforting peace of its sacred precincts,  and the ever abiding fragrance of marigolds and rose petals. To a  longing to hear recitations from the Sri Granth Sahib Ji, and the  shabads rendered in the robust and resonant voices of highly talented  and devotional hymn singers (Ragis).  Darbar Sahib epitomizes this  description and it does not matter where one sits, one gets the sanctity  of the place.  There is also the urge to savour and the fragrance of  the karah Prasad, the sacramental food blessed by the Lord and given to  those who visit the Gurdwara. Each of these experiences is so elevating,  as it affects people differently, as to bring tears to many eyes.”

Gurdwaras whose historical connection with the Great Gurus had made them  especially venerable. An essential adjunct to the establishment of  Gurdwaras was Guru Ka Langar initiated by Guru Nanak Dev Ji as community  partaking and food. With time and history, all the historical Gurdwaras  in the Panjab came under the communal control via statutory body, the  SGPC, Shiromani Parbandhak Committee and important Gurdwaras are managed  directly by the SGPC. The function of this body is questioned by many  and over the years, it has provided guidance to other community in  religious matters.

Bhai Sahib I.J Singh commented on the Rehat Maryada and the changing  role of the SGPC and its duties in relation to Gurdwaras in the World  according to Sikhi-2006. “Humans are social animals and, in time, their  way of life evolves into a codified set of traditions and laws - a code  of conduct.

For Sikhs, this code of conduct - Rehat Maryada - evolved slowly over  several centuries from the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the  faith, who started the process of delineating Sikhism as an entity  independent of the beliefs and practices of other faiths, to Guru Gobind  Singh Ji, who formally established the institution of the Khalsa Panth  in 1699.

A religion, in its final analysis, is a way of life that makes possible  the formation, survival and growth of human societies. A society  collectively determines what constitutes right conduct or what deserves  censure, and also in what forms such disapproval is expressed.

We all know the message of the Sikh Gurus was simple yet universal; it  empowered the powerless. What, then, is the Sikh Rehat Maryada - the  Sikh code of conduct? What does it say? How and when did it evolve into a  written document?

A Sikh, and even a non-Sikh who wants to understand his Sikh neighbours,  cannot but be curious about these matters. It is a riveting tale, and  this essay derives much of its historical information from a 2005 book  by the London-based Giani Gurbaksh Singh Gulshan.

It is not entirely unexpected or odd that the formalisation of the Sikh  way of life into a written structure approved by the Sikh community and  its representatives took another two centuries after the canon was  sealed and the Khalsa discipline established.

History tells us that agreement on major issues of Christian doctrine  and dogma, for example, did not occur until several centuries after  Jesus. Living religions evolve, and their practices achieve clarity only  over time, sometimes not until centuries later. Some matters that  appear settled at one time may continue to vex believers and may be  revisited and re-explored years later.

Honest differences in interpretation are also the products of time; for  instance, Christianity now comes to us with a plethora of sects and  denominations. In fact, no major religion is without schisms, and  Sikhism is no exception - though the latter, to date, it has fared  better than all others, probably because of its youth and its  inter-faith credo.

During the two centuries of the Gurus, Sikh beliefs and practices  evolved and matured. The subsequent two hundred years left the Sikhs  little peace or leisure to formulate their way of life into a coherent  whole. In that time, Sikhs knew a scant fifty years of peace when the  Misls prospered and Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled over North West India.

But his rule, beneficent as it was, also attracted many Hindus and  Muslims into the Sikh fold, some not from conviction of belief but in  deference to perceived needs of political expediency.

These converts of convenience never abandoned their earlier beliefs and  practices but brought them along to intermix with Sikh traditions. Not  unexpectedly, many contradictory practices, often drawn from the large  religious traditions of Hinduism and Islam that surrounded Sikhs, a  small minority, wormed their way into the Sikh way of life.

Not that there was total absence of written records on the Sikh code of  conduct, but none were directly recorded at the behest of Guru Gobind  Singh Ji. Most were recollections of Sikhs of that time and were  intermixed with biases and practices stemming from their own familial or  cultural origins.

Sikhs wrested control of their historical Gurdwaras only in 1925-26  after a titanic struggle that shook the British Empire to its core; one  of the results of this struggle was the formation of a Sikh elective  parliamentary forum, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC),  whose charge was to manage the historical Gurdwaras of Panjab and  resolve issues that affected Sikh community life.

In the Indian cultural context, where written historical record was  never much valued and the impact of Western education was perhaps less  than two generations old, the next step was quick but equally  significant.

On March 15, 1927, a general meeting of the SGPC at the Akaal Takht  appointed a 29-member subcommittee, convened by the Jathedar Akaal  Takht, Bhai Teja Singh, to explore Sikh teachings, traditions, history  and practice, and prepare a draft of a code of Sikh conduct and  conventions.

It is important to note that the list of members was a veritable and  venerable Who's Who of the Sikhs of that time. In the Indian tradition  of careless historical record keeping, the names of only 26 members are  available; 3 are listed as Jathedars of Takhts, without any names. Who  were these three individuals?

Two years later, in April 1931, a preliminary draft of the code was  distributed to the Sikhs and their opinions solicited. The subcommittee  reconvened on October 4-5, 1931, January 3, 1932, and again on January  31 of the same year. Inexplicably, the number of attendees declined to  13; an additional 4 members appeared at some meetings. (How were they  appointed or invited?)

On March 1, 1932, 4 members were dropped from the subcommittee, and an  additional 8 members appointed to it. (Of the 4 ousted from the  committee, Giani Sunder Singh died, Babu Teja Singh was excommunicated  and an edict issued to deny Bhai Lal Singh the right to offer prayers at  the Akaal Takht. What happened to the fourth, Bhai Mya Singh, is not  stated.) Of the 8 new members, 5 are named; three are listed only by  their titles.

How were these 8 appointed?

Agreement on the draft remained elusive. On May 9, 1932, only 10 members  attended the meeting; at the September 26, 1932 meeting, only 9 members  were present. (Was this a quorum?) On December 30, 1933, a conclave of  the wide spectrum of the Sikh nation, somewhat akin to Sarbat Khalsa,  was convened at the Akaal Takht. The president of the SGPC, Partap Singh  Shankar, presided; 170 Sikh representatives attended it, but only 9  were members of the subcommittee originally appointed for the purpose.

After two full days of heated discussion, agreement eluded them, and the  issue was tabled indefinitely. A 50-member subcommittee (48 members  were named and 2 were anonymous) of the SGPC that included  representation from Stockton (California), Myanmar (Burma) and Malaysia,  with opinions from 21 additional correspondents, approved a draft code  of conduct on August 1, 1936; the SGPC ratified it on October 12, 1936.

This code was implemented while suggestions and critique continued to  pour in.

The general body of the SGPC approved the document on February 3, 1945,  and an 8-member subcommittee met on July 7, 1945 to fine-tune the code  of conduct.

In drafting the Sikh code of conduct, the scholars drew upon the  teachings in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, as well as the unbroken oral tradition and practice.  They also examined various historical documents to ferret out the common  thread in them.

These documents were Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the writings of Guru Gobind  Singh Ji, the poetical works of Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal, the  available Janamsakhis, Bhagat Mala (Bhagataavli, Bhagat Rachnaavli),  Sarabloh, Rehatnama Bhai Chaupa Singh, Rehatnama Bhai Prehlad Singh,  Rehatnama Bhai Desa Singh, Rehatnama Bhai Daya Singh, Gur Sobha, Prem  (Param) Sumarag, Sau Sakhi, Mahima Parkash, Gur Bilas, Gur Partap Suraj  Granth, Sri Guru Panth Parkash, Gurmat Parkash (Bhag Sanskaar) and the  many Hukumnamey of the Gurus that are available.

Clearly, many of these sources and documents are, at least in part,  apocryphal, yet they provide rare historical information on Sikh  doctrine and practice. The task of the subcommittee was daunting indeed -  how to sift the wheat from the chaff? How best to capture the common  thread that runs through much of Sikh history while discarding what was  obviously an accretion and even contradictory to the common body and  continuity of doctrine and teaching?

Starting with the definition of a Sikh, in the main body of his book on  Sikh Rehat Maryada, Gulshan explores briefly but methodically each line  of the code and every requirement of a Sikh in his or her personal and  congregational existence.

Sikhism arose and flourished in the sub-continental culture. Sikh  teachings, therefore, are cast in the language and perspective that is  largely Hindu. Now that Sikhism is a universal religion, we need to  re-examine, even reinterpret the language in the context of our present  reality.

For instance, the language in the Rehat Maryada may appear sexist in  places. I point to the admonition that a Sikh father should marry his  daughter to a Sikh man, while the other side of the coin - marrying his  son to a Sikh woman - is not even mentioned. The Sikh Anand Kaaraj  (wedding rite), as widely practiced all over the world, shows the groom  leading the bride in four circumnambulations of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The  former is a cultural idiosyncrasy in favor of the male; the latter may  be an idea borrowed from the Hindu practice of the bride and groom  circling the fire.

Such attitudes and practices might be in tune with the Panjabi-Indian  culture of the last century but are contradictory to the spirit of the  Sikh message of gender equality.

Also, the most cursory reading of Sikh history and of Guru Granth Sahib  Ji would convince even a skeptic that the Sikh scripture and practices  have been enviably tolerant and accepting of a diverse global reality  and the distant beat of the different drummer to which the world's  billions march. Matters of interfaith relations need clearer definition  and exploration from the Sikh perspective, now that we exist in a  multi-faith world.

Guru Hargobind Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji bequeathed to us an  ecclesiastical model of justice, but we seem to have slipped our  moorings, and the Sikh Rehat Maryada does not adequately address this  issue.

Where is the reading of Guru Granth Sahib Ji to be concluded: at the  reading of Mundavni, or Raag Maala? When the Rehat Maryada was drafted,  dissenting opinions were strong, and some issues that could not be  resolved were deferred. I refer readers interested in this controversy  to Giani Gurdit Singh's 2003 book, Mundavni.

It is time to revisit these issues that have divided the Sikhs so long.

With several million Sikhs in the Diaspora, such matters are of critical  import and not just of academic interest and curiosity.

At least some of the participants to the drafting of the code may still  be alive and their recollections or papers available. Some of the  contradictions or mysteries surrounding the proceedings can and should  be resolved.

Considerable evidence has probably been degraded or lost  already, but every attention should be directed to capturing whatever it  might still be possible to capture. To neglect or lose our national  history by our own carelessness would be unforgivable.

Much as constitutions of countries are not written in stone, nor are  they whimsically, lightly or arbitrarily amended; similarly, the Sikh  Rehat Maryada needs a constitutional convention and exploration.

Ultimately, that is the meaning of participatory self-governance.

With minor caveats, Giani Gurbaksh Singh Gulshan, in his 2005 book  Darpan Sikh Rehat Maryada, does an excellent job of explaining in  detail, with scriptural and historical references, the Sikh Rehat  Maryada. He successfully strips it of its mystery and frees Sikhs of the  fear that many have of a document they have never read and not  understood. Readers will find the code surprisingly consistent and  largely free of contradictions.”

The essential and central role of Gurdwara is no doubt to function as a  place of congregational worship and as the functions widen, the Gurdwara  also cater for weddings, Gurpurbs. Gurdwaras tends to follow very  similar architectural design; the position of prakash asthan, called  sanctum sanctorium, where the Sri Granth Sahib is seated in the centre  as it is in Darbar Sahib allowing the devotees to go around and worship  or even congregate in the Living presence of the Living Guru. It is  becoming quite common to have sarowar or bathing tank near the Gurdwara  or around the Gurdwara. A prominent feature of the Gurdwara is the  fluted lotus dome with ornamental pinnacle. Gurdwaras have been having  buildings imitating more or less the Harimandir pattern, a mixture of  Indo-Persian architecture Some Gurdwaras cater accommodation for the  devotees to stay and worship. Gurdwara has also become a social centre  for the devotees to meet, do sewa and learn from others regarding the  faith.

