Sikh Gurdwaras 0431051860, 9780431051864

Citation preview

♦ PLACES Of JP

♦ WORSHIP 4

Sikh

aras

Gopinder Kaur

KNOWSLEY LIBRARY SERVICE Knowsl@y Council

Please return this book on or before the date shown below

You may return this book to any Knowsley library For renewal please telephone Halewood ■ 486 4442 Housebound Service - 443 4223 Huyton/Mobile ■ 443 3734/5 Kirkby - 443 4290/89 Page Moss - 489 9814 Prescot 426 6449 School Library Service 443 4202 Stockbridge Village - 480 3925 Whiston ■ 426 4757 http://www.knowsley. gov. uk/ -

-

. PLACES OF *♦, *

WORSHIP *

Sikh Gurdwaras Gopinder Kaur

Heinemann

First published in Great Britain by Heinemann Library Halley Court, Jordan Hill, Oxford 0X2 8EJ a division of Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd. Heinemann is a registered trademark of Reed Educational & Professional Publishing Limited. OXFORD MELBOURNE AUCKLAND JOHANNESBURG IBADAN BLANTYRE GABORONE PORTSMOUTH NH (USA) CHICAGO © Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd 1999 The moral right of the proprietor has been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the Publishers or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P OLP Designed by Tinstar Design (www.tmstar.co.uk) Illustrations by Martin Griffin & Nick Beresford-Davies Printed by South China Printing in Hong Kong / China 03 02 01 00 10 98765432 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Kaur, Gopinder Sikh Gurdwaras. - (Places of worship) 1. Temples, Sikh - Juvenile literature I. Title 294.6’35 ISBN 0 431 05186 0

Knowsley Schools Library Service 3 804326724902

Askews

16-0ct-2003

J294.6

£5.99

A22M£Q_

Acknowledgements The Publishers would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce photographs: Emmett, Phil, pp. 4, 11, 16, 18; Kaur, Gopinder, pp. 13, 20, 21 (top); Sagoo, Harjinder Singh, pp. 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19;Twin Studio, p.21 (bottom). Cover photograph of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, Birmingham, reproduced with permission of Harjinder Singh Sagoo. Our thanks to Philip Emmett for his comments in the preparation of this book, and to Louise Spilsbury for all her hard work. Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders of any material reproduced in this book. Any omissions will be rectified in subsequent printings if notice is given to the Publisher.

Contents What is a Gurdwara? 4 Visiting a Gurdwara 6 What’s inside? 8 The worship hall 10 Who goes there? 12 What happens there? 14 After a service 16 Special events 18 Festivals 20 Glossarg 22 Index 24 Words printed in bold letters like these are explained in the Glossarg.

3

What is a Gurdwara? A Gurdwara is the building where Sikhs meet to practise two things: to remember God and to help and serve others. Gurdwara means ‘at the door of the Guru’. Guru is an Indian word for a teacher or holy person. Sikhs use it to describe their ten great teachers and sometimes to describe God. They also use this word for their holy book, the

Guru Granth Sahib. The most famous Gurdwara in the world is the Golden Temple, which is in the Punjab.

4

Sikhs in Britain Most Sikh families are from the Punjab. Nowadays Sikhs live all over the world. In Britain you can find Gurdwaras in cities such as London, Birmingham, The Punjab is where the

Manchester, Coventry and Leeds.

Sikh religion began about 500 gears ago.

Some Gurdwaras in Britain are in buildings which were once sports centres, or even houses. Others have been specially built.

This Gurdwara in Birmingham was converted from shops and houses.

5

Visiting a Gurdwara As you approach a Gurdwara you might notice people bowing slightly as they enter or leave the building.You may also catch the smell of food cooking, or hear

This Gurdwara

the sounds of dishes clanking.You may

in London was

hear music and singing,

specially built.

prayers being

j

spoken, or someone giving a talk inside.

6

The nishan sahib Outside every Gurdwara you will see a yellow or orange flag called a nishan sahib. On it is the sign of the khanda.The shapes on the khanda have a special meaning for Sikhs.

