Gurdwara
The Gurdwara (also Gurudwara , Panjabi ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ gurudu'ārā or ਗੁਰਦਵਾਰਾ gurdvārā, literally: "Gate to the Guru") is the place of prayer and school of the Sikhs . The Gurdwara is open to all people.
The world's most important Gurdwara is the Harmandir Sahib ( Golden Temple ) in Amritsar ( Punjab ). According to the spread of the Sikhs, most Gurdwaras are in India , Pakistan , East Africa , Canada and the United Kingdom , but also on the European continent. In Germany Gurdwaras can be found in every city where a Sikh community has formed, for example in Augsburg, Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Duisburg, Essen (2), Frankfurt am Main (2), Hamburg (3), Hanover, Iserlohn , Cologne (3), Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich (2), Nuremberg, Offenbach, Straelen, Stuttgart (2) and Tübingen. A detailed list of the Gurdwaras in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is available from the German Information Center for Sikh Religion . In Switzerland there is a Gurdwara in Däniken SO, in Langenthal BE, in Bassersdorf ZH, and in Geneva.
construction
Most Gurdwaras have the following components:
- The Nishan Sahib , a triangular orange flag hoisted on a pole near the entrance, in front of the Sikh symbol Khanda .
- The Langar Hall , a dining room for all visitors. The Langar Hall contains tables and chairs for sick or disabled people only.
- The Darbar Sahib . It represents the center of the Gurdwara and houses the Guru Granth Sahib , the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs (Holy Scriptures). It usually holds several hundred believers who sit cross-legged on the carpet-covered floor.
- The Sachkhand . This is where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept at night.
- Adjoining rooms such as bathrooms, kitchens etc. Larger Gurdwaras sometimes also have bedrooms for guests and believers who stay overnight.
Visit to a Gurdwara
The following rules apply:
- Luxury foods are strictly forbidden! Including tobacco (cigarettes / pipe), alcohol or other drugs.
- Take off your shoes before entering the prayer room.
- One enters the consecrated rooms with a head covering, preferably not a cap or hat, but a scarf. They are available in Gurdwara.
- The visitor should wear neat, decent, and appropriate clothing. Some Sikhs wear traditional clothing - this is a personal choice, not an obligation. Modesty in clothing expresses modesty and piety of heart.
- Wash your hands and feet before entering the Darbar Sahib.
- As a guest you do not have to bow your forehead on the ground in front of the Guru Granth Sahib, but for the Sikhs this is tradition and it is customary. Donations can also be freely selected in terms of amount and type. They do not have to be provided either.
- We sit in the approximate direction of Guru Granth Sahib, the Eternal Guru, the Holy Scriptures. Sit cross-legged if possible. You can also sit down more comfortably, but you should never stretch your legs (feet), especially not against Guru Granth Sahib.
As a visitor to a Gurdwara who does not know the rules of conduct, it is advisable to ask a person on site who is familiar with the rules. After all, the Gurdwaras are not constructed identically and thus there are different possibilities. In order to meet as many Sikhs as possible, one should visit the Gurdwara on Sundays, especially in Europe.
literature
- Ruth Nason: Visiting a Gurdwara. Cherrytree Books 2005. ISBN 1-84234-345-9
- GS Sidhu, MA: The Gurdwara (The Sikh Temple). Sikh Missionary Society. Southall 2004. ISBN 0-900692-11-1
Web links
- Däniken Gurdwara Switzerland ;
- Langenthal Gurdwara Switzerland
- Gurdwara Sahib Swiss (Bassersdorf)
- Gurudwaras of the World
- Gurdwara Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji eV Cologne Germany
- Gurdwara Guru Shabad Parkash eV Cologne
- Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Ji eV Straelen
- German information center for Sikh religion