Sikh ideology is not a system of sainthood alone but a society of  saint-soldiers, saints in mind and soldiers in action-humble, devoted,  active workers and fighters in the righteousness and justice. Part of  the religious aspects of Gurdwara is the ardas, the supplicatory prayer.  It is so worded and so recited by the person leading the prayer with  sangat solemnly standing, their hands folded and minds focused, as to  remind them every time of their heritage, history and their sacrifices;  at the same time pray for the Sikhs’ maan nivan, mat uchchi (humble mind  and higher understanding, and at the end of the prayer to beg to Akal  Purukh for Chardhi kala (high morale) and sarbhatt da bhalla meaning the  well-being of the whole world.

Gurdwara is thus the hub of Sikh life, religious, ethical, social and  political. The concerns of the Sikh faith are as much temporal as they  are spiritual. Committees established in Gurdwara with the intention of  running the services have had problems with issues of funds and  political power with different parties; this may be divisive rather than  unifying the community.

Both can be deliberated in sangat assembled in  Gurdwara in the presence of their spiritual-cum-temporal guide, Guru  Granth Sahib. In the end, it is worthy works of the philanthropy,  education, social service that the Gurdwara clearly exemplifies the  Sikhs’ enduring commitment to the enlightened beliefs, both spiritually  and philosophically of the Ten Gurus, whose Gurbani holds Sikh  congregation in thrall in each one of the noblest edifices known as the  Gurdwara.

The Sikh Missionary Society has produced the following leaflet on  Gurdwaras with recommended readings and details of the requirements of a  Gurdwara and its significance to the Sikhs

The Sikh Place of Worship
Discipline and procedures in a Gurdwara

The following books are recommended for references


Sikh Reht Maryada, S.G.P.C., Amritsar, 1998.
Rehtnamae, Piara Singh Padam, Bhai Chatar Singh Jiwan Singh, Amritsar,  1991.
Gurmatt Martand Part I and Part II, Kahn Singh Nabha. S.G.P.C.,  Amritsar, 1979. It is a good book to learn about the Sikhi.
Sada Itihsa Part I, Satbir Singh, New Book Company, Jalandhar, 1971.

_GURDWARA: _ The Sikh Place of Worship. It is called Gurdwara Sahib, which  can be literally translated as follows: Gur - of the Guru; Dwara -  house; and Sahib - Master, an honorific word. It is “the Revered  Gurdwara” - God's place. A Gurdwara has no specific design.

Usually, at  the top, it has a central bigger dome and smaller domes on sides.  Identity of the place is that saffron, triangular Nishan Sahib - the  Sikh flag, with its symbols and a double edged sword atop, flutters on  the building, or in its yard.

_ Gurdwara Belongs to the Guru:_ A Gurdwara belongs to the Guru and the  Khalsa Panth - the Sikh world i.e. the Sikh community. This is a place  for everyone with no discrimination of color, caste, sex, faith, status,  or country. Everyone can go there with full liberty.
_
An Ideal Gurdwara:_ An ideal Gurdwara should have the facilities to make  it a place where everyone is welcome at all hours like an honoured  guest, and he or she is provided free of any cost, food, shelter, and a  place to rest (including a bedding for the immediate and urgent need).  Each Gurdwara may not be able to comply with all this due to local  restrictions, or resources.

_Purpose of Gurdwara: The essential services offered by a Gurdwara -_

Prayer - Worship of only one God in the set and standard (traditional)  Sikh-way, in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji - the Sikh Holy Book.  Singing of the Holy Hymns is done, sermons are delivered, and an  invocation to God for His mercy and well-being of everyone is made.
Langar - community, free food, served without any discrimination. This  helps to learn equality of the human beings.
Selfless service - A Gurdwara is a place to learn and practice selfless  service to the humanity (sewa).
Celebrations - Gurpurbs: Festivals i.e. important days of the Gurus are  celebrated with devotion, and great fanfare -
Akhand-Path - As a set precedence, mostly an Akhand-Paath (continuous  recitation of Guru Granth Sahib - the Sikh Holy Book) is done.
Kirtan - singing of the Holy Hymns, is performed,
Katha (sermon) is delivered, and it includes history of the occasion.
Additional Programmes - Seminars, children's competitions, and some  other programmes may be organised.
Langar - free food after the proceedings are over, is almost an integral  part of all celebrations.
Fire Works - on the appropriate days - the days of happy celebrations  such as Diwali and Bandi di Chhor.
Free Drinks, Food, Articles of Need etc. - especially for the people  outside the Gurdwara. Another service may be rendered collectively or  individually. These do not surpass the programmes in the Gurdwara.
Prayer, Langar and Sewa: Prayer, Langar, and selfless service are  closely linked to attain an ethical life. Everyone is equally welcome to  the prayer hall, and to the Langar - dining hall. All these services  are free.

Selfless service (sewa) of any sort in the Gurdwara, or out in the  public, has great significance, but first comes the service to the  Gurdwara; Sangat (congregation), members of the community, and it cannot  be ignored or replaced with any service outside. If anyone maybe from  outside your community needs a service urgently, it should be rendered  with top priority ignoring your own people. In fact, there should be no  discrimination in performing selfless service. However, especially for  the services involving large amounts, needs of the personal community  should not be ignored.

There is no binding and choice is yours. For your  day-to-day and usual charities, you are the best judge and you should  not be under any obligations.
_
 Gurdwara Yard Service:_ A Superior Self Service. An essential selfless  service provided with a smile and devotion should be to dust, wipe,  wash, and keep the Gurdwara building clean and tidy. This involves  maintenance of the Gurdwara yard and parking lot.

 Nishan Sahib Sewa: The Sikh flag has to be carefully maintained, and  changed every year as precedence on the Vaisakhi day. It is changed  earlier if it is damaged or its colour fades away too much.

_ Environment:_ Atmosphere inside a Gurdwara is of reverence, peace, love,  serenity, sanctity, humility, silence, equality, tolerance, and of  selfless service. Everyone has to understand, adjust, and accommodate.  In case of any trespassing, beg pardon from the Guru, Sangat and the  individual if any involved.

No one is prohibited to enter a Gurdwara, but it should be kept in the  mind that a Gurdwara is a place of worship according to the Sikh tenets -  code of ethics, precedence, procedures, and routines. No one should  engage in any meaningless, negative and undesirable criticism, argument,  or interfere there, even if the problem is serious and demanding  immediate attention. The best is to bring your suggestions, complaints,  or grievances to the notice of the management.
_
Contributions:_ Contributions in cash or kind are welcome in a Gurdwara.  These are accepted in the prayer, as well as in the langar halls. For  this, the cashier, Secretary, or President may be contacted.  Contribution is voluntary, and if possible, it may be liberal.

Best is to take out tithe - 1/10th of the income (daswandh), for the  humanitarian purposes. Service, particularly to the Gurdwara and Sangat  should be done with humility, and without recognition. Daswandh also  means dedicating two and half hours to naam simran, prayers and  meditation.

A very practical way is to keep some amount aside almost everyday, for  such purposes. Go on adding it to a Golak - donation box. Offerings made  to Guru Granth Sahib at home serve this purpose well.
_
Personal Collections: _Collections made personally e.g. at home, may be  used for -Guru Granth Sahib Ji - For purchasing Guru Granth Sahib Ji  (Holy Book), and on any item needed for its service - Peerrhee or Manji  Sahib (cot), Chanani (canopy), Chaur (hair-wisp), Romalae (scarves,  sheets, covers), pillows, Gutkae (mini prayer books), decoration pieces,  musical instruments, Agarbattee or Dhoop (scented sticks -  incandescence, or scented paste), napkins, and any items needed for  prayer room may be added. Gurdwara - contributions to the  Gurdwaras.Gurpurbs - celebrations of the Sikh holy days.

_Parshad :_ offering of Parshad (sanctified food, including Karah-Parshad -  the holy pudding), flowers etc. to Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

INFORMATION
_The Stage:_ The stage should be high appropriate to the size of the  prayer hall, so that it is visible to the people sitting at the back  part of the hall. It should not have a back light - natural or  artificial. It silhouettes the people looking towards Sangat, and makes  their faces dark and indiscernible. The light should fall on the faces  of those at the stage.

_ Palki – Palanquin: _It is a wooden, metal, or masonry structure, with a  raised seat to place Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and on its four pillars,  there is a dome at the top. It has its own canopy under the dome, but  even then the palanquin is placed under a large canopy above it. A small  palanquin with dome hinders the view and it has to be large enough.
_
Canopy, Chandova or Chanani:_ As an honour to the Holy Book, a canopy of  the proper size is kept spread above it. It should fully cover the  platform with raised seat of Guru Granth Sahib. It also protects from  any dirt or insects etc. falling from above on to the Holy Book.

_Chauree: _ A wisp or tail hair of Sura-Gae (yak - mountain ox) are used  to make it. Now, the cheap varieties are made of plastic strands. The  handle may be made of sandal or any other wood, plastic, or some metal -  precious or ordinary.

_Tosha-Khana _(a store for precious or selected items) above the main  entrance of Golden Temple, Amritsar, had a Chaur made of fine  sandal-wood strands. It was offered by a Muslim devotee, perhaps from  some Arabian country (needs verification). It was destroyed in attack on  Harimandir Sahib in 1984.

_Canopy, wisp etc. are the signs of authority and glory_. The wisp is  moved respectfully and gently, without making any showy movements, or  gestures. It should be worked calmly. Some wisps are heavy and may need  both the hands to work these.
_
Decorations: _The dais and stage are mostly decorated with real and  artificial flowers, garlands, flower vases, weapons, mini lights, beads,  ornaments, etc. A subtle scent may be used, and even applied to the  cloth covers of the Holy Book. Incense is often burnt, but it should be  mild, used sp{censored}ly, and should not bother the people on the stage. It  should be carefully used to protect from fire. The candles and lamps  should also be used very carefully. It is thoughtful to keep such things  on the fireproof plates, and to have a fire extinguisher handy. Someone  should keep a watch on such things. Palanquins itself, and the sheet  spread down in front of it (like a train) receive most of the  decoration. The stage and hall are also decorated.
_
 Kumbh, Jote (Jyoti), Red Cloth:_ During any sort of Guru Granth Sahi Ji,  recitation, may be Akhand Paath (continuous recitation), these things  should not be kept there. Kumbh represents Jall Devta (water god); Jote -  burning lamp, is for Agani Devta (fire god); and red cloth denotes a  Goddess. The Sikhs do not believe in such things. A pitcher of water  with covered mouth is fine as a handy fire extinguisher. Some take this  water as Amrit after culmination of the Akhand Paath (continuous  recitation of the Holy Book). They drink, distribute it as Parshad, and  sprinkle in and outside the house. The water not used is given to  plants, so that this so called “holy water” does not go to a drain. A  Joth - lamp, is good as an emergency light.

 At some places (Harimandir,  Amritsar), a Jot-e is kept burning in a Gurdwara, in or outside the  sanctum sanctorum, and pure Ghee (butter oil) is used in it. Perhaps, it  is a memorial to someone linked to that place. A Jot-e (jyoti)  represents light - spirituality. Such a Jote is well revered. To keep it  or not is a personal choice of the local Sangat, and is not essential  in a Gurdwara.

_Pictures: _Use of pictures in a Gurdwara.Sikhs do not worship pictures of  their Gurus or related to them. Of course, these remind the great Gurus  and provide a base for our imagination. Many Gurdwaras and other holy  places, or places related to the Gurus, put such pictures on the walls.  It is not in a very good taste to place pictures before the Holy Granth,  provided there is a place to put them elsewhere. Bowing or bowing with  folded hands to a picture of the Guru with his reverence and greatness  in mind, or placing an incense or flowers before it, although not  appreciated, is absolutely a personal and different thing from  worshipping a picture. It is great if the Guru's grandeur comes to the  mind when standing before his picture, hands get folded and head bows  down. If the human role models are rare or not there, at least the  pictures of the Gurus can be easily had.
_
Worship of a picture: _It is worship of the picture if we place incense,  flowers etc. before it, sing its praise, and practice other gestures of  devotion before it, in place of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and make the  picture the primary object of worship like a deity. The Sikhs do not  practice such things, and do not worship pictures.

