# Wearing Socks In The Gurdwara



## Murakh khoji gurusikh (Nov 15, 2004)

What are your thoughs about wearing socks in the gurudawara on a cold day?


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## S|kH (Nov 15, 2004)

lol, why is this even an issue?

You can wear socks if you want.


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## etinder (Nov 16, 2004)

its difficult to do in india 

but in north america (cant spk of every gurudwara) its very well possible, because here most of the gurudwaras dont have the place to wash feet, so guess wearing socks is not a problem and i guess its a personal choice.


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## CaramelChocolate (Nov 16, 2004)

LOL at the existance of such a thread.


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## Neutral Singh (Nov 16, 2004)

Welcome to the forum MKG Ji,

What is your opinion on this issue... please enlighten the sangat...

Have a nice time.

Regards


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## Murakh khoji gurusikh (Nov 17, 2004)

Sat Sri Akal ji
My personal opinion is that sadsangat can wear clean socks (no shoes of course) if they feel comfortable as long as they give full respect to shri Guru Granth Sahib and Sadsangat.
We were told by the gurudawara personal that socks are not allowed in the Gurudawara
Wahe Guru ji  ka Kalsa 
Wahe Guru Ji ki fateh
Murakh


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## Sher_Singh (Nov 17, 2004)

this is the first i've heard of it hmmmmm.....


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## Arvind (Nov 17, 2004)

While doing Guru Sahib ji's seva, I have observed people who maintain lot of hygiene. Even they advise sangat to take off socks just because socks come in contact with leather smelling shoes. Anyway, what ever the reason, this is more of hygiene, nothing else. This question is not of much significance, because if one can maintain neatness with or without socks or whatever, then these things seem to be immaterial.

Thanks.


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Nov 17, 2004)

Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki fateh.

Yes this is all a question of hygeine. Socks smell..feet smell. IF we are going to sit close as in the sangat it is common courtesy that we dont "smell". Freshly washed feet wont smell.  However if you are certian your socks are ok...then no one can object...certainly no "religious" reason at all.

Some over zealous ones carry things a bit too far... "leather" is always maligned...cannot carry leather wallets, cannot wear leather belts, cannot this and cannot that.  They conveniently forget that the JORRI/TABLA the Raagis use is made of LEATHER and this sits so near to GURU JI....so what is a small leather handbag/belt/wallet???

Anyway what is the big deal abour leather anyway ?? why the hang Ups ?? The KIRPAN sheath is amde of leather...the DHAAL ( SHIELD) warriors including Baba DEEP Singh Shaheed carried was made of LEATHER...SINGHS had a LEATHER SHIELD like piece worn at the back under the Turban to protect the NECK from sword attack from behind. SIKHI/GURMATT doesnt have nay hangups about such things...

jarnail Singh


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## Neutral Singh (Nov 17, 2004)

Fateh Gyani Ji, your reply settled the matter i think...  

Regards


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## Arvind (Nov 18, 2004)

Gyani ji 's reply with examples has got so much of sense. Thanks a lot for sharing this ji.

Regards.


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## Murakh khoji gurusikh (Nov 18, 2004)

Sat Sri Akal 
Thank you very much . What about ladies wearing Sari, Pants or westren dress in the gurudawara. Men do wear Pants, a western dress to gurudawara.
maff kerna ish Murakh  Khoji nu.
Regards


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## CaramelChocolate (Nov 18, 2004)

Murakh khoji gurusikh said:
			
		

> Sat Sri Akal
> Thank you very much . What about ladies wearing Sari, Pants or westren dress in the gurudawara. Men do wear Pants, a western dress to gurudawara.
> maff kerna ish Murakh  Khoji nu.
> Regards


This is not an issue. Sikhism does not say to dress and Indian way as Sikhism is universal. As long as you are dressed modestly it is ok.

Sikhism is not an Eastern religion - it is UNIVERSAL. This is why it is ok to serve western vegetarian food in Gurdwara.

~CaramelChocolate~
The little philosopher


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## Murakh khoji gurusikh (Nov 18, 2004)

CaramelChocolate said:
			
		

> This is not an issue. Sikhism does not say to dress and Indian way as Sikhism is universal. As long as you are dressed modestly it is ok.
> 
> Sikhism is not an Eastern religion - it is UNIVERSAL. This is why it is ok to serve western vegetarian food in Gurdwara.
> 
> ...




