1. What is Gurdwara Sahib?
There are many religions in the world, and each religion has its unique place for prayers and preaching of the respective religion. Hinduism has its temple, Christianity its church, Islam its mosque etc. Sikhism too has its own Gurdwara for worship and other religious activities. The Gurdwara, however, is not only a place for worship. The Gurdwara is also an important Sikh institution, which serves to teach and impart knowledge on the Sikhi way of life, as per Gurmat, and how to live life as a good human being and as a Sikh. Hence, we need to do our religious practices as per Guru Ji’s instruction and not just come to have Langgar at the Gurdwara. When we read Gurbani, Guru Arjun Sahib Ji says: ਗੁਰੂ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਹੋਇ ਸੋਝੀ ਪਾਇਸੀ ॥ Through the Gurdwara, the Guru’s Gate one obtains understanding. ਏਤੁ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਧੋਇ ਹਛਾ ਹੋਇਸੀ ॥ By being washed through this Gate, it becomes pure. Many people wonder and ask questions, that they have been coming to the Gurdwara regularly for many years but their lives have not changed. The key question is; whose fault it is? Is it the fault of the Gudwara, the fault of Guru Ji or it our own fault? I strongly opine that it is not the fault of the Gurdwara or Guru Ji but our own fault, as we do not fully understand the concept and meaning of Gurdwara in Sikhism, as per Gurmat. To many of us, the Gurdwara is simply a place to ‘Matha Tekh’, a place to have Langgar, a place to socialize and meet people and for some a place for gossip or just to pass time. However, the Gurdwara is not a place for ‘Matha Tekh’, to have Langgar, to meet people and for gossiping or passing time. The Gurdwara is an important Sikh institution, which serves to teach and impart knowledge on the Sikhi way of life, as per Gurmat, and how to live life as a good human being and as a Sikh. Let us know discuss what does a Gurdwara mean.
2. What does a ‘Gurdwara’ mean’?
We usually take the meaning of Gurdwara to mean the Guru’s door. To reach GOD, we need to first cross the door of Guru Ji. This is similar to entering a house; we must first enter the house through the door. There is, however, a deeper meaning, which means ‘By the Guru’. It means we have to live our life by the Guru’s instructions, and we can obtain these instructions from the Gurdwara Sahib.
Background of the Gurdwara:
The ‘Gurdwara’ from the time of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji to Guru Arjun Sahib Ji was called ‘Dharamshala’. It was Guru Arjan Dev Ji who prepared the Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Bir. Later, in the Dharamshala, the perkash was done of the ‘Poti Sahib’ and in the process the Dharamshala came to be called the Gurdwara. The history of Guru Nanak Sahib states that wherever Guru Nanak Ji went Guru Ji first a constructed a Dharamshala, where the Sangat could sit together and contemplate on the name of GOD and Shabad. The Dharamshala gradually evolved into the Gurdwara Sahib as we now know. In Gurbani, Guru Ji mentions the Dharamshala as follows:
ਧਰਤਿ ਉਪਾਇ ਧਰੀ ਧਰਮ ਸਾਲਾ ॥
Creating the earth, He established it as the home of Dharma.
ਉਤਪਤਿ ਪਰਲਉ ਆਪਿ ਨਿਰਾਲਾ ॥
Creating and destroying, He remains unattached.
On the other hand, Guru Ji uses the word of Gurdwara in Bani as follows:
3. Why do we to come to the Gurdwara?
It is said that every Sikh should come to the Gurdwara Sahib. Some questions that may come to our mind include; what will happen if we come to the Gurdwara? why do we have to come to the Gurdwara?, etc. We will now discuss some of these questions.
Firstly, we come to the Gurdwara to learn and appreciate the Sikhi way of life, as per Gurmat, and to live our life as good human beings. Listening to Gurbani, Kirtan, Katha, Hukamnama etc in the Gurdwara Sahib provides answers to some
of our questions. For example;
ਭਈ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਮਾਨੁਖ ਦੇਹੁਰੀਆ ॥
This human body has been given to you.
ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਮਿਲਣ ਕੀ ਇਹ ਤੇਰੀ ਬਰੀਆ ॥
This is your chance to meet the Lord of the Universe.
How can I become happy and contented, Guru jI says;
Secondly, we come to the Gurdwara Sahib to get spiritual knowledge and Naam,
which is important and essential for a stable and focused mind.
Thirdly, we come to the Gurdwara Sahib to obtain, understand and follow the principles and teachings of the Sikh religion and to get greater awareness of our rich Sikh history. Currently, classes on Sikh religion (SGGS Ji Santhya, different Banis) and Sikh history are being conducted through the zoom app. The humble Sangat is kindly requested to attend these classes to get greater insights into the Sikh religion and history.
Fourthly, we come to the Gurdwara Sahib to do sewa.
Fifthly, we come to the Gurdwara Sahib to fill/feed our hunger of body and mind.
The mind is filled/fed in the Darbar Sahib through the Gurbani, while our body is filled/fed with food in the Langgar Hall. However, it is sad to note that increasingly many people are focus more on the body’s hunger than the mind’s hunger.
Hence, our mind is not fully under control.
Sixthly, we come to the Gurdwara Sahib to sit together with the congregation of Guru Ji, the Sangat. The Sangat, as the Guru’s roop, provides the positive environment for the development of spiritual strength and focus Finally, we come to the Gurdwara Sahib and sit in the Sangat to escape from bad deeds, vices, bad company etc. Sitting in the Sangat provides us all a positive environment and strengthens us spiritually to overcome our bad deeds, vices and bad company etc.
In summary, coming to the Gudwara Sahib have many spiritual and positive
attributes and values. The temple is not just a place for Langgar, gossip and time
pass.