_Frescos etc. _are commonly seen even inside the historical Gurdwaras.  Ancient paintings of the Gurus are also seen. We should try to derive  inspiration from these pictures. Pictures or no pictures should be left  to the personal choice. In a Gurdwara, Sangat can decide it. Some  Gurdwaras put up pictures in the library or in a separate hall. It is a  good idea for a Gurdwara to have its museum.

_Statues of the Gurus are not acceptable ._ The  Sikh world does not  worship, or approve these. The Sikhs avoid purchasing, or keeping the  statues of the Gurus in their homes. Anyone preparing these is not  approved.

_ Nishan Sahib(The Sikh Flag):_Unless a Sikh (Khalsa) Flag flutters on or  at the place, it is not considered a Gurdwara. Hoisting a Nishan Sahib  dedicates a place to the Guru, and to the Khalsa Panth - the Sikh world.  It is considered holy and is honoured. It is dignity of the Khalsa, and  represents spirituality and liberty of the mind and body.

This flag is saffron colored, triangular in shape, and has the Sikh  symbol on it. The symbol is called Ik-Oankar, With time,  Khanda-Chakkar-Kirpan, also got introduced as a symbol. This has a  central ring with double-edged sword in its centre, and two curved  swords on its sides. The ring is sharp edged throwing weapon - quoit.  Usually, both these symbols are there, one on each side of the flag.

At some Gurdwaras, especially in memory of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, for  example at Paonta Sahib, the Sangat goes around Nishan Sahib singing  Shabads selectively of the Tenth Guru. They do so morning and evening.
_
 Nagara, Niqara or Dhaunsa: _Many Gurdwaras keep a Dhaunsa (Niqara,  Ranjit-Nagara) - kettledrum, placed on a high stand. It is a big bowl  shaped drum beaten with two sticks. It makes a booming, resonant, dull,  loud sound, reaching great distance. This is a war-drum beaten to lead  the soldiers to announce their approach or attack. This sound was  encouraging and raised the morale as well as stamina. In a Gurdwara, A  Niqara is beaten twice a day, one time at each step of Ardas -  invocation, when the congregation shouts out “Waheguru,” and  continuously for some time at the end of Ardas - supplication.

_REQUIREMENTS_
A Gurdwara should have the following facilities -


Library - It should be well managed, lest the books are lost. A library  is very important. The Gurdwara should have a good, well-managed  library. There should be no shortage of the Sikh literature and help  books, particularly for children and the youth. It is important to avail  the help of electronics, including Internet, and recording facilities.
Nursery - for better control of small children, and freedom to parents  to attend Gurdwara.
Classroom - The Gurdwara should have a school to impart education of the  faith including Gurbani (Scriptures, the Holy Hymns), history, and the  Punjabi language. It should also teach the devotional music to children,  youth, and also to the adults. Learning the Gurmukhi script is  important if one needs to go deep into the real meanings of Gurbani.  Without this, we usually get only approximations of the meanings.
Phonation of Gurbani. It is very important to learn phonation for  correct recitation of Gurbani. Every Lagg (addendum- attachment) linked  to a Gurmukhi letter effects phonation of the word, and modifies its  meanings. Phonation is best learnt from someone who knows it. Where such  a person is not available, the electronic media, and recordings, can  help very well.

_Facilities: Needed facilities in a Gurdwara_

Check the Facilities. Before a Gurdwara-Session, and after it, the  concerned persons should check the facilities and utilities to be sure  that everything is working fine - trash-cans are empty, soap is there,  toilet rolls are available, paper-towels are in plenty, flush is working  etc. Paper towels or its roll should not be kept on the hand wash  basin. Paper gets wet, spoiled and polluted.
Disabled Area. Facilities for disabled persons are needed. Arrangement  for their sitting should be ideally located - close to the stage,  keeping in the mind respect to Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Sound System - If anyone desires to get the volume of loudspeakers  adjusted, rather than fumbling, should approach the right person. The  loudspeakers should be evenly distributed throughout the hall. The  volume of loudspeakers should be ideal for everyone, including those at  the rear.
The volume should be assessed from the rear of the Sangat.  Keep in the mind that the people with hearing problems might be there.
Lighting - Besides usual light, the prayer hall needs a control for a  subtle, cool light equally spread throughout the prayer hall.
Rest room - Nobody should ever go to washroom, rest room - bathroom,  with naked feet. This will soil the feet and spoil carpet in the hall -  it will become dirty and get polluted: environment in the hall will get  spoiled. A few pairs of shoes (slippers) of different sizes should be  kept there. After using rest room (bathroom), one must wash hands with  soap and water to prevent spreading infection.
Anyone with infection e.g. flue, mumps measles, whooping cough etc.  should better stay at home till recovery.

_DISCIPLINE IN THE GURDWARA_: Organisers and Management  and Working of  the trustees: It is duty of the management to take care of and observe  that the discipline and procedures in the Gurdwara are maintained. For  applying and watching these effectively, at least some trustees should  attend all the Gurdwara functions. One or the other trustees should be  there throughout the programme, and participate actively.


Member: Involvement of the Trustees. The management should try to  involve the maximum number of the Sangat - members of congregation, and  share their minor as well as major responsibilities with them. This will  reduce burden of the Trustees. The approach should be of understanding,  tolerance, accommodating others, compassion, humility, and of  politeness, to win the confidence, respect, and commitment of the  Sangat. This will also, promote in the members, universal love, unity,  selfless service, and sense of sharing. It will develop in them unity,  and dedication as envisioned by the Gurus.
The Youth: Involvement of the Youth. It is very important to involve  the young youths. This is the only way to create in them an eagerness  for faith, and love for Gurdwara. Sangat should be responsible for  inculcating in them the pride of faith to save them from getting astray.
Elderly Persons: It is in no way less important to actively involve the  elderly members. At least some of them may be well experienced in at  least a few of the procedures practiced in the faith.
_Sangat – Congregation;  Responsibilities of Sangat._
The principal responsibility of the whole Sangat is to maintain the  serene and holy atmosphere in the Gurdwara, more so in the presence of  Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Living Guru.

In the Gurdwara, everyone has to be clean, properly groomed and dressed.  The body should be covered ideally. One should be humble, polite, and  mentally in communion with Gurbani. The mind should be above negative  traits, malice, and animosity - in the calm and pure state of mind.

One should go to the Gurdwara with full subjugation to the Guru and God  to get every thing for his spiritual enforcement, and to evolve - to  become an ethical entity. The Gurdwara is a Chatsal - a school, to learn  the Sikh discipline, and Gurmukh-Jiwan - to spiritually evolve. As  well, this is a place to learn recitation and correct phonation of  Gurbani (Scriptures), Sikh history, and basics of the Sikh Culture etc.  If not in a Gurdwara, then where to learn all this? It is not right to  do recitation of the Scriptures incorrectly. The people, without  realising or caring for their incorrect phonation, sit down even for an  Akhand-Paath - continuous recitation of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The  Gurbani recitation should be correct. It is great that someone reads the  Holy Book, may be incorrectly, but this is justified for the learning  stage only, and not forever. One should aim at learning its correct  recitation.

The corrections are usually done by a monitor, and mostly when one is  reciting it. This is the practical and standard method. Afterwards,  nobody has time to attend to such things, and as well it becomes much  less effective. A correction done at the spot goes home well. This  method should be fine in a limited, casual gathering, more particularly  set for this purpose, and is not for a regular Gurdwara session. The  local Sangat can decide on the method to be adopted.
_
PRAYER HALL DISCIPLINE._

Gurdwara - This is the place for the people to pray to God in the  presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji- the Sikh Holy book, in their set Sikh  way. Following is the discipline for entering the prayer hall, going to  the presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and Sangat (congregation).

Entering the Prayer Hall
Going to the presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
Children may be left in the nursery if this facility is available. Older  children may go to the children's class, if it is held.
Go to the  Gurdwara with clean clothes, neat and tidy. The clothes should cover the  body properly and impart soberness. They should not be showy or gaudy.
Deep neck-cut, mid-riff (belly button showing), armless, and high or  tight clothes do not seem suitable for going to the Sangat -  congregation. Avoid putting on too much makeup and too many ornaments.
Piercing the nose, ears, etc. is not approved in the Sikh world
.
Do not carry any drugs, alcohol or tobacco in its any form. Do not go to  a Gurdwara after taking alcohol, tobacco, or any other drug.
The head should be covered.
Leave your shoes and socks out, in the place reserved for this purpose -  a room, shoe-stands etc. If need be clean your feet. Usually, there is a  small ditch (tank) mostly with the running water to clean the feet  before entering the prayer hall. It does not mean anything just to dip a  toe in the bowl of water - merely a purposeless ritual. Unless there is  water tank to wash the feet, the freshly worn socks are mostly not  removed in the usual Gurdwaras. In most of the historical Gurdwaras, the  socks are not permitted. In some rare and very special situation, the  local management may allow a clean, washed, or a new pair of socks, may  be after washing the feet immediately before entering the premises.
Beepers, phones, and such distracting devices should better be off on  the silence or turned off. Remove headphones - no playing of cassettes,  digital or other CDs, or any other voice (music)-storing devices etc.

Walk to the dais with folded hands, humility, serenity and calmly. As  far as possible, make some offering in coin or kind to Guru Granth Sahib  Ji, bow to it, and sit down anywhere you like.

The Sikhs usually bow to the Holy Book coming down on both knees and  touching floor with forehead - not that only one knee touches the floor.  Of course, there is no strict discipline for it. A disabled person may  not be able to bend, or go down on his or her knees. There is no  restriction, but mostly, the women and men occupy two different sides of  the hall. Properly located low chairs or other seats may be provided  for the handicapped. Those with good health should avoid to use this  facility unless essential due to some valid reason.

 Traditionally,  everyone sits at the same level on the floor to express equality of all.  None is provided with, or tries to find a special seat to get  differentiated or distinguished. Personal, incapacitating health problem  is a different story.

After bowing to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, or later, devotees may offer some cash to Ragi -  the devotional singer, Kathakar - professional sermon-giver. After  making the offer gently, do not touch the stage before them as a gesture  of bowing to them.

Nobody should ever bow to the floor or touch the feet of anyone in the  presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Slightly bowing or a nod of head with folded hands,  may be with a little smile to show respect, should be enough. No  talking. Pay full attention to the recitation of the Scriptures, divine  music, and other proceedings in the prayer hall. Do not talk to your  neighbors. If essential, do it so that you do not disturb the others.  You may go out for any long talk. Better give a written message. You  cannot disturb proceedings in a formal gathering - no questions, and no  discussions. You may quietly ask questions after the end of proceedings.  You may question a speaker if the questions are invited. Otherwise, you  can talk to him or her later at the personal level. Listen to Kirtan  silently, or you may accompany it in your own heart and do not disturb  others. Quite often, singing by Sangat is invited and encouraged.  Control your children. Do not allow them to run about, jump, dance,  shout or cry etc. Keep them calm. If needed, take the child out of the  hall till he or she calms down. It is your responsibility to maintain  the sanctity of the hall. If there is provision, take the child to the  separate enclosure, children's center, school etc.

Whilst sitting in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, nobody stands up if someone  enters the hall however great he or she may be. This will amount to  insult of the Holy Book. If need be, a Sewak (an attendant - the person  in service) may approach such a person and conduct him to a proper place  to sit. When a distinguished person enters the hall, some may shout  Jaikaras (slogans) without getting up. This too, should not be  encouraged or appreciated. But, getting up is not at all acceptable.  Nobody claps hands, makes inappropriate gestures, or makes any movements  in the presence of the Holy Book.

A slogan should be shouted only at a reasonable, proper, and justified  occasion, and not otherwise. Try utmost not to disturb the Sangat.

