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This week is our penultimate lesson on Sikhism and we shall look at the Gurdwara - ‘the doorway to the Guru’.

Last time we looked at the Mool Mantra, which is the basic statement of Sikh belief. Every section of the Guru Granth Sahib begins with the Mool Mantra and these 12 words are the basis of the whole of Sikhism. I hope you enjoyed copying out the Mool Mantra and explaining what you think each part of the text tells us about Sikh beliefs about God.

A Gurdwara is the place where Sikhs come together for congregational worship. The first Gurdwara was built by Guru Nanak in 1521 at Kartarpur. There are now about 300 Gurdwaras in Britain.

The literal meaning of the Punjabi word Gurdwara is ‘the residence of the Guru’ or ‘the door that leads to the Guru’. In a modern Gurdwara, the Guru is not a Guru but the Guru Granth Sahib.

It is the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib that gives the Gurdwara its religious status, so any building containing the book of Sikh scriptures is a Gurdwara.

Although primarily a place for worship, the gurdwara is also a place for members of the Sikh community to meet. It serves as a community centre and it may include a library, classrooms offices and rooms where visitors can sleep. Gurdwaras are very welcoming places (to non-Sikhs as well as Sikhs) and people come and go as they please. Some Gurdwaras are open 24 hours a day. They are managed by a committee of their community.

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There are four doors into a Gurdwara, known as the Door of Peace, the Door of Livelihood, the Door of Learning and the Door of Grace. These doors are a symbol that people from all four points of the compass are welcome, and that members of all four castes are equally welcome.

Inside the Gurdwara, there are no idols, statues, or religious pictures because Sikhs worship only God, and they regard God as having no physical form. Nor are there candles, incense, or bells, or any other ritualistic devices.

There's always a light on in a Gurdwara, to show that the Guru's Light is always visible and is accessible to everyone at any time.

The worship hall (or Darbar Sahib) is a large empty carpeted room, dominated by the Guru Granth Sahib on its elaborate stand at the front. Before going into the worship hall, hands are washed (most Sikhs take a bath beforehand), heads are covered and shoes are removed.

Upon entering the hall, worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the Guru Granth Sahib and place an offering of money into a box in front of the holy book. The congregation sits on the floor to show the equality of all human beings and respect for the Guru Granth Sahib. No-one should sit with their feet pointing at the Guru Granth Sahib. Anyone who walks round the Guru Granth Sahib or the Gurdwara must do so in a clockwise direction.

Women sit on one side and men on the other so as not to distract each other.

Worship tends to be informal. Services usually last for several hours and worshippers enter and leave when they want. There are no priests in Sikhism. Any member of the congregation (man or woman) may read from the Guru Granth Sahib.

In addition to the readings, shabads (hymns) are sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments such as a harmonium and tabla drums.

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At the end of the service, everyone stands with eyes closed facing the Guru Granth Sahib for a formal prayer called Ardas. During the prayer the word Waheguru (Punjabi for 'praise to the Guru') is often repeated.

While Ardas is being said, a mixture of flour or semolina, butter, sugar and water is prepared. After Ardas, everyone is given a small amount of this special food (karah prashad). The first five portions are given to Khalsa members in memory of the Panj Pyares (the first five members of the Khalsa). After that parshad is served to everyone without distinctions of rank or caste to eat with the right hand before sharing the communal meal (langar) afterwards.

Anyone visiting a Gurdwara at any time will be offered free food, and the langar (Guru’s kitchen) is absolutely central to the Gurdwara. It comprises a communal kitchen and dining hall which is maintained and serviced by Sikh community volunteers. The word ‘langar’ applies to both the community kitchen/dining hall and the meal itself.

Guru Nanak started the important Sikh tradition of the langar: a communal meal at which all (Sikhs and non-Sikhs) sit on the floor and share as equals. There are no distinctions between high and low or rich and poor. Only vegetarian food is served in the langar hall, to suit the visitors from different backgrounds so that no person

may be offended.

The concept of seva or sewa (selfless service - an opportunity to serve people from all walks of life) is very important in Sikhism. An example of this may be seen in the provision, preparation, serving and clearing up, which are all undertaken communally.

Outside every Gurdwara is a flagpole from which flies the Nishan Sahib, a saffron-coloured triangular flag bearing the Sikh emblem, the Khanda. This holy flag commands great respect and is also a welcome banner for visitors.

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WOW! I really enjoyed learning about the Sikh Gurdwara. It is such an important place for individuals and the community. I particularly like the four doors into the Gurdwara showing that people from the north, east, south and west are welcome to enter. What features of the Gurdwara did you find most interesting?

Just before you get to work, you will find below some pictures of Sikh Gurdwaras from around the world:

Your task this week is to draw the four doors of the Gurdwara - the Door of Peace, the Door of Livelihood, the Door of Learning and the Door of Grace. These four entrances show the Gurdwara is always opens to everyone - people of all religions and beliefs, from north, east, south and west. Maybe you could add a compass between your doors? Please write the meaning behind each door and what the doors symbolise. Use a dictionary to find the definitions of peace, livelihood, learning and grace and add them to your drawing. I’ve started you off if you want to download this template from the Home Learning page:

Sri Harmandir Sahib, located in India, is also known as The Golden Temple.

Hemkund Sahib, Hemkund, also in India, is a Gurdwara 15,000 feet above sea level in the Himalayan range.

Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha is thought to be the biggest in London.