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| Nishan Sahib image from http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Nishan_Sahib |
There is no
smoking, consumption of alcohol or drugs on the temple premises. When
you attend the temple you will notice that there is a triangular orange flag
outside the temple. This is called the Nishan
Sahib. The nishan sahib helps for people from far and wide to be able to
find the temple. It has a khanda (the symbol for our religion) on
it. The double edged sword itself in the middle is also called a khanda. And
there are two kirpans (swords) on either side and a chakkar or circle.
The double edged sword symbolizes divine knowledge/one God.The two kirpans represent the balance between Piri (spiritual sovereignty. It reminds us of our spiritual role in praying, etc.) and Miri (political sovereignty. It reminds us of our worldly roles in fighting against injustice).The circle inside symbolizes God without beginning or end, and a symbol of oneness of humanity
The double edged sword symbolizes divine knowledge/one God.The two kirpans represent the balance between Piri (spiritual sovereignty. It reminds us of our spiritual role in praying, etc.) and Miri (political sovereignty. It reminds us of our worldly roles in fighting against injustice).The circle inside symbolizes God without beginning or end, and a symbol of oneness of humanity
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| Khanda, image from http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Khanda |
In the front of
the main hall you will see the Sri Guru
Granth Sahib Ji. These are our holy scriptures. There were 10 Gurus in
Sikhism and the 10th, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, passed on the guruship
to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, therefore we treat our Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Ji as our living Guru. It has the writings of the Sikh Gurus, and also many
Hindus and Muslims. You will notice the scriptures are covered in
a cloth. That is called the Ramala
Sahib and is changed every week. When you walk up to the Guru Granth Sahib
Ji you can stand and say a prayer and offer some money if you’d like. Then you
will bow down to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Note we are bowing down to the
Divine light and knowledge of the Guru, not the physical book. We do not do
idol worship in Sikhism. Just as a king sits on a throne, we have a Manji sahib
for the Guru Granth Sahib. The canopy above is called a chanani. You may have
observed that there is a person standing behind the Guru Granth Sahib waving a
Chaur Sahib. This is used to fan the Guru Granth Sahib out of respect, just as
young people used to wave fans for their elders in their homes and people waved
them for the emperors.
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| Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Image from
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The men sit on
one side of the temple and the women sit on another side. (The explanation I
have heard is because of opposite polar energies, and because it helps to keep
people focused. But I think it’s probably more cultural than religious, as some
Gurdwaras do not follow this.) We sit on the ground for equality. It’s important to remember not to sit with legs
extended/feet turned towards the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, or stand with your back
turned to the Guru Granth Sahib as this is considered disrespectful. It’s okay
to turn around and walk back to your seat, etc. though.
The service consists
of playing music (usually the harmonium, but sometimes other instruments
ranging from violin to sitar are used) while singing hymns. You may see men, women
or children singing hymns on the stage. Children are usually in Punjabi classes
on Sundays however. The Gyani (similar to a priest; he is knowledgeable
spiritually and lives at the temple) will explain some of the meanings of the
hymns and explain stories from our history. People in the audience will often
sing along to the hymns. At around 12 pm (or later if there is a special event)
we do a prayer collectively called Anand Sahib and then we stand up for a
collective prayer, the Ardas. People stand with their hands folded/joined. In
this prayer, we remember the sacrifices made by Sikhs before us, and we thank
God for what we have, and specific people can ask to have their prayers read
aloud as well. There are
parts in the prayer where we remember God by saying his name aloud, Waheguru. At
the end everyone bows down and stands up again. Once the Gyani says “Bole So
Nihal” (whoever utters the phrase following shall be fulfilled), everyone replies “Sat Sri Akal” (Eternal is the Lord). And
then “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki fateh" (Hail the Khalsa that belongs
to God, and Hail God to whom belongs the victory). Then we sit to listen to the hukamnama, the reading of a hymn from
the Guru Granth Sahib which is taken as the order of God for the day. Once this
is concluded, there are usually announcements and the kara parshad/degh is
handed out. This probably best described as “pudding” although it is thicker
consistency, and is made of flour, butter, and sugar. It is handed out
as a blessing. During the Ardas you may have observed that someone stirred the
degh with a small kirpan (sword) signifying it has been blessed by the Guru. Langar
is served downstairs once the service is concluded. Langar is a free kitchen. Volunteers
from the community prepare the food and share it with the community. Again,
everyone sits together on the floor- whether it’s a king or a poor person, for equality. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Although anyone
is welcome at the temple anytime, for those not familiar with the temple it may
be best to go on Sundays when there are lots of people around to explain and
there is a service. People come and go as they please, but the service on
Sundays is usually from about 10-1230 and then langar is served.
References:
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