Many people think that it is insulting to the Holy Book if the  flower-petals are showered over anyone else except the Holy Granth  (Book). Some do so carefully so that the petals thrown over someone do  not cross over or fall on Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
_
ROUTINES IN THE PRAYER HALL_
Daily programmes in a Gurdwara are usually set and standard for the  place, and may have the additional routines at different days. Gurdwara  may be held daily, or on specific days, mostly on Sundays.
_
The following  are the usual routines -

Recitation of Gurbani_rescribed Nitnem is recited in the morning, Rehras at the time of  sunset or, and it is followed by Sohela (Kirtan Sohela). At home, Kirtan  Sohela is recited at the bedtime, but if Rehras gets late, Sohela is as  well done along with it. Reciting Sukhmani Sahib (Psalms of Peace) is  an option. It makes no sense to play the pre-recorded Bani, or Kirtan,  as a routine in the Gurdwara - it may be played just to fill up some  free time.

_Kirtan:_ Devotional singing. Harmonium and Tabla - a pair of drums, are  the usual instruments for doing Kirtan. Occasionally, some other  instruments are added, may be the Western, too. In the presence of Guru  Granth Sahib Ji, singing only of its Holy Hymns is allowed. Compositions  by Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Nand Lal, and very short references by the old  time writers are permitted.

_Katha:_ Katha - sermon, or preaching, mostly of the historical episode,  or of Gurbani. Katha may be a routine at some places, and is usually  undertaken in the afternoon. Commonly, Ragis combine Kirtan with some  Katha.

_Dhadi Vaars: _Vaar - a ballad. Dhadi - a bard. This singing in a Gurdwara  is not a regular feature. A Vaar is an episode from the Sikh history.  Bards narrate these in poetry and use traditional instruments Dhad and  Sarangi. The Vaar singing has its great value in raising morale and  valor.

Dhad is a small hand held double-drum. Sarangi is a stringed instrument  played with a bow. Guru Hargobind introduced Dhadi Vaars in his Darbar -  court.

_ Lectures: _Only the non-political talks by the scholars and others may  be allowed. Politics is not a right thing in the Gurdwara where audience  is almost always mixed. The people of the other faiths will be  discouraged to come to the Gurdwara. The environment should always be  maintained neutral, and politics can be discussed anywhere else.

_Ardas:_
Invocation - This is the prayer said at the end of the Gurdwara session.

Everyone has to get up for Ardas, stand calmly with folded hands, with  face towards Guru Granth Sahib or its seat (where it is kept and opened  in the hall). Outside, where the Holy Book is not present, the face  should be towards Ardasia (one who leads supplication).
Listen to Ardas attentively and follow the Ardasia when he or she says  “Waheguru,” and after him or her says the slogan at the end “Jo bole so  nihaal, Sat-sri-Akaal.” -Blessed is the one who utters God is great!

If you want to repeat Ardas with Ardasia, do so only in your heart. Do  not speak it out.

Bow down when Ardasia bows down, follow him to stand up and to sit down.

Ardas is done attentively and with concentration. Nobody should place  money into his or her hands while he or she is doing Ardas. If there is  any urgent instruction, preferably give it as a note neatly written in  block letters. All those attending Ardas, should stand calmly without  talking. Even if someone is holding a child in her or his arms, it is a  must to stand without moving, and if it is not possible, she or he  should go out of the hall and attend to Ardas from outside. .

We pray to God, through our Guru and Guru Granth Sahib Ji- i.e. the Word  of the Gurus.
_
Hukam: _ Edict of the Guru: an inspiration for the day. Hukam, or Vaak -  Order, edict or the Word of Guru. The person in Tabya - in attendance,  the one sitting behind the Holy Book, will read out of it the Hukam -  Order of the Guru. This is recitation of a Hymn at random, usually from  about middle portion of Guru Granth Sahib. Maintain an absolute silence  and no talking or anything else. The same Hukam of the morning is read  out throughout the day when needed.

All others should listen to it silently, reverently, with folded hands  and humility. This is Hukam and we should listen to what the Guru says,  and try to adopt it practically.

We commonly use the term Hukamnama, but in fact it means a written  order.
_
Parshad_; Karrah-Parshad - Sanctified Pudding made from flour, butter,  cane sugar or honey. Parshad is a blessed gift from the Guru - Waheguru,  and even a small quantity of it should suffice.Parshad is taken in both  hands cupped together, and not on a single hand. If the hands are not  clean, it may be taken on a napkin placed in the cupped hands. Keep  sitting calmly to get it in your turn. If you have been missed, you may  request for it. Anyone receiving Parshad should be watchful and even if a  fraction of it falls on the floor, he or she should promptly pick it up  and respectfully put aside so that it does not get trampled, or it be  put in the napkin for disposal. It will maintain the respect of Parshad  and as well, if the carpet is there, it will be saved from getting  spoiled. After partaking Parshad, everyone moves to Langar - the  community kitchen if the food is to be served.
_
LANGAR HALL - DISCIPLINE_
A Langar Hall is where the community food is prepared, served and eaten.  Enter the langar hall with covered head, bare feet, and nicely washed  hands. Be calm. Do not be impatient or in any hurry. Sit with others in a  row. Everyone may chant together the Name of God, the True Name -  “Waheguru, Satnam” etc.

Start eating when the food is served to all and a signal to eat is  given. Usually the slogan is uttered “Jo bole so nihaal, Sat-sri-Akaal.”
Eat food quietly. If by chance you have been ignored, or some item has  not been served, you may gently remind the people serving there, without  calling aloud. You are at liberty to ask for salt, pepper, chilly,  condiments, sugar etc.Take only that much which you can eat without  leaving any portion. Try not to leave Jooth - uneaten portion. Eat with  reverence to the Guru, and God. Some consider themselves fortunate in  eating Langar, and they may take it as a Parshad- the Guru's holy gift.

After finishing, wait till others have eaten. Try to get up with the  others. You may keep sitting and continue eating till you are done, get  up only after you are finished, and do not mind even though other new  ones have started sitting down on your sides, or in the rows. There is  no need to hurry up, be calm and have your time.

Do not wash your hands or mouth into your plate, or while sitting in the  row. Get up and go to wash room. For this purpose, a devotee may offer  to some honored one e.g. a saint, a hand wash-basin and water where he  or she is sitting. It is not good to look at.

Clean the place if something gets spilled. If the Langar Hall is  carpeted, take an extra care not to let anything spill.

After eating, throw the plastic ware into the trash-bag if someone comes  to collect it. If not, pick it on getting up, and dispose it off into a  trash-bag or can. Someone may collect silver ware (metal) or china  ware. Otherwise, throw leftover in the trash-can, take it to the sink,  or to a designated place, and leave it there. You may rinse and leave  it, or clean it properly as others might be doing. The best is to clean  it with soap and water, or with cleaning powder. Wooden ash mixed with  sand worked fine at some places in India. If dishwasher facility is  available, rinse and leave such utensils there.

One should not eat, nibble or snack in the kitchen, or at its service  counter.No one busy eating, should touch utensils, food, or service  bowls, service spoons etc. in the kitchen, without first washing the  hands with soap and water. It is convenient and nice to ask someone else  to serve you rather than trying to do it your own self. At some places,  or occasions, self-service is practiced, but in a proper and organised  way.

This holy food; a gift from God and the Guru. The people take it with  humility and eat it with reverence. Some get one or two Chapatis (Roti -  flat-bread) with some Dhaal (cooked pulse food), vegetable, and take  these home as Parshad for the family. Devotees may put some money into a  Golak – donation box, to offer their thanks to the Lord for the food  partaken, and not for its price.

PROCEDURES IN THE GURDWARA: In the Gurdwaras, discipline is important to  maintain the sameness. This has been laid down in the Rehat Maryada  (Code of Ethics) for the faith by the Sikh-Panth - the Sikh world. It is  available in the form of a booklet from the bookstores or from S.G.P.C.  The Gurdwaras of different sects may have their own modifications. The  sameness encourages brotherhood and unity. At homes, the people may have  some of their own choices. A Gurdwara starts its programme in the  morning with the recitation of Sukhmani Sahib and singing of Asa Di Var.  In the overseas countries, these are usually replaced with Jap Ji Sahib  recitation. In the evening, Rehras is recited.

_PROCEDURES IN THE PRAYER HALL:
The following procedures in the prayer  hall are everyday routine_.

_Sri Guru Granth Sahib- _The Sikh Holy Book;In the presence of the Holy Granth, or in the  prayer hall, everyone sits on the floor, and all should be treated  equally. Some special persons are invited to sit in the front, and may  be on the stage itself in special celebrations. Low stools or chairs, on  one side, back, or in an enclosure, should be provided for the  disabled.

A thin mattress covered with a cloth sheet may be used to mark the place  for Ragis - devotional singers, or for a bride and bridegroom to sit  for their marriage ceremony. Ragis may sit on the stage. Some places  provide a raised platform for Ragis - devotional singers, to make them  visible to the congregation. Such a platform should be lower than the  seat of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

It is appropriate to introduce to the Sangat, and as well to honor the  distinguished visitors, guest Ragis (devotional singers), visiting  speakers and new comers etc.

Nothing should be discussed, and direct questions-answers should not be  allowed in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. A question may be put  with permission of the Gurdwara official conducting the proceedings.  Provided the question is permissible, non-provocative, and general (not  insulting, jeering or belittling in any way), may be allowed. A speaker  may invite questions.

Nothing should irritate or agitate the Gurdwara Sewadars (serving  others). A Sewadar (a person serving the community or sangat) who cannot  adjust or accommodate, should keep off, or mould him or herself.
_
Parkash:  _Opening the Holy Book: Bringing the Granth to the Prayer Hall.  In the morning, Guru Granth Sahib Ji is brought to the prayer hall  carried from its room on head, singing the Shabads - the Holy Hymns. If  another person is there, he or she follows working a Chaur - hair-wisp,  over it. The Granth - Holy Book, is placed on the Peerhee - cot, a low  small bed.
_
Short Invocation: _Standing before Guru Granth Sahib Ji, a short Ardas -  invocation, is said and then singing or saying appropriate Holy Hymns,  it is gracefully, reverently, unwrapped and opened at about its middle. A  Palak - cloth-sheet, is placed on each side of the Holy Book, its  setting is checked, needed adjustments are made, and are covered with  Romalas - cloth sheets, scarves. To learn, watch someone doing it.

_Opening the Holy Granth:_ Working a wisp over it, it is uncovered again  and Hukam - Order of the Guru, is read out from where it had already  been opened. The Hukam, Vaak, or Shabad, is reading of a Holy Hymn at  random. - mostly from about the middle part where at the Granth was  opened. As well, it is commonly called a Hukamnama, but literally it  means a written order.

_Hukam - Inspiration: _The Hukam is taken (the Holy Hymn is read) from top  of the left page (right of the Granth), from its start - may be it  starts on the back of this page (at the previous page). In a Gurdwara,  it may be kept open at this page and covered for others to read or  listen to this first Hukam of the day i.e. that of the morning. In the  homes, this page is covered with a few pages from the right (left of the  Book), and anyone may take a new (fresh) personal Hukamat any time.  This is standard procedure, but its variations are there.

_The Holy Presence : _In the prayer hall, Guru Granth Sahib Ji - the Holy  Book, is kept open on the raised platform, for the Gurdwara-Session.  Unless someone is reading out of it, the Holy Book is covered with nice,  clean, cloth sheets.
_
Darshan:_ Beholding the Guru - Picking up cover of the Holy Book and  merely looking at the page is not a `Darshan” - seeing it. The real  Darshan is reading or listening to it.
_
Service to the Guru_ : Taking this as a service to the Guru, the frame of  a door and legs of the palanquin etc. should not be pressed like  pressing the limbs of someone. The real service is reading the Holy  Book.
_
Kirtan: _ Devotional Music - Commonly, Waheguru (God), or Sat-Naam  Waheguru (True God) is sung together by the principal (leading) singer  and congregation. The congregation also participates in singing some  Hymns.

Kirtan is always of the Shabads - Holy Hymns: from Gurbani. As for as  possible, it should be rendered in the classical form, or in the style  specifically prescribed in the Holy Book, for the particular Hymn. Most  of the Ragis render it in free or open strains not bound by the musical  measures. They usually devise their own styles and tunes. It is good to  sing some Hymns in the usual style, and others based on Nirdharat-Raags  (prescribed classical measures). A Kirtan or a katha-kirtanis usually  for about one hour.

