Sikh Gurdwara (Places of Worship) 0836826108, 9780980028805

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PLACES OF WORSHIP

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PLACES OF WORSHIP

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Crurawara

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For Simran Singh

For a free color catalog describing Gareth Stevens' list of high-quality books and multimedia programs, 1 -800 542-2595 (USA) or 1 800-461-9120 (Canada). Gareth Stevens Publishing's Fax: (414) 225-0377.

call

Gareth Stevens Publishing thanks Mr. Mr. Singh is a Sikh priest in residence

Surjit at the

Singh (Zakhmi) for his assistance with the accuracy of the text. gurdwara of the Sikh Religious Society in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available (414) 225-0377 for the attention

Fax:

ISBN

0-8368-2610-8

This North American edition

first

Gareth Stevens Publishing 1555 North RiverCenter Drive,

WI

Milwaukee,

Original edition First

53212

©

published in 2000 by

Suite 201

USA

1998 by Franklin Watts.

published in 1998 by Franklin Watts,

96 Leonard This

upon request from publisher. of the Publishing Records Department.

U

S.

Street,

edition

London EC2A 4RH. England. 2000 by Gareth Stevens, Inc. © 2000 by Gareth Stevens,

©

Additional end matter

Editor:

Inc.

Samantha Armstrong

Series Designer: Kirstie Billingham Illustrator:

Gemini

Patel

Religious Education Consultant: Margaret Barratt, M.A., Religious Education lecturer

and author

Sikh Consultant Indarjit Singh OBE, Director of Network Sikh Organizations

Reading Consultant: Prue Goodwin, Reading and Language Information Centre, Reading Gareth Stevens Series Editor: Dorothy

L.

Gibbs

Photographic acknowledgements: Cover: Steve Shott Photography; Inside: p.

6

Ann

and Bury

Andes Press Agency; With thanks

p. 17

Ann and Bury

Peerless; p. 7 Sikh

Carlos Reyes-Manzo, Andes Press Agency.

to Khalsa Jatha, Shepherd's

Printed in the United States of America

1

Peerless

Messenger Publications;

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 04 03 02 01 00

Bush Gurdwara.

p.

8

Ann and Bury

Peerless; p. 9 Carlos

Reyes-Manzo,

All other photographs by Steve Shott Photography.

PLACES OF WORSHIP

(jurawara

Kanwaljit Kaur-Singh

ALLSTON BRANCH LIBRARY Gareth Stevens Publishing

MILWAUKEE

AL BR

I Rl BL2018.36 .A1

K38 2000

The khanda symbol

is

used to

represent the Sikh faith.

M Contents

WW

Gurdwaras around the World

6

Sikh Beliefs

7

The Gurus Outside a Gurdwara Inside a Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib Showing Respect Making an Offering Worship in a Gurdwara

8

A Worship

9 10 12

14 15 16

Service

18

Singing in a Service

20

Karah Prashad

21

After a Service

22

The

24

Five

Ks

Sikh Dress

25

School in a Gurdwara

26

Glossary

28

Books, Videos,

Web

30

Sites

Index Words

32 that appear in the glossary are printed in

type the

first

time they occur in the

boldface

text.

I Gurdwaras around A gurdwara

the World

a place where Sikhs meet to worship God. There are gurdwaras all around the world.

A

is

gurdwara can be a room in a Sikhs home.

xv.

j

BIM HI nriu ~\w lie f

I

I »v. lit

w

ij

ill

III

JJ

B

Sikh Beliefs God who was not born and will not die. The Ik Onkar sign means there is only one God. He is everywhere, all the time. Sikhs also believe that, because God created all Sikhs believe in one

of us, everyone

This sculpture

the

Ik

Onkar

India.

I

sign.

This gurdwara is in

is

is

equal.

The Gurus A man

called

Guru Nanak

started the Sikh

an area of India called Punjab. Nine other Gurus followed and taught Guru Nanak's teachings. Guru means "wise teacher" religion in

in the

A

Punjabi language.

There are often pictures of the Gurus

who

in

gurdwaras. Here, the nine Gurus

followed Guru Nanak are those seated on the mats around him.

8

ill

Outside a Gurdwara A flag

called the

flies outside

'^r* $*w«t^

Nishan Sahib

every gurdwara.

The khanda symbol

in the

a sword, with sharp edges on both sides, inside a circle, and there are middle of the flag

The Nishan Sahib has the shape of a

is

two more swords outside the circle. The circle means God The swords is always present. remind Sikhs to stand up for truth and to help those in need.

triangle

and

is

an

orange-yellow color called saffron.

Inside a

Gurdwara

A gurdwara has a big The holy Sikh book,

A

hall that

the

is

used for worship.

Guru Granth

Sahib,

is

gurdwara also has a kitchen and a dining room, which is called a langar hall.

kept in this hall.

Vj£\

The Guru Granth Sahib in is

is

written

Punjabi,

which

the language

of Sikhs.

The Guru Granth Sahib was written by the Gurus. In this holy book, hymns, called shabads, teach Sikhs about all

God and how

Gods

people.

A

to love

chauri

over the book to respect

n

it.

and is

serve

waved

Guru Granth Sahib In the gurdwara, the

Guru Granth Sahib

rests

on cushions on a platform with a canopy over it. When the holy book is closed, it is covered with beautiful cloths called rumalas.

the day,

it is

carefully put

At the end of

away.

The Guru Granth Sahib

is

covered with rumalas

when no one 12

is

reading

it.

Showing Respect When shoes

Sikhs enter a gurdwara, they take off their

and cover

Then they bow or Guru Granth Sahib to show

their heads.

kneel in front of the

their respect for the teachings

of the Gurus.

To

show

respect,

these Sikh children are kneeling

bowing so

and

their

foreheads touch the

floor.

51 Making an Offering Offerings of food or

money

are used for people

who need

left

in the

gurdwara

help.

Even children put

money

into the

collection box.

15

Worship

in

a Gurdwara

To worship in a gurdwara, everyone sits on the floor in front of the Guru Granth Sahib.

The people

at the service are called the

congregation, or sangat.

Men and women sides

of the big

on opposite In some gurdwaras,

usually

hall.

however, everyone

sits

sit

together.

16

A

In this

gurdwara, the

men and women

are

sitting separately.

17

A Worship During a worship

Service

service, the

Guru Granth Sahib

Sometimes the reading is done by the granthi who works at the gurdwara. The granthi explains the reading and tells stories about the Gurus' lives. A Sikh priest is a granthi. is

read in Punjabi.

Guru Nanak s time, women were treated badly in India, and they were not allowed to worship with men. Guru Nanak taught that men and women are equal. Before

A

Sikh

woman

is

reading one

)

of the shabads, or holy songs.

She turns the pages Granth Sahib very

18

of the

Guru

carefully.

.

»

I

l»iw|

^

1

BIB Singing

t

in a Service

During a service, the shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib are sung by people called ragis

Rag is

also play the

harmonium and

Indian

drums, called tabla. a

,,

—

.

^

i

tfpef

*,%

*mw-

Karah Prashad At the end of a food called the

service,

Karah Prashad.

reminds Sikhs that

Karah Prashad paste

is

made from

butter, flour,

a

everyone eats a sweet

sweet

sugar,

and water.

all

Eating together

people are equal.

After a Service

!

After a worship service in the

1

gurdwara, every-

body

4

4

,. ,'.;».

n

The food served

•

^ *

r

eats together

in the langar hall.

1^^^

•

1

•

is

•

>