Sat Sri Akal
I totally agree that Sikhism is a great universal religion and it has great potential for humanity. But realty is very different. To Make Sikhism a totally universal religion at this age and time, we need to bring changes accordingly, we have to make it more practical and accessible to every one all over the world and not take it back when it was only confined and practiced in India. We have to free it from all the rituals which are creeping in the Sikhism. Guru Nanak massage was very practical for people, it gave freedom to believe, freedom to pray, and it was not forced upon anyone. There were no wrong or right ways. I find it has changed. Just an example:

Sikhism, I should say Gurbani gives equality to women but what is practiced in the society is totally different.


Please forgive me if this Murakh offended any one.


With full regards and respect

Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa Wahe Guru ji ki fateh.

Guru de chrana vich Murakh


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## Ambarsaria (Jul 19, 2018)

Guess what, I must have been living in a cave and never came across this thread when I was more active at SPN in the past.

However, I woke up and realized that this indeed was staring me in the face over the last few months. Once at the service for my mother's passinng and the cremation after service and the other more recently at a visit to a Gurdwara. I will cover these separately as there are different nuances.

1. About two years ago: Carrying SGGS on your covered head at the end of a program at a Gurdwara

At a ceremony for my mother's passing, I was asked to carry SGGS to the resting/storage room. Remember I sat through the whole service with socks on. I asked for the rationale and some of the others with me suggested to let it be. Matter got resolved as my brother carried the SGGS instead and he was happy to remove his socks. It still did leave a nagging feeling in my head and the reason is from what I have learned from way back when living in India.

There are many occasions when SGGS is brought home from a village Gurdwara near or far under uncertain pavements with some almost unbearable to walk bare feet on. My recollection is that maryada even allows you to wear shoes in such situations.

Now when you wear socks or don't wear socks in Gurdwara in the west, you are carrying the junk and crap you bring into the shoe room. Shoe room is perhaps the dirtiest and least well kept places in a Gurdwara only worse place generally are the washrooms. Just that you dip your feet into a bit of water ain't going to clean your feet it will only perhaps that all have similar dirty feet.

So what have we achieved with no socks! The argument that in sangat you still close and dirty socks can be smelly. Trust me people smell lot worse than dirty socks with or without socks based on their personal hygiene habits. Are in the future homeless and possibly smelly people are going to be prevented from coming to Gurdwara? Are we going down a slippery slope to create such gimmicks and artificial rules and create enforcers and wise to matter such nit picking?

2. Last weekend: Visit to a Gurdwara and noticed a new sign in the shoe room to take socks off

So the practice has crept up and has not abated or stalled. I did not challenge anyone but kept my socks on. Shoe rooms are dirty and outside dirt brought in by the shoes is everywhere. So some of the observations or descriptions I have written also apply. The question of leather touching the socks is childishly frivolous. Remember our skin is soft leather that has not dried up and all leather comes from life where all life is of one.

Please let us help each other and keep Sikhism logical and gimmick free. Our Guru ji's went to great lengths much of such junk whetehr it was throwing water towards the sun, sleeping with your feet away from mecca, etc.

Sat Sri Akal.

*PS: *Technology may be employed to keep shoe rooms squeaky clean so that when you visit, you enter the hall without socks with feet cleaner than how these were in your socks. It must be complemented by technology that when you leave and go to put your socks back on, your feet are cleaner going into the socks as compared to when you first took the socks off. I will stand first in line to take my socks off in such a configuration.


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## Harry Haller (Jul 20, 2018)

Ambarsaria said:


> Guess what, I must have been living in a cave and never came across this thread when I was more active at SPN in the past.
> 
> However, I woke up and realized that this indeed was staring me in the face over the last few months. Once at the service for my mother's passinng and the cremation after service and the other more recently at a visit to a Gurdwara. I will cover these separately as there are different nuances.
> 
> ...



your going to upset the old men in white beards, they are quite big on non sock wearing, and also drinking water used in cleaning the feet!