“Hallae de Shabad” style of kirtan is welcome. These are sung with gusto  and force as a chorus. The Sangat joins in, and their usual instruments  are Dholak or Mirdang (double sided drum), Chimtae (long tongs with  bronze plates), Chhaaenae (bronze plates) and kharrtaals (wooden blocks  with small bronze plates).Singing of “Jotiaan dae Shabad” - is also  practiced. In this style, two groups keep singing in turn - one stanza  by one, and the next by the second group. The same stanza may be  repeated by both the parties. Mostly, men and women sing a stanza in  turn.

Compositions by Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Nand Lal, and some as references from  the ancient Sikh books are permitted. The Holy Hymns should not be  rendered on the tunes of the ordinary street and movie songs. By  listening to such songs, wrong scenes may spring up in the mind. Neutral  type, and non-political poems related to the Sikh faith and history,  may be recited. Political poems may not be permitted. The Gurdwara is a  place purely for worship. In general, even outside the Gurdwaras, songs  composed mimicking Gurbani, and rendered like a Kirtan, should not be  permitted. The people do not differentiate such singing from a Kirtan.  Otherwise, songs and poems related to the Sikh faith and their singing  like songs has its own value.

_Katha: _Preaching or Sermon -Mostly it is a talk based on Gurbani, Sikh  History, or explanation of a chapter out of some standard book like  Suraj-Parkash etc. It may be undertaken after kirtan, or after Hukam but  before distribution of Parshad. Kathakar - the preacher mostly sits  cross-legged on the floor, or in the Tabya - in service (attendance)  behind the Holy Granth. The management may fix up the days and timings  of such programmes.

_Speech: _In the presence of the Holy Book, only God, Guru, and Gurbani -  Scriptures, should be discussed. Do not take up any other thing. When  the Sikhs take Holy Book as their `Living Guru,” then they need to  honour it that way. To maintain the sanctity of the prayer hall, it is  better to discuss any other thing elsewhere, may be privately.

Any talk or discussion in the Sangat, in which a controversy can come  up, should be reserved for after langar hours, so that those who are not  interested or want to leave, are not delayed or deprived of the holy  food.

_Ardas; Sikh prayer indicating Invocation, or Supplication._


Chhoti Ardas - Short invocation. It is said before opening the Holy  Book. It includes recitation only of the starting Paurree (step),  “Ardas. Ik-Oankar Vaheguroo jee kee fat.eh. Sree Bhagaut.ee jee  sahaa-ae......” to “D.assaan' Pat.shaahee-aan d.ee jot.e..... Sree Guroo Granth Sahib ..... Bolo  jee Vahiguru.” To it is added a supplication to the Holy Book seeking  permission to open it, and for the Guru's Hukam. The Holy Book is opened  according to the set procedure, reciting Gurbani.
Panthic Ardas - Standard, full length invocation. After the end of the  prayer-session, approved Panthic Ardas - invocation ordained by the Sikh  World, is made to the open Holy Book.
A Panthic Ardas (full length) should be as short as possible, with no  repetitions and unnecessary additions. The stanzas from Gurbani should  not be quoted within the main body of Ardas. Their limited number (a few  of them) may be used before it.
Ardas, Taking Guru Granth Sahib for Rest - Chhotee Ardas, second time.  Guru Granth Sahib Ji, should not be closed till karah parshad has not  been distributed.

When the Gurdwara session, or a program elsewhere is complete, a Shabad  (Hymn) is recited from the Holy Book as before (from its left top), in  the usual voice. It is reverently closed and wrapped in sheets. A  Chhotee Ardas is said again, and a request is made to the Guru to permit  taking it to the place of its rest. This Chhotee Ardas is the same as  said at the time of opening the Holy Book.

After Chhotee Ardas, Sangat keeps standing, the Holy Granth is carried  on the head, going around the cot (platform) from the left (anti  clockwise), and it is taken to its special room. It is done in the form  of a small procession, singing Gurbani, and working Chaur (moving wisp)  over it. After respectfully placing it on the bed there, all say Jaikara  (slogan), “Jo bolae so nihaal, Satsri-Akal.” See “Sukh Asan.”

Ardas, Offerings - It will be nice if a Chhoti Ardas is made by a  Sewadar at the time when the offerings in kind are made. It will protect  the Panthic Ardas from becoming too long. Local Sangat can decide it.  If such offerings have to be mentioned at the end of Ardas, this should  be kept very brief and free from repetitions.
_
Ardasia: _When doing Ardas, he or she should stand with folded hands,  make no gestures, and stand calmly, but firmly. He or she should not  hold in the hands a Kirpan: sword, arrow, or any other weapon while  doing Ardas. Invocation projects humility, but a weapon in hand becomes  its antithesis.

_Parshad:_ Karah Parshad may be prepared by anyone, anywhere, according to  its discipline, and brought to the Gurdwara, may be it is for start or  Bhog (culmination) of any type of Paath (recitation) of Guru Granth  Sahib, may be it is an Akhand Paath - nonstop recitation.

Parshad - Bhog Lao, Parvan Karo - In Ardas, for eatables e.g. Parshad,  Langar etc., an Ardasia should not say “Bhog lao jee” - please, eat it,  but should request, “Parvaan karo jee” - please, accept it - approve it.

Parshad Kirpan Bhaet - Do not pass Kirpan through Parshad after Ardas,  but wait and do it after Hukam. Kirpan Bhaet means acceptance of Parshad  by the Guru. Naturally, it should come after Hukam.

_Distribution of Parshad_: Five portions for the Panj Piyaras is taken  out after naming each, and these are distributed to the Amritdhari  Sikhs, or mixed back into the main Parshad (from which these portions  were taken out). After this, a portion of Parshad is taken out to be  kept as reserve, and then rest of Parshad is distributed. The reserve  may be used by the one who is in Tabya - service, and as well be given  to a visitor if Parshad is finished.

In Akhand Paath and Sampat Paath, Parshad is given to the visitors, day  and night.
_
Raaj karae-gaa Khalsa “Ageaa bhaee Akaal kee ......, Raj karae gaa  khalsaa ..... etc.”
_
Most of the people think that this piece of poetry belongs to the Tenth  Master, Guru Gobind Singh Ji which it is not. It was composed by Giani  Gian Singh and is given in his book Panth-Parkash (Bhasha Vibhag Punjab,  1987), at its page 353. Later, some others added to it the lines like  “Raj karega khalsaa” etc.

In Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar, this piece of poetry is not sung at the  end of Ardas. A Gurdwara is for everyone from any faith and many avoid  singing it lest someone feels hurt. It is another thing, that some may  translate Khalsa as the “pure-ones,” but in fact Khalsa means property  of the King (Guru) i.e. those who have faith in the Guru (Gurmukhs -  devotees).But apparently, it is taken by the most as, “The Sikhs will  rule,” although it may not mean this and the real rule be of the  spiritual domain.To sing the above `Dohra' - type of poetry, is not  essential, but if some need to sing something after Ardas, suitable  Hymns or quotes may be selected from Gurbani rather than singing a  composition by anyone other than the Guru. There is no shortage of such a  material in Guru Granth Sahib, and in the Bani of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.  An example is -

_Gagan dmamaa baajeou pareou neesaanaae ghaaou
Khaetu ju maandeo suurmaa abb joojhan ko daao
Sooraa so pahechaaneeaae ju larae deen kae haet
Purjaa purjaa katt maraae kabhoo naa chhadaae khaet.u
Kabir-1105-4


Hukam - Order of the Guru_. Hukam, or Vaak - order, edict or Word of the  Guru. This is inspiration for the day. The person in Tabya - in  attendance - sitting behind the Holy Book, will read out from it the  Hukam - order of the Guru: a Holy Hymn at random. When taking Hukam, it  should be carefully read out and attempt should not be made to say any  word out of it without reading. This is to avoid any error in reading or  in phonation. His Hukam (revealed Bani) should be as it is written,  with no minor error even.

Hukam should be recited in a reasonably loud voice, reverently,  steadily, with humility, and without any hurry. The Holy Book is opened  at random, usually at about its middle, and Shabad - the Holy Hymn, is  recited from its start at the top on the left side page. It may start at  the back of that (previous) page, start from there.
_
Shabad,: _Holy Hymn,is read from its start to the end however long it may  be. Some Shabads are full-page length. If it is from the area wherein  the script continues without breaks, the page of the Holy book may be  changed. This may also be done if the Hymn is not according to the  occasion, but some do not approve it. The page-change may be made to the  right or left.

Sant Nand Singh used to take three chances to get a Shabad suitable to  the need. Failing in three chances to get the right Shabad (may be in  yes or no); he would postpone it to the next day, if the time permitted.  The professional Bhai (brother - caretaker of the Holy Granth) roughly  know the areas of the Holy Book for the Shabads right for the occasions.

The right Shabad is that which takes up your need, and it may or may not  be according to your desire - it may be positive or negative to your  wish. Trying more than once to get the decisive Shabad is a personal  choice. Usually, the chance Shabad at the very first instance is relied  on, and in general the people do not accept trials.
_
Translation of Hukam:_ If the translation of the Hukam is done, it should  be direct, very short, with no elaborations, quotes and stories. If the  Holy Hymn is long one, then, only its gist should be given.
_
Katha of Hukam:_ It is different from the plain, straightforward  translation of the Hukam. One may take his or her allotted time to  elaborate and comment on the Shabad. It is a descriptive sermon on the  Hukam. History, anecdotes, and quotations from Gurbani and other  acceptable sources may be added.

_ Paath: _Reciting Guru Granth Sahib; Reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib may be of any type  or style - Sehaj Paath, Akhand-Paath, Saptahak-Paath, Sampat-Paath etc.,  for correct phonation of every word, it should be done by actual  reading. Ladies can participate in every type of Paath. As a page  marker, one may use a paper with a Shabad written on it.

Sehaj Paath - It is a Sidharan Path - routine recitation with no  restriction of time or days. It is a Paath at leisure, without any  hurry. There is no set discipline for it.

Akhand-Paath - continuous recitation from its start to end without any  break. It usually takes 48 hours, may be slightly less or more. Some  think that only Amritdharis should do an Akhand Paath. Mostly, five  persons do this recitation, but there is no strict limit. It should be  done after full bath including the head wash, and changing to the  washed, clean clothes. Ladies can equally take part in Akhand-Paath.

_Saptahak-Paath - _This reading is usually from the morning to the  evening, and is completed in 7 days. Two or more persons may do it. Bhog  - culmination of Paath, is on the seventh day in the morning.

_Sampatt-Paath - _keeping in mind the motive, a certain suitable Hymn is  selected from the Holy Granth. It may be written down on a paper. Paath  of the Holy Book is started right from the beginning, first by reading  the selected Hymn from the paper or by reciting it by heart from memory.  Thereafter, this selected Hymn is recited after every Shabad (Hymn) in  its sequence in the Holy Book. This selected Shabad is recited also at  the end of the recitation of the Holy Book. This is continuous reading  without a break and may take 7 to 10 days or even more to complete it.  Any number of persons may participate in this recitation. It’s Bhog -  culmination, is performed in the morning.
_
Bhog ceremony:  _Culmination of almost all Paaths is completed before the  noon. Bhog of Paath as the last ceremony on a death is commonly  performed in the afternoon, but it is not necessary. Akhand-Paath even  of a sad occasion is mostly completed in the morning hours.
_
Madh - Middle of Paath_
Parshad on reaching the middle of Paath, The Holy Book, Guru Granth  Sahib Ji, has 1430 pages. Its middle is considered at page No. 705.  Shabad at the bottom of page is, “Aade pooran madhe pooran ante pooran  Parmaesurah.”
In every type of Paath, before reaching this Shabad, a fresh Parshad is  prepared, Ardas (full) is said on reaching this Shabad, and it is  distributed after Kirpan Bhaet.
_
Langar After Paath_
Mostly after Akhand Paath and Sampat Paath, Langar (food) is served to  the Sangat.Langar is served may be it is the occasion of joy or sorrow,  but it is not necessary and is a personal choice. Some may serve snacks,  cold drinks, tea, or coffee. Langar or snacks may be served after any  Paath. There is no set rule for it.