Sikhs prepare to put up the nishan sahib.

The khanda On the khanda, the circle reminds Sikhs that there is one supreme

God and everyone is equal.The sword in the middle stands for freedom and justice. The two swords on each side stand for strength in our everyday life and strength in our spiritual life.You might notice the khanda in other parts of the Gurdwara.

7

What’s inside? Inside the main entrance of a Gurdwara there is a place for you to take off your shoes and probably a sign saying ‘Please cover your head’. Usually visitors have something to cover their heads with. Women have long coloured scarves, men have turbans or, if they don’t wear one, they often use a handkerchief to tie over their heads. This is a sign of respect when entering a holy place.

Women covering their heads with scarves before going into the Gurdwara.

8

4

The main parts There are always two main parts to a Gurdwara.The first is the worship hall and the second is the langar or kitchen area.There may also be a classroom attached to the building. Here children may come to read and write Punjabi, learn more about the Sikh religion, or have music lessons. In various parts of the Gurdwara you might find pictures of the Sikh Gurus and events from Sikh history.

Langar hall

r

"L-=□ .— ——2 j

I

i

'3XEimXL Shoe room

This is an example of the layout of a Gurdwara.

Flag pole for the nishan sahib

® 9

The worship hall In the worship hall there is usually a long strip of carpet. It leads from the door to the special raised platform which holds the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib.This is the most important part of the worship hall. People walk along the long carpet and kneel in front of the holy book, to show respect for its teaching. On one side of the Guru Granth Sahib there is a place for musicians to play, or for someone to give a talk. People usually sit cross-legged on white sheets in the worship hall.

10

4

The Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib is treated with a lot of respect, almost as if it were a king or a queen. It is wrapped in beautiful cloths and above it there is a canopy. During a service someone stands or sits behind it, waving a chaur, a kind of fan. This gives it the importance of a royal person. In front of the platfom is a box. When people come to bow they put money in. This helps with the upkeep of the Gurdwara. Sometimes people bring gifts of food, such as a container of milk or a packet of sugar for the kitchen.

Sikhs bow in front of the Guru Granth Sahib as a sign of respect.

Who goes there? Although mostly Sikhs go to the Gurdwara, anyone is welcome to come. People who gather together there are called the sangat. In the worship hall, the sangat sits on the floor in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. Men sit on one side and women sit on the other. Each side has the same amount of space and is on the same level. This shows that man and woman are equal in front of God. Young children sit on either side.

The sangat in a Gurdwara.

Who helps there? Any Sikh man or woman can look after the Guru Granth Sahib and read from it during a service.The person who regularly does this in the Gurdwara is called a granthi. A person who has studied the Guru Granth Sahib and can explain its teaching is called a giani. The musicians who play and sing hymns are called ragis. Anyone who helps out in the running of the Gurdwara is called a

sewadar. People of all ages help cook, clean or serve in the kitchen, keep the shoes neatly at the entrance or tidy up after a service has finished.

A young Sikh does sewa by stacking shoes in special racks.

13

What happens there? Sikhs have no special holy day in the week, but in Britain most services take place at the weekend when many people have time off. In some Gurdwaras, there is a service every morning and evening.The services help Sikhs do two important things: simran, which means remembering God, and

sewa, which means serving others. A popular part of the service is kirtan, the singing of Sikh hymns.You might also hear the chanting of words, such as Waheguru, which means wonderful

Guru. Sikhs believe that music helps them feel closer to God. There might also be katha, a talk about Sikh teaching.

These children are singing to the vaja or harmonium, and the tabla, (the two drums).

14

At the end of a service At the end of a service, everyone stands up, folds their hands together and faces the Guru Granth

Sahib.Then one person leads the ardas.The ardas is a prayer in which Sikhs remember the ten Gurus, the history of their people, and what they believe in. Then they ask God to bless all human beings in the world. Next, everybody sits down again to listen to the

hukam-nama. First, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at any page. Then the verse that appears is read out loud. In this way Sikhs believe that the Guru has given them a teaching to think about.