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## Ishna (Jul 20, 2018)

When I was going to Gurdwara and doing seva in the kitchen with bare feet my feet would get really disgustingly dirty - they would get black!  I'd have to go to the washroom and get paper towel and try to wash my feet although there was only high basin for washing hands.  It would have been so much cleaner if I kept my shoes on in the kitchen!


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## Harry Haller (Jul 20, 2018)

Ishna said:


> When I was going to Gurdwara and doing seva in the kitchen with bare feet my feet would get really disgustingly dirty - they would get black!  I'd have to go to the washroom and get paper towel and try to wash my feet although there was only high basin for washing hands.  It would have been so much cleaner if I kept my shoes on in the kitchen!



of course it would have been cleaner, but that is not the issue, the issue is the men with the white beards must be obeyed, whether it is taking your socks off, or getting the correct Mercedes S class, there are rules in Sikhism for a reason!

I would love to be a fly on the wall in that Gurudwaras office, where all the men with white beards congregate,

' I put a sign up saying no socks'
'haha, thats a good one, do you think they will do it?'
'haha only if they want to go to heaven'
'


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## Harry Haller (Jul 20, 2018)




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## Ambarsaria (Jul 20, 2018)

Ishna said:


> When I was going to Gurdwara and doing seva in the kitchen with bare feet my feet would get really disgustingly dirty - they would get black!  I'd have to go to the washroom and get paper towel and try to wash my feet although there was only high basin for washing hands.  It would have been so much cleaner if I kept my shoes on in the kitchen!


Ishna ji thanks indeed and I was thinking the same after I posted. Say I go to the langar hall before I go to the congregation hall, I will be having very dirty feet.

Harry ji and Ishna ji, as you posted, it is far too easy to print a rule on a laser printer and stick it to a wall versus think things through. Bad rules degenerate into bad actions or unhappiness. However one purpose of such rules must be to turn the congregation into sheep and being asked to just follow. The feeling guilty often are likely to feel bad and open their wallets to absolve themselves. Some kathavachiks and ragis use the same tactic to make the congregation feel so guilty and unworthy and suddenly stream of people rise and donate dollars. I get up and leave to stay away from these. I do recognize that these are all jobs and people have to earn a living but there has to be a line drawn regarding such techniques. In this vrespect, I do donate to ragis and others who fill my heart with joy when I experience their renditions.

Overall, this is quite an anti-thesis of the roots of Sikhism. Guru Nanak challenged the inconsistent, the illogical and the indoctrination driven regimens of the then religions controlling people. Let us not have these creep back into Sikhism.

Sat Sri Akal.


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## Tejwant Singh (Jul 20, 2018)

It is interesting to notice how we all become the products of the environment we have lived for some time.
As far as I can remember, I only did Seva in the 'Shoe room' with my older brothers in India during the 3-day Gurupurab celebrations. My sisters did is in Langar hall. We used to clean all the shoes. We even used to be served Langar there.
In the diaspora, where self-service is mode de vie, the Shoe Seva has become obsolete. As a result, the self-service shoe room has become dirty because keeping it as a Seva has ceased to be the priority in the 'humility' list of Sikhi, perhaps.
Sock wearing in the Gurdwara is also the creation of the west as we use them all the time. This is not possible in the historic Gurdwaras in India because one has to wade through the water. Somehow, I take my socks off before sitting on the stage if I am sitting with them on in the Darbar Sahib.
I remember quite nitidly that my mum used to wear wooden clogs especially used for the kitchen. One can start doing that in the Gurdwara kitchens so the feet remain clean or any other comfortable shoes.
As far as carrying SGGS on a street, shoes should be mandatory for the safety of the SGGS and the pretence of 'washing' the streets whilst sprinkling water in the front should be banned too.


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## Jasdeep118 (Jul 21, 2018)

Cold day or not, I don't wear my socks, I don't want my socks to step on some dal or dahani on the floor in the langar hall, or get it wet. It happened to me a bunch of times, so I just walk bare feet.


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## Sikhilove (Aug 30, 2018)

Murakh khoji gurusikh said:


> What are your thoughs about wearing socks in the gurudawara on a cold day?



We procrastinate so much from practicing truth and living free that we create meaningless and ridiculous issues.


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