_Paathee to Learn Paath-recitation_
Paathee is anyone reciting Paath (Scripture). It should be a must that  Paath, including recitation of Guru Granth Sahib, is learnt from someone  or by any other means - audiotapes, videotapes, CDs, computers etc. The  best is to get the live instructions.
_
Who can do a Paath?_
Reading the Holy Book can be done by anyone who can and desires to do  it. No restrictions. Amritdhari or not, a Sikh or anyone else, everyone  can read the Holy Book. The body and clothes should be clean. Mostly,  the people open the Holy Book after taking a bath, and changing to the  clean clothes. If one is not well, the one may go to the Holy Book after  washing the face and hands (feet), provided the body and clothes are  clean. Even today, many sit down for the Raul - turn, to do  Akhand-Paath, after washing the hair, taking bath and changing to the  clean clothes.
Paath and women: Women can do every type of Paath including recitation  of Guru Granth Sahib - Akhand-Paath or Sampatt-Paath.. The body and  clothes should be clean.
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PARSYAD:  Sanctified Pudding_
A Gurdwara where Diwan - congregation, is held daily, fresh Parshad is  prepared in the morning.

_Leftover Parshad.:_ Fresh Parshad is distributed. If some previously  prepared Parshad is leftover, it may be added to the fresh left over  Parshad. It can be mixed to the fresh Parshad after Kirpan-Bheat.

It is said, the leftover Parshad should not be reheated. Can it be mixed  to the freshly prepared Parshad, may be yes but to the leftover fresh  Parshad. These are minor things to need attention.

_Parshad from another Gurdwara:_  Sometimes, Parshad brought to Gurdwara  from any other Gurdwara (Amritsar, Hazoor Sahib, Patna Sahib etc.), is  mixed with the freshly prepared Parshad and distributed in the Sangat.  This way, a small quantity can be given to a large number. This mixing  should be done after Ardas, Hukam and Kirpan Bhaet of the fresh Parshad.

_Re-offering Parshad:_  Parshad once offered, should not be offered to the  Guru, again. Only fresh Parshad is offered.

_Source of Parshad: _Parshad is prepared in the Gurdwara, but it may come  prepared from anywhere. It may be sent by anyone. Condition is that it  should be prepared according to its discipline - clean body, clean  clothes, head covered, and recitation of Gurbani etc.

_Parshad for the Odd Hour Visitors:_  Mostly, the Gurdwaras keep frosted  Phullian - sugared puffed rice, or Patashae - small sugar-cakes, or  Makhanae - sugar clusters. This is a handy Parshad for the visitors who  come after the regular Parshad (Karah-Parshad) is finished.

In a Gurdwara, such a Parshad does not replace fresh Karah-Parshad  usually prepared in the morning. Fresh Parshad is served after the  Gurdwara sessions and if possible after other Gurdwara programmes.  Everyday fresh Karah Parshad is optional for the Gurdwara where  congregation is not held daily.

Pinnee Parshad (sweet cereal *****), or Panjeeree (sweet powder), are  given as Parshad to keep for a long time. Chhotee-Ilaechi - green  cardamoms, Kooza-Misree - sugar-crystals, or dry fruit - almonds and  nuts, may be given to keep for still longer time.

Karrah-Parshad - Preparation It is also called “Tihauli Daa Parshad”  i.e. prepared with equal parts of three ingredients - Ataa (wheat  flour), Ghee (butter oil), sugar, and to this is added three parts of  water (. Wheat flour, butter oil, sugar and water.)

Sugar - In the United States, a little bit more of sugar makes it  tastier, as the beetroot sugar here is not that sweet. Some use honey,  instead.

Wheat Flour - Wheat floor should be co{censored} and not fine or white.Parshad  of pure cream of wheat does not stick together well (cohere, coalesce)  and its grains easily scatter. About one third to half of Suji (cream of  wheat) and co{censored} whole-wheat flour make a good mixture.

Ghee - Butter oil. Less of butter oil makes it dry and unpleasant to  swallow. Some use butter in place of butter oil. Be careful that it is  not salted. Parshad is prepared with pure butter or butter oil. Now,  often, some take the liberty of using vegetable oils or hydrogenated  oils, at least for the usual occasions.

_Additions to Parshad: _ Fruits: dry or fresh, raisins, nuts, saffron,  dyes, flavors, etc. are not added to Parshad. It is to maintain  uniformity of the preparation, and to keep it affordable by everyone.  Parshad is highly revered, it is kept covered and is touched with clean  hands.

Parshad for keeping longer, while preparing, it is worked up with a  ladle until grease (butter oil etc.) starts separating from Parshad.
Preparation of Parshad - Discipline

_Cleanliness: _Parshad is prepared after taking bath, wearing clean  clothes, and with clean hands.

Cover - Head should be kept covered throughout cooking and while you are  in the kitchen. No caps or hats. Have a dupattaa (length of cloth),  scarf, or kaeskee (short cloth wrapped on head).

Clean Hands - No part of body, even the face, hair, or anything else,  should be touched while preparing it.

Attitude - humility, reverence, and devotion should prevail. All through  preparing it, Jap Ji Sahib, Gurbani (Holy Hymn) should be recited. The  Jaap of “Waheguru, Waheguru,” - God, my Lord, or “Satte-Naamu Waheguru”  the True Name - God, is continuously recited calmly.

Talking - No non-essential talk while cooking or serving food.  Keep the  mind fixed on God. Remember that you are preparing a holy food for  offering to the Lord.

Eating - there should not be any eating, snacking, or nibbling in the  cooking area. No one should eat at the kitchen counter. While eating  outside, do not touch the cooked food or utensils without cleaning hands  with soap and water.

Shoes - If need be, you can use slippers inside the kitchen. They should  be reserved for the kitchen and must not be used for going to restroom  (bathroom), or out of the Langar hall.

Health is not good - Do not go to Langar and do no cooking with cold,  cough, fever, loose motions, or motions with cramps, or with any other  infectious disease like mumps, chickenpox etc. Do not cook with injury,  ulcer, boil, or eczema on hands. For a cough or sneeze, cover your mouth  and nose with a napkin, look away from food and try to get away from  it, dispose off napkin, and wash your hands with soap and water.

Parshad - Discipline
Parshad should not be tasted at any stage of its preparation and  afterwards.
No portion of Parshad assigned to God and Guru, should be taken out for  any purpose, until it has been offered to Guru Granth Sahib, and  distributed after Ardas - invocation, Hukam, and Kirpan Bhaet (Kirpan  passed through it).

If this discipline (cleanliness, purity, not taking or eating a portion  out of it) is not observed, Parshad is rendered unfit for offering to  the Guru and God, and for distribution to the Sangat.

Before distribution, Parshad should be cooled down to a comfortable  level. If it is too hot, a ladle or spoon may be used to distribute it,  and it may be taken on a napkin.

Rather than using naked hands, it is best to distribute it with a spoon.
_
When Distributing Parshad_
Take care of the following -Distribution of the napkins - Hands should  be washed with soap and water immediately before distributing the  napkins.

 Mostly children eagerly do this job. Someone should monitor  them.
Parshad - It is a boon from the Guru and Waheguru (the Lord).  Immediately before touching it for distribution, hands should be nicely  washed with soap and water. The nails should be kept properly trimmed.

The bowl of Parshad should be held on hand and not against body. If  needed, one person may hold the bowl and the other distribute it.
The server should not try to keep mixing, kneading, pressing Parshad or  making ***** of it with his hand. He should take out a portion as it is,  and give to the Sangat.

Generally, Parshad is distributed with naked hands. Take care that the  hands are healthy and nails are cut, and no medication has been applied  to them.

It may be a good idea to use thin, plastic gloves to serve Parshad.

It may be okay if Parshad is distributed with something like a service  spoon, ladle etc. It is an option but a local choice. There should be  sufficient persons for the distribution of Parshad in the sections of  men and as well women. If the Sangat is more, some should start  distributing from the entry door side - rear of the hall, also.

Parshad is distributed in equal quantity to everyone and without any  prejudice or preference. All should be considered equal. Proportionately  small amount may be given to the children, so that they can finish it.

No talking or saying anything while distributing Parshad. Better, wrap a  cloth across the mouth. Even “Waheguru” should be said in the heart  (mind), unless the mouth is covered. It prevents its pollution and  infection.

No touching of any body part - not even face or hair, or anything else,  when distributing Parshad.

The Holy Book should not be closed till Parshad is distributed. The  Sangat should be reminded in every session to pick up Parshad falling on  the floor or carpet. Parshad should not get trampled.

It is a good idea to cover the carpet with cloth sheets before the  Sangat arrives, remove and wash them after their use.
_
Kirpan-Bhaet_
Nothing eatable becomes a Guru's Parshad unless a Kirpan (small curved  dagger) is passed through it. At Hazoor Sahib, Nanded, things are  usually touched with an arrow.

Offering Parshad to the Lord: At the end of the proceedings in a  Gurdwara, or at home, passing Kirpan through Parshad should be done  after the Hukam has been taken. This use of Kirpan turns it into the  sanctified Parshad - a thing accepted by the Guru, gift of the Guru.  This is the Sikh way.

At Hazoor Sahib, besides Karrah-Parshad, all other offerings made by the  devotees are touched with an all steel arrow after very short  supplication by a Sewadar posted especially for this.
_
Panj-Piyare:  Distribution of Parshad_

First of all, five portions naming Panj-Piarae (the five loved by the  Guru) are taken out in a separate small bowl. Panj Piyare. These five  names are - Daya Singh ,Dharam Singh, Himatt Singh, Mohkam Singh  and  Sahib Singh.

Thereafter, another portion is taken in a bowl and put aside for any  urgency, and for the one in Tabya (person in attendance of the Holy  Book), or for any newcomer after the Parshad is finished. Parshad taken  out in the name of five Panj Piyare is distributed amongst the five  Sikhs in the sangat appearing to be Amritdhari, (properly inducted into  Sikh faith), or it is mixed back into Parshad from which it has been  taken out. Now, Parshad is distributed in the congregation, including  those five who got it first.

_Sodar_
Sodar Dee Chaukee - In it, Rehras is recited in a Kirtan-style, in the  evening at the time of sunset. After it, Kirtan Sohla is also recited.

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Sukh-Asan_
Guru Granth Sahib Santokhna -taking Guru Granth Sahib for rest.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib must be closed, and should not be left open overnight unless  someone is reading it e.g. an Akhand-Path.

Without involving Sangat, a Shabad may be read silently once again, from  top of the page on left. Palkaan - the cloth pieces hanging on two  sides of the Holy Book are removed, and it is closed. If there are extra  cloth strips of the short width on front and backsides of the closed  Holy Book, coming from the binding, these are wrapped over the front and  back of the closed Book held up (wrapped around the edge of the deck of  pages). If the binding itself has a flap, it is covered over the top of  the Holy Book held upwards on closing, and is not tucked inside  binding. The Granth is wrapped in nicely smoothed cloth sheets.

_Chhoti Ardas _- a short prayer (the first Paurree - first step of Ardas  and request for its retiring) is said standing before the Holy Book, and  then it is placed on the head of a person and carried as a very small  procession, walking around the dais from the right to left for Sukh-Asan  - retiring i.e. resting of the Holy Book, all along singing together  the Hymn, particularly “Jithae jaae bahae maeraa Satguru so thann  suhavaa Ram Rajae (The place is blessed to which my Lord retires), or  saying “Waheguru, Satnam” etc. Throughout, the Sangat keeps standing and  singing. As the Holy Granth passes by the people, they reverently bow  to it.

The holy Book is placed on the cot in the room. Jaikara, “Jo Bolae so  nihaal, Satsri Akaal,” is shouted. After bowing to the Guru, Sangat  comes out of the room, and door is closed. Everyone moves to the Langar  hall to take food. After Gurdwara Session, the Holy Book should be  removed to the separate room used only for it's resting, and is placed  on a cot or other dignified bed. The room should be clean, and well  ventilated. It should be especially for this purpose, and not used as a  store and for any other purpose. It should have a canopy above Guru  Granth Sahib Ji. In the room, night-light should be left on.