A man leading the ardas prayer.

After a service To mark the end of a service in the worship hall, karah parshad is given to everyone in People cup their

the sangat. A sewadar hands out small portions of this sweet mixture from a steel

hands to receive karah parshad.

bowl. The sharing of karah parshad is an important sign that everyone is equal in the Gurdwara. After an evening service, the Guru Granth Sahib is taken away to a special room.The granthi sags a night-time prayer and a short ardas, closes the Guru Granth Sahib, wraps it in special cloths and lifts it over their head. The sangat stands and sings as it is carried away, as if a king or queen is leaving a royal court.

16

Langar The sangat then goes to have langar. Langar is food which is served free to everyone who comes to the Gurdwara. In many Gurdwaras people sit in rows on the floor. In this way everyone, rich or poor, sits on the same level and is treated in the same way. In the langar hall, you can also do sewa — help to cook, serve food or wash up dishes. Sometimes a family and their friends prepare langar together. Anyone from the sangat can come and help.

People being served in the langar hall.

Special events The Gurdwara is also a place where Sikhs come to mark important events in their lives, such as a birthday, a marriage or a death.

A Sikh marriage For a marriage, the Gurdwara is full of friends and relatives. The wedding couple sits in front of the Guru Granth Sahib, each holding the end of a coloured scarf which links them together.The granthi reads out four marriage verses. After each verse, the couple stand up and walk around the Guru Granth Sahib while the ragis sing.When they have done this four times the couple are married.

A Sikh couple linked by the special marriage scarf.

A new baby When a baby is born in a Sikh family, it is taken to the Gurdwara for the naming ceremony.The Guru Granth Sahib is opened at any page. The first letter of the first verse that appears on that page will be the first letter of the baby’s name.

Tying the first turban For many Sikhs, keeping long hair is an important symbol of being a Sikh. Sikh men with long hair cover it with a turban. When they are young, many boys have their hair tied up in top knots. When they are old enough, they have their first turban tied in a special ceremony at the Gurdwara.

A turban-tying ceremony.

19

Festivals Gurpurbs are important Sikh festivals. Some

celebrate Gurus’ birthdays. Baisakhi remembers the time in 1699 when the tenth Guru led the first ceremony when Sikhs promised to follow a special way of life. When they live by this promise, they are called the khalsa, which means ‘pure ones Gurpurbs usually begin with an akhand path, when the Guru Granth Sahib is read non-stop from beginning to end. People take turns to read, and the reading takes two days and two nights. Afterwards there is a big kirtan service, with hymns and talks

to mark the day.

Here Sikhs celebrate a festival outside the Gurdwara with Gatka - a Sikh

martial art display.

i

Children joining in Children also take part in gurpurb celebrations, by doing kirtan or giving a talk about the Sikh religion. Sometimes they write essays or draw pictures for gurpurb competitions. If the Gurdwara has a classroom, its walls might be covered with childrens work, such as paintings of the Gurus, letters of the Punjabi alphabet, or pictures of Sikh symbols. One such symbol is the Ik Onkar.This reminds Sikhs that there is one supreme God and it we are all equal as Gods children.

Can you see pictures in the classroom of the Ik Onkar symbol (above)?

21

Glossary akhand path (akh—und pARt) the non-stop reading of the Sikh holy book from beginning to end ardas (ar-dARs) prayer said at the end of a Sikh service canopy kind of roof or shade made of material that hangs over a throne or special place bless to bring joy and happiness and make holy chaur (chor) kind of fan that is waved over the Sikh holy book as a sign of respect giani (gy-AAni) person who knows the teachings of the Sikh holy book and can explain them to others God Sikhs believe that God made, sees and knows everything. Sikhs have many different names for God. granthi (grun-thEE) person who looks after and reads from the Sikh holy book gurpurb (gur-purb) Sikh holy day, usually to remember the birth or death of a Guru, or an important religious event Guru (Gur-OO) teacher or holy person. Sikhs follow the teachings of ten Gurus. Guru Granth Sahib (Gur—OO Grunth Saheeb) Sikh holy book, which is now seen as a living Guru holy respected because it is to do with religion hukam-nama (hook—umm—nARma) reading that is taken when the Sikh holy book is opened up at any page hymn a song that is sung in praise of God