4. What is the purpose of the Gurdwara?
Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha in ‘Mahan Kosh’ describes the Gurdwara Sahib as
follows:
“The Sikh Gurdwara is a center of learning for students, preachers for seekers of spiritual knowledge, dispensary for the sick, storehouse of food for the hungry, iron fortress for protecting the chastity of women and resting place for the pilgrims”.
The first point is the Gurdwara Sahib is a center of learning for students. Guru jI says;
ਵਿਦਿਆ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ਤਾਂ ਪਰਉਪਕਾਰੀ ॥
Contemplate and reflect upon knowledge and you will become a benefactor to others.
Guru Angad Sahib Ji used to teach students Sikhi and distributed religious quotations to the students. This old photo shows a school being run at the Darbar Sahib’s per karma. In Singapore, we too have tuition and shoji classes conducted at the Central Sikh Temple and Sikh centre, respectively Secondly, the Gurdwara serves as a centre for religious knowledge for those eager to seek and obtain spiritual knowledge through the reading of gurbani, listening to kirtan, katha etc. The Gurdwara also serves as a clinic/dispensary for the sick. There are, essentially, two types of illnesses, namely the physical and the mental. Gurbani and Naam provide the cure for mental illness. Throughout Sikh history, our Gurus established a dispensary/clinic alongside a Gurdwara. For example, Guru Arjun Dev Ji established a hospital for the lepers in Tarnation. Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji established a dispensary/clinic at Kiratpur Sahib. Today, we see many hospitals, clinics and dispensaries established alongside Gurdwaras both in Punjab and out of Punjab.
The Gurdwara is also a source of food for the hungry and needy. If a person is hungry, thirsty, he or she can come to the Gurdwara Sahib for Langgar without discrimination of race, caste or creed. One lakh people are fed daily at Harmindar Sahib in Amritsar. In Singapore, Langgar is served three times daily at Gurdwara Silat Road.
The Gurdwara also serves as a ‘strong fort’ to uphold and protect the honour of women. The Gurdwara provides a safe and secure sanctuary for women Finally, the Gurdwara provides a resting place for pilgrims. Throughout Punjab and out of Punjab, all, if not most, of our Gurdwaras have rooms for pilgrims to rest. In Singapore however, the availability for rooms for pilgrims is limited given the limited size of our temples and limited land area. I would like to share one more point from the period of Guru Sahiban. During the period of Guru Sahiban, a Gurdwara was a Gurdwara. A Gurdwara was not established on caste, creed or geographical area. In present times however, Gurdwaras are constructed and established based on caste or geographical names, which is not in accordance with Sikh Gurmat. To the question, why we are not changing our lives despite visiting the Gurdwara Sahib regularly, let me share with you the esteem Sangat, a beautiful Sakhi from our history During Guru Hargobind Saib’s time there was a Sikh named ‘Bhai Suthra Shah’, a happy and jolly natured Sikh. One day, Suthra Shah went to Guru Jis Darbar while Kirtan was going on by the Ragis and the Sangat fully immersed in the melodious kirtan. Suddenly, Suthra Shah abused the Sangat verbally and ran away. Some Sikhs tried to catch Suthra Shah but he escaped. The Sikhs then approached Guru Hargobing Sahib Ji and complained that Suthra Shah had verbally abused the Sangat and ran away. Guru Ji asked for Suthra Shah to be presented before him. When Suthra Shah returned to Amritsar a few days later, the Sikh caught Suthra Shah and presented him before Guru Ji. Guru Ji asked Suthra Shah whether he had verbally abused the Sangat. Suthra Shah replied to Guru Ji that he did not know whether he had verbally abused the Sangat. The Sikhs present around vouched hearing Suthra Shah verbally abusing the Sangat and thereafter running away. Suthra Shah said to Guru Ji that he could not recall whether he had verbally abused the Sangat, but if the Sikhs present could tell me which Shabad was being sung by the Ragi Jatha on that particular day, then it may be possible that he could recall the incident. The Sikhs who had earlier complained about Suthra Shah earlier went silent.
Suthra Shah next informed Guru Ji that when he went to the Darbar on the said date, melodious Kirtan was going but no one in the Sangat was listening to the Kirtan. They were engaged instead in gossip and talking. I then shouted at the Sangat and ran away. Guru Ji, Suthra Shah said, it is indeed remarkable that they remember my verbal abuse on that day but not the words of the kirtan that was being sung by the Ragi Jatha in the Darbar. The Sikhs were now embarrassed.
Guru Ji then said that if one sits in the Sangat but without paying attention to the Shabad/Kirtan, then he/she will not reap anything. Thus, it is important for one to concentrate and focus on the Shabad/Kirtan that is being sung/spoken. Similarly, the situation applies to us. Sometimes we sit in the Gurdwara but we are not concentrating on the Shabad/Kirtan but are engaged instead in talking, gossiping etc. Thus, we more often than not do not remember the Hukamnama of the day, or the Sahabad/Kirtan sung/spoken. Thus, it is very important for us when we come to the Gurdwara to listen to the Shabad/Kirtan and its teaching with focus and attention, and it implement the teachings in our life’s so as to become good Sikhs and human beings.
5. Conclusion
The Gurdwara has many valuable attributes. The Gurdwara is not only a place for
worship. The Gurdwara is also an important Sikh institution, which serves to teach
and impart knowledge on the Sikhi way of life, as per Gurmat, and how to live life
as a good human being and as a Sikh. In summary, we come to the Gurdwara for
the following goals.
- To obtain Sikh religious knowledge
- To learn and follow the Sikh ay of life
- To understand and following Sikhi values
- To do seva
- To overcome hunger of body and mind
- To get congregation of Sangat
- To escape from bad deeds, vices, bad company