The Holy Granth should not be left on the cot, or in Palki - palanquin,  in the prayer hall.

At homes, a nice closet or almaree is mostly used for this purpose, or  it is left on the cot etc. It depends on the availability of the space  and facility. The bigger Sikh homes usually have a separate prayer room.
_
Sohela or Kirtan Sohela_

This is the last Sikh prayer for the day. It is recited as the last  thing at the night before going to bed, and takes a couple of minutes.  In a Gurdwara, the person closing the Holy Book in the evening recites  it while closing and wrapping up the Holy Book, provided he or she knows  it by heart. If need be, another person may recite or read it. If at  home, recitation of Rehras gets late, Sohela may be recited _along with  Rehras, after it. Otherwise, it is recited before going to sleep.

PROCEDURES IN THE LANGAR: 
Langar - Community Kitchen._ It is a common  free kitchen, and in it the food is prepared and served jointly, as a  selfless (voluntary) service with a smile. If there is a kitchen, the  Langar may be prepared in the Gurdwara. If not, it is brought from  homes, prepared singly or jointly. The idea is to have the self-prepared  food as a voluntary service, and as far as possible it should not be  ordered from a restaurant. Langar is to teach selfless service with  love.
_
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Discipline- Langar Preparation
_

Take bath and enter the kitchen with clean clothes, and freshly washed  hands using soap and water. The mind should be occupied by Gurbani -  Scriptures, Shabads - Holy Hymns, or with the Name of God (Waheguru,  Waheguru, Satnam etc.).
No portion of the food assigned to langar should be taken out for any  purpose before offering it to the Guru and God, Ardas, Hukam, and  passing Kirpan through preparations.
No one should eat inside the langar - kitchen. Keep it in the mind that  when preparing langar, you are doing it for the Guru and God. The  Langar-containers, or service-pots are not touched with unclean hands,  and preparations are kept covered.
Tasting Langar - During its preparation or afterwards, Langar should not  be tasted, not even for assessing its salt, spices and sugar. The  preparations should have very mild chilies or peppers, so that everyone  can comfortably tolerate them. Be careful even if these are green  chilies. More of them can be added latter by the person eating it,  according to his or her taste.
Salt, pepper, chilies, condiments, sugar, should also be served, like  pickles or onions. After eating has commenced, salt etc, can be adjusted  after asking those who are eating, or if they themselves inform about  it. Mostly, the served food is accepted as it is.
Ardas, Kirpan-Bhaet - Invocation and passing Kirpan through all items.  According to the Sikh way, passing Kirpan through them signifies their  purification and acceptance by God and the Guru. It turns it into the  holy food.
Before serving food Ardas is said. Usually, the prepared food is offered  to Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and is removed from there after Ardas and  touching Kirpan through every item, may be except water: a natural  commodity. Ardas can be said in the kitchen, and Kirpan passed.  Thereafter, all items are returned to their main containers, and service  started even before the end of prayer session. Langar service may  continue in the Langar hall independent of the service in the prayer  hall.
Ready-made Preparations - Sometimes, ready-made Naans - flat breads, are  ordered. Rarely, in an unforeseen emergency, vegetable pizza, or  anything else like bread and butter etc., or food from a restaurant,  might have to be purchased and served.
Langar - food, should be kept very simple, but usually it is not.  Commonly, a sweet dish is also there e.g. Kheer - sweet rice pudding,  ice cream, fine sweet noodles, or sweets. Some also serve tea, coffee,  and maybe cold drinks as well. There is no end to Sewa - selfless  service. Unless it is the Gurdwara service, the Sangat provides Langar  in turn. Sweets and fruits may be brought by other devotees.
Condiments - Pickles, Chutneys (ketchups, pastes), onions, and other  condiments may be served. Salt, peppers and chilies may also be  provided.
Grace - Prayer - At homes, a short prayer - grace, is said by some,  before and after taking food. A few suitable quotes from Gurbani are  recited. In the Gurdwara langar, this tradition can be adopted to the  delight of the devotees.
Sitting Arrangements - At some places, low chairs or other seats are  provided, particularly for the use of disabled person. In some  Gurdwaras, tables and may be chairs too, are there for anyone wishing to  use them.

The main idea of langar is to sit at one level (floor)  without any discrimination, and to eat with others. It is an effort to  promote equality of all, and a step to eradicate ego.

_
SERVING LANGAR: _Everyone serving in the Langar will eat after the Sangat  has finished eating.It is practical to spread plastic sheets on the  floor in front of Pangat - rows, to place utensils or plastic ware on  them. This will protect the carpet and floor.

Nothing should be served with naked fingers. Use service spoons,  spatulas or ladles. The latex or plastic gloves may be used.

The glasses for water, tea etc. should be held close to their bottoms,  and not at their tops. Fingers should not go inside the glasses.

Service is given with a smile, without prejudice, and all are treated  equally. Service should be prompt, careful, without ignoring anyone or  any item.

In Sangat, no one should be served a different food unless there is a  sound reason for it e.g. some health problem. You cannot serve butter to  one and give usual food to the other. The choice of selection for  eating out of the served food is an individual matter. One may not like  to take rice and another may not prefer a Chapatti (Roti, a flat bread).  Some may like to eat condiments and onions, and others may not. Do not  serve anything not accepted. Take only that which you will eat.

Give only the amount that is asked for, or only a reasonable quantity.  Serve carefully that the given portion gets finished, and nothing is  left over. Serve food to children in the right proportion. Their parents  should also take care of this.

Do not talk while serving langar. It is ideal to keep mouth covered with  cloth.

When serving, do not hold service bowls, jugs, breads, glasses etc.  against your body.

When serving, put only that much portion that does not flow over to  other compartments of the plate, if such plates are used.

Langar Service. Langar is supposed not to be closed, and the food has to  be provided to the visitor at all hours of the day and night. But it  may not be possible at every Gurdwara, especially in the overseas  countries where a resident Sewadar - a volunteer e.g. the caretaker may  not be available at all hours. At such places, unserved (leftover)  Langar is distributed for taking home and nothing is kept for the off  time service.

Sound System For Langar There should be extension of the prayer hall  sound system into Langar, for the benefit of the Sewadars (workers) and  Sangat there.

_SERVICE: Some services.
Sewa - Selfless i.e. voluntary Service_.

Sewa is selfless service and it is very important in the Sikh World.  Cleaning the used utensils in Langar, and shoes of the Sangat in the  Gurdwara, are the top Sewas. Help to clean the Gurdwara-building,  cooking Langar and serving it, and maintaining Gurdwara-yard, are usual  Sewas. Still, an important service in India is serving fresh, clean,  drinking water to the people, and even to the animals. Such a  water-dispensing stand is called a Chhabeel. The people render selfless  service while reciting the Name of God.

Sewa-Panthee Saints - Selfless-Service Saints. One sect of saints is  Sewa-Panthee - saints with selfless service as their main path. Such  renowned saints have been recognised and honoured especially for  renovating Gurdwara buildings, setting up educational institutions,  establishing hospitals, and for physical and spiritual services to the  human beings, and as well to the animals. Such great saints attained  miraculous powers through their selfless services.

Sewa is part and parcel of the Sikh way of life.

The architecture and the lay out of a Gurdwara is very important. Just  look at the wonderful design by Guru Ram Das Ji and it’s sarowar of  Harimandir Sahib; lots of thought has gone into it. The Darbar Sahib is  located on the lower level to reflect humility and for devotees to bow  humbly and pay their obeisance to the Eternal Guru. As one ascends the  cool marble stairs, the descend and the view of the Darbar Sahib is  spectacular. Some of the newly erected Gurdwaras have taken a converse  turn of events. The Darbar Sahib is upstairs and one wonders what this  reflects from the original thinking of the Gurus. It is the genuine  prayers by the devotees that brings the sangat together to be involved  in sewa and at the same time preserving the environment by our final  prayers to keep that balance. It would be tragic if the environment  turns into deserts and the Gurdwaras are covered by sandunes. Before  that happens, fear God and respect what is bestowed on us and preserve  the eco-system that we are living in at the moment.

Inspired by Guru Nanak’s creative mysticism, Sikh architecture is a mute  harbinger of holistic humanism based on pragmatic spirituality, says  the prolific author SS. Bhatti:

So little has been written about Sikh architecture that it is difficult  for anyone to believe that such a style of architecture exists at all.  It is ironic that whereas the Sikhs are known the world over for their  characteristic vigour, valour, versatility — above all, their distinct  physical, moral and spiritual identity — their architecture should have  remained so abjectly unidentified.

Apart from buildings of a religious order, Sikh architecture has secular  building-types such as forts, palaces, bungas (residential places),  colleges, etc. The religious structure is the Gurdwara, a place where  the Guru dwells. A Gurdwara is not only the all-important building of  the faith, as masjid or mosque of the Islam and mandir or temple of the  Hindus, it is also, like its Islamic and Hindu counterparts, the  key-note of Sikh architecture.

Dwara (gateway or seat) and, therefore, has an architectural  connotation. Sikh temples are by and large commemorative buildings  connected with the 10 Gurus in some way, or with places and events of  historical significance. For example, Gurdwara Dera (halting place)  Sahib in Batala in Gurdaspur district was erected to commemorate the  brief stay there of Guru Nanak, along with the party, on the occasion of  his marriage, Gurdwara Sheesh Mahal (hall of mirrors) in Kiratpur in  Ropar district was built where the eighth Guru, Harkishan, was born, and  so on. Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj (martyrs’ memorial) in Muktsar in Faridkot  district commemorates the place where the bodies of the Sikhs, who were  killed in the battle fought between Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Mughal  forces in 1705 AD, were cremated, Gurdwara Ram Sar (God’s pool) in  Amritsar stands on a site where the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev, compiled the  Adi Granth, the Sikh Bible, with Bhai Gurdas Ji, his maternal uncle,  acting as the amanuensis.

The main requirement of a Gurdwara is that of a room in which the Adi  Granth, the Holy Book, can be placed and a small sangat (congregation)  can be seated to listen to the path or readings from the Holy Book and  to sing and recite the sacred verses. Gurdwaras have entrances on all  the (four) sides signifying that they are open to one and all without  any discrimination whatsoever. This distinguishing feature also  symbolises the essential tenet of the faith that God is omnipresent. In  some cases, however, space restriction does not permit entry from all  the four sides, as in Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Delhi.

Many Sikh temples have a deorhi, an entrance gateway, through which one  has to pass before reaching the shrine. A deorhi is often an impressive  structure with an imposing gateway, and sometimes provides accommodation  for office and other uses. The visitors get the first glimpse of the  sanctum sanctorum from the deorhi. There are over 500 gurdwaras, big and  small, which have an historical past.

Darbar Sahib exemplifies deorhi,  an entrance gateway, which leads the devotees to the Darbar Hall where  the Guru Granth Sahib is installed.

The buildings of Sikh shrines, when classified according to their  plan-form, are of four basic types: the square, the rectangular, the  octagonal, and the cruciform. On the basis of the number of storeys,  gurdwaras have elevations which may be one, two, three, five, or  nine-storey high. One comes across several interesting variations of  Gurdwara-design worked out on the permutations and combinations of the  aforesaid basic plan and elevation-types.

The following examples should suffice to illustrate the above  categories. Darbar Sahib at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district is  constructed on a square plan and is a single-storey structure. Gurdwara  Shaheed Ganj at Muktsar in Faridkot district has one storey built on a  rectangular plan. Examples of this plan-shape are extremely rare.  Gurdwara Loh Garh in Anandpur Sahib in Ropar district has an octagonal  plan and a single-storey elevation. Gurdwara Tamboo (tent) Sahib in  Muktsar is a two-storey building constructed on a square plan, on a  raised basement.

Gurdwara Chobara (room-on-terrace) Sahib at Goindwal in Amritsar  district is a three-storey structure elevated on a square plan. Gurdwara  Tham (pillar) Sahib at Kartarpur in Jalandhar district has square plan  and five-storey elevation. Gurdwara Shaheedan (martyrs) in Amritsar was  originally built as a three-storey octagonal structure. Gurdwara Baba  Atal (immutable) in Amritsar, basically a smadh (cenotaph) purported to  have been raised in memory of Baba Atal, the revered son of the sixth  Guru, Har Gobind is a nine-storey building standing on an octagonal  plan. It reminds one of Firoze Minar in Gaur.

