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Gurdwara

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The Golden Temple, officially known as the Harmandir Sahib.

A Gurdwara (Template:Lang-pa, gurduārā or Error: {{Lang}}: no text (help), gurdwārā; sometimes transliterated from Punjabi as Gurudwara), meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is a place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism and also a place where weary travellers and pilgrims may rest and eat. A Gurdwara is also referred to as a Sikh temple. The most significant Gurdwara of the Sikhs is the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The correct pronunciation, and the only proper spelling is Gurdwara, and not Gurudwara, as the additional 'u' is not seen in the Punjabi script.

A Gurdwara has many rooms, including a resting place, a langar, a Darbar (main) hall, a library, and a community kitchen.

Customs and etiquette

A view inside a typical Darbar hall
Non-Sikh and Sikh Visitors to a Gurdwara shown with their heads covered

People of all religious backgrounds or of no religious faith are welcomed into a Gurdwara. Visitors must remove their shoes, wash their hands and cover their head with a rumāl before entering the Darbar Sahib. Visitors are also forbidden to go into the Gurdwara while they are inebriated or possess alcohol, any sources of meat, cigarettes or any intoxicating substances. They are allowed to bring in money; after devotees have prayed they may give some money for the upkeep of the Gurdwara.

Devotees will sit cross-legged on the floor. On entering the hall, devotees walk slowly and respectfully to the main throne (called the takht) on which the Guru Granth Sahib rests. Devotees then stand before the Holy Scriptures, often say a silent prayer, then bow humbly. These manners and practices, though seemingly ritualistic in modern times are actually a well preserved extension of the ancient Punjabi practice of respect (for elders, ruling or religious persons).

See also

References

  1. Sikhiwiki.org, article on Gurdawara
  2. Discipline and procedures in a Gurdwara

External links

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