22

Ik Onkar (Ik Ong—cAR) important Sikh words meaning there is only

one supreme God karah parshad (kur—RAR par—shARd) blessed food, usually a sweet

mixture, which is given out after the service to everyone in the Gurdwara katha (kath—AA) talk given about the teachings of the Sikh religion khanda (khun—dAA) Sikh sign with a circle and three swords kirtan (kEER—tun) the singing of hymns from the Sikh holy book langar (lung—er) food that is free to all who come to the Gurdwara martial art fighting skills which train the mind and body nishan sahib (nish—AAn sa-hib) flag which marks the outside of a Gurdwara Punjab place where the Sikh religion began and where most Sikhs come

from. Now part of it is in India and part of it is in Pakistan. Punjabi language spoken by people in the Punjab ragis (RAgees) musicians who play hymns in the Gurdwara sangat word for the people who come together at the Gurdwara service meeting to worship God sewa (sometimes spelt ‘seva’) (say—VA) service to other people sewadar (say—VA—dAR) person who serves others. It comes from the

word sewa. Sikh (seek) person who follows the Sikh religion simran (sim-run) remembering God spiritual something to do with the spirit or soul symbol sign with a special meaning tabla two drums which usually accompany the singing of hymns turban length of cloth which is wrapped around the head to cover it. It is

usually worn by Sikh men and sometimes by Sikh women, vaja (va—jAA) harmonium, which is played when hymns are sung worship way of remembering and praising God

23

Index akhand path 20, 22

katha 14,23

ardas 15,16,22

khalsa 20

baby-naming ceremony 19 Baisakhi 20

khanda 7,21,23 kirtan 14,20,21,23

birthdays 18

kitchen 9, 13

canopy 11,22

langar 9, 17, 23

chaur 11, 22

marriage 18

classrooms 9,21

martial arts 20

deaths 18

music 9, 10, 13, 14, 18

Gatka (see martial arts)

nishan sahib 7, 23

giani 13, 22

Punjab 4, 5, 23

God 4,7, 12, 14, 15,21,22

Punjabi 9, 21

Golden Temple 4

ragis 13,18,23

granthi 13,16,18,22

sangat 12, 16, 17, 23

gurpurbs 20,21,22

scarves 8, 18

Guru Granth Sahib 4, 10, 11,

sewa 13,14,17,23

12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19,22

sewadar 13,16,23

Gurus 4, 9, 14, 15, 20, 22

simran 14,23

hukam-nama 15,22

swords 7

hymns 13,14,20,22

turbans 8,19,23

Ik Onkar 21, 23

Turban-tying ceremony 19

karah parshad 16, 23

worship hall 9, 10, 11, 12, 16

24

♦ PLACES OF A

♦ WORSHIP *

Sikh Gurdwaras How do you recognize a Sikh Gurdwara? What do you see inside the building, and why? Who worships there? This appealing series introduces religious buildings. It guides you from the outside in, and explains what you see - the rooms, furnishings, objects and symbols. It tells you about the people who use the building, the special events that they celebrate there, and how the building fits in with the community. Features include: • Boxes highlighting the religion's history, traditions and artefacts • Simple maps that explain its geographical origins • Full-colour photos to complement the clear text • Helpful glossary and index Titles in the series: Buddhist Temples Catholic Churches Hindu Temples Mosques

0 0 0 0

431 431 431 431

05185 05187 05177 05176

2 9 1 3

Orthodox Churches Protestant Churches Sikh Gurdwaras Synagogues

0 0 0 0

431 431 431 431

05184 05175 05186 05174

4 5 0 7

x

ISBN 0-431 -051 86-0 .

? Oi Oil ■ =

Heinemann LIBRARY

\m nr-

9 780431 051864a