Gurdwara Dera Baba Gurditta at Kiratpur in Ropar district is a square  structure placed on a high plinth which has a ten-side plan. This  polygonal plan-shape is quite unusual. Baolis (stepped wells) are also  not uncommon in Sikh architecture. Gurdwara Baoli Sahib at Goindwal in  Amritsar district is a representative example of such structures which  belong to the miscellaneous class. Gurdwara Nanak Jheera in Bidar in  Karnataka stands on a cruciform plan.

There are five historical shrines which have been given the status of  takhts (thrones), where the gurmattas (spiritual-temporal decisions) of a  binding character are taken through a consensus of the sangat  (congregation). Such consensus edicts had great importance, affecting,  as they did, the social and political life of the Sikh community. The  five takhts are: Akal Takht, Amritsar; Harmandir Sahib, Patna (Bihar  state); Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur (Ropar district); Damdama Sahib,  Talwandi Sabo (Gurdaspur district); and Hazoor Sahib, Nanded  (Maharashtra state). Among these five takhts, Akal Takht (the immutable  throne) is the most important by virtue of its location in Amritsar, the  Vatican City of the Sikhs.

As a rule, a gumbad (dome) is the crowning feature of a Gurdwara.  Rarely, a shrine may be flat-roofed, as in the case of Gurdwara  Guru-ka-Lahore near Anandpur Sahib in Ropar district. Sometimes, a small  one-room shrine is topped by a palaki, a palanquin-like roof, derived  from Bengal regional style of architecture, as can be seen in Gurdwara  Tahli Sahib in village Tahla in Bathinda district. Gurdwara Bahadurgarh  in Patiala district has a palaki instead of a dome as its crowning  feature.

More often than not, a dome is fluted or ribbed but a plain dome has  also been used in some cases, as in Manji Sahib at Damdama Sahib in  Bathinda district. Several dome-shapes are to be found in Sikh shrines:  torus, hemi-spherical, three-quarters of a sphere, etc. although the  last-mentioned is more frequently used. The shape of the dome of  Gurdwara Pataal Puri at Kiratpur in Ropar district has a remarkable  likeness to the domes to be seen in Bijapur provincial style of  architecture.

The dome is usually white, though sometimes gilded, as in the Golden  Temple at Amritsar, Darbar Sahib at Tarn Taran, and Sis Ganj in Delhi.  Alternatively, in some cases, domes have been covered with brass.  Usually, domes on Sikh shrines spring from a floral base, and have  inverted lotus-symbol-top from which rises the kalasa. Based on Mount  Kailasa, held sacred in Hindu mythology, the kalasa shoots up in the  form of a cylindrical construction, often with some concentric discs,  spheroids, culminating in a small canopy with pendants dangling at the  outer rim.

An interesting point to note is the manner in which the dome is related  to the cuboid structure of the shrine. As a rule, the lower part  dominates the domical structure, and looks somewhat austere in  comparison with it.

Apart from the large central dome, there are often four other smaller  cupolas, one on each corner of the usually-cuboid structure of the  shrine. The parapet may be embellished with several turrets, or small  rudimentary domes, or crenellations, or replicas of arcades with domical  toppings, or strings of guldastas (bouquets), or similar other  embellishments. Minarets — the ubiquitous symbols of Mughal  architecture-- are rarely seen in a gurdwara. An exception is Gurdwara  Katalgarh (place of execution) at Chamkaur Sahib in Ropar district which  has several minarets.

A recurrent element of Gurdwara-design is the preferred use of two  storeys to gain sufficient elevation for the shrine. However restrained  the design may be, the elevation is usually treated by dividing the  facade in accordance with the structural lines of columns, piers, and  pilasters, with vertical divisions creating areas of well-modelled  surfaces. The most important division is, of course, the entrance which  receives more ornate treatment than other areas. The treatment often  creates bas-reliefs of geometrical, floral, and other designs. Where  magnificence is the aim, repousse-work in brass or copper-gilt sheeting  is introduced often with a note of extravagance.

Jaratkari, intricate in-lay work, gach, plaster-of-Paris work, tukri  work, fresco-painting, pinjra (lattice work) are the techniques used for  the embellishment of exterior surfaces as well as for interior  decoration. Jaratkari is both a very expensive and time-consuming  technique of studding semi-precious and coloured stones into marbles  slabs. The slabs often have florid or geometrical borders which enclose  painstakingly executed in-lay work using floral shapes and patterns.  Beautiful designs are made on the walls with gach which is subsequently  gilded. Excellent examples of this work can be seen in the Golden Temple  at Amritsar.

Sometimes, the gach-work is rendered highly ornamental by  means of coloured and mirrored cut-glass as well as semi-precious  stones. This is called tukri (small piece) work. Frescoes, depicting  popular episodes from the lives of the ten Gurus, are to be found in  some shrines. Designs employed are based on vine, plant, flower, bird,  and animal motifs. The largest numbers of such frescoes have been  painted on the first floor of Baba Atal at Amritsar. Pinjras, delicate  stone grills, are used for screens, enclosures, and parapets.

Brick, lime mortar as well as lime or gypsum plaster, and lime concrete  have been the most favoured building materials, although stone, such as  red sandstone and white marble, has also been used in a number of  shrines. The latter found use more as cladding or decorative material  than for meeting structural needs for well over two hundred years. Nanak  Shahi (of the times of Nanak) brick was most commonly used for its  intrinsic advantages. It was a kind of brick-tile of moderate dimensions  used for reinforcing lime concrete in the structural walls and other  components which were generally very thick. The brick-tile made  mouldings, cornices, pilasters, etc. easy to work into a variety of  shapes. More often than not, the structure was a combination of the two  systems, viz., trabeated, or post-and-lintel, and arcuated, based on  vaults and arches. The surfaces were treated with lime or gypsum plaster  which was moulded into cornices, pilasters, and other structural  features as well as non-structural embellishments. Sikh architecture  represents the last flicker of religious architecture in India. The  Golden Temple at Amritsar is its most celebrated example as this is the  only monument in which all the characteristics of the style are fully  represented. Golden Temple, being the sheet-anchor of the stylistic  index of Sikh architecture, may be detailed.

Almost levitating above, and in the middle of, an expansive water-body,  the "Pool of Nectar" (Amrit-Sar), the Darbar (court) Sahib, or  Harimandar (Lord’s Temple), as it is called, stirs one deeply with  glitters of its golden dome, kiosks, parapets, and repousse-work, and  the enchanting evanescence of its shimmering reflections in the pool.  With the temple and tank as the focus, a complex of buildings, most of  which repeat in their architectural details and the characteristics of  the central structure, have come up in the vicinity of the shrine in the  course of time.

Although Sikh architecture undoubtedly originated with the idea of  devotion, it had to undergo rigours of compulsively transforming itself  into buildings meant for defence purposes. It assumed the character of  military fortification which was reflected in a number of buildings  throughout Punjab. Gurdwara Baba Gurditta, Kiratpur, is a representative  example of this type of Sikh architecture.

As a style of building-design, Sikh architecture might strike the lay  onlooker as eclectic : a pot-pourri of the best features picked up from  here and there. But it embodies much more than meets the casual eye. It  shares its stringent regulation with the awesome austerity of Islam’s  uncompromising monotheism. And celebrates its lush exuberance with the  playful polytheism of Hinduism.

Eclecticism might have been its  starting-point, but Sikh architecture has flourished to a state of  artistic autonomy so as to work out its own stylistic idiosyncrasies. It  is now an apt expression of spontaneous outbursts of psycho-spiritual  energy that celebrates the immaculate majesty of Being within the  churning melange of opposites encountered during workaday existence --  the arena for continual becoming. Inspired by Guru Nanak’s creative  mysticism, Sikh architecture is a mute harbinger of holistic humanism  based on pragmatic spirituality.

Sikh architecture reflects a lively blend of Mughal and Rajput styles.  Onion-shaped domes, multi-foil arches, paired pilasters, in-lay work  frescoes, etc. are doubtless of Mughal extraction, more specifically of  Emperor-Architect Shah Jehan’s period, while oriel windows,  bracket-supported eaves at the string-course, chhattris,  richly-ornamented friezes, etc. are reminiscent of elements of Rajput  architecture such as is seen in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and other  places in Rajasthan.

Use of water as an element of design has been frequently exploited in  Mughal and Hindu architecture, but nowhere in so lively a manner as in  Sikh architecture. Water becomes a sine qua non of Sikh building-design,  as in the Golden Temple at Amritsar, or Darbar Sahib at Tarn Taran, and  not merely an appendage to the main shrine. The Gurdwara is placed  lower down than the structures in the vicinity, unlike a masjid or a  mandir which are usually placed on raised platforms.

While sticking to the same basic requirements, different Sikh shrines  have developed their own characteristic expressions. It may be recalled  that most of the Gurdwaras are commemorative buildings, and therefore  the sites, on which they have been built, had the intrinsic challenges  and advantages which were more fortuitous than premeditated. Most  situations have been handled with remarkable imagination and ingenuity.  Eventually, no two shrines look exactly alike although there are  exceptions such as Dera Sahib in Lahore, and Panja (Palm-impression)  Sahib, both in Pakistan. Also, the low metal-gilt fluted dome of the  Golden Temple has been copied in these two shrines as well as in the  Darbar Sahib at Tarn Taran.

Sometimes, the difference in design is so great that it would be  difficult to recognise a gurdwara if the standard Sikh pole-mark or  Nishan Sahib were not there to help its identification. Some of the  gurdwaras look more like gateways, as is the case with Fatehgarh (town  of victory) Sahib, Sirhind, or like an educational institution, as is  the case with Ber (berry) Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi, or like a Rajput  palace, as is the case with Gurdwara Bahadurgarh (fort of the valiant)  in Patiala district, when one first encounters the shrine’s enclosing  structures. But all this deviation, if somewhat baffling, does not  detract one from the essentials of Sikh architecture. On the contrary it  substantiates the very basis of creative freedom on which it is built.

It may be mentioned that two of the historic examples of Sikh  architecture were designed by late Sardar Balwant Singh Bhatti (a  selfmade man of many parts).They were Panja Sahib (Hasan Abdal) now in  Pakistan, and Takht Sri Keshgarh, Anandpur Sahib.

Among the secular buildings of Sikh architecture, Khalsa College at  Amritsar is the most outstanding example. Designed by Sardar Bahadur  Sardar Ram Singh, a self-taught genius of prodigious dimensions, this  institution is unsurpassed for its architectural conception, quiet  nobility, and ambient exuberance. Ram Singh was conferred the coveted  title of MVO (Member of the Victorian Order). The Queen of England had  unqualified admiration for this Sardar’s many-splendoured creativity.

The Five Takhats, Seat of Authority are the five main historic Gurdwaras  of special significance. It has both the spiritual and temporal role  for the general welfare of the Sikh community. These Takhats are thus  the seats of the Sikh authority, responsible for taking important and  major decisions consultatively and collectively in a spirit of  democracy, on behalf of and for the whole Sikh community. There are 5  Takhats and with the exception of the Akal Takhat, the rest are all  associated with Guru Gobind Singh Ji. They are Sri Akal Takhat Sahib,  Amritsar, Takhat Sri Patna Sahib, Patna, Takhat Sri Keshgarh Sahib,  Anandpur, Takhat Sri Hazoor Sahib, Nanded and Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib,  Talwandi Saboo in Bhatinda. Each Takhat has it s own history and  splendour. The websites and books, show pictures and details of the  location of Gurdwaras throughout the world. The numbers are growing day  by day as the Sikh Diaspora unfolds.

References:
Patwant Singh, Gurdwaras in India and around the world
Cole, Owen W and Piara Singh Sambhi; The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs  and Practices.
Late Professor Harbans Singh, The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Panjabi  University, Patiala.
Gurmukh Singh, Historical Sikh Shrines


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