We were met by a charming Malaysian lady called Savender Kaur, who was to be our guide for the afternoon. We removed our shoes and covered our heads as custom and respect requires (some of my students chose to wrap their jumpers around their heads rather than use one of the head scarves provided by the temple…) and went into the Gurdwara to sit in the company of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib: the Sikh holy book. There are no pictures or statues in the Gurdwara as this, we're told, is discouraged in Sikhism. There is only a shrine at the centre of the hall, decorated with flowers and swords. Central to the shrine, resting on its throne, is the Guru Granth Sahib, which is revered above all things and treated with the same respect as a human; dressed daily, kept warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and put to rest at night in its own special bedroom.
The only images found on the walls (apart from text extracts from the Granth) are the two most well-known symbols of Sikhism: the inscription of Ek Onka which, we’re told, means ‘One God’, and the Khanda, a very recognizable symbol which is found on a large orange flag outside every Gurdwara, to help people find their way.
We gathered round and listened as Savender shared with us the particulars of the Sikh tradition. She began by explaining that the word Sikh means to learn, that Guru is teacher, and Dwara is hall. So, a Gurdwara (or Gurudwara) is a teacher’s hall; a place for people to come and learn.
The Sikhs follow the teachings of a line of ten Gurus (teachers), beginning with Guru Nanak Dev in the 16th century and ending with Guru Gobind Singh, who died in 1708. The teachings of the ten gurus were written down in a huge volume, which is the eleventh and final, living guru: the Guru Granth Sahib. The original, hand-written manuscript is still in the Harmandir Sahib or Golden Temple http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/golden-temple-of-amritsar in Amritsar, in the Indian state of Punjab.
Savender explained that Guru Nanak disliked some of the long-established institutions practiced in India and sought to abolish them. These included the caste system, the practice of black magic, superstition and the worship of images and statues. He made all humans equal and, even now, in any Gurdwara, all are equal and sit down together to eat on the floor. My students and I, all being equal, sat down together at the table rather than on the floor, but the principle stands…
Other gurus established further traditions, such as institutionalized charity, that form fundamental aspects of modern Sikhism. All Gurdwaras offer food for the hungry and beds for the homeless and are run entirely on donations (Sikh’s give 1% of their income as a tithe). Another guru established ‘seva’ (voluntary service), which, with the reading of the ‘bani’ (a daily reading of the Granth, always posted on a blackboard outside the Gurdwara and often sent via email and text message to subscribers) form the two most important parts of a Sikh’s daily life.
When Savender had finished telling us about these things we were shown examples of the five Ks, which all Khalsa Sikhs wear at all times. They are (sorry if my spelling is off...):
Kesh: uncut hair – Sikh’s never cut any of their hair.
Kanga: a wooden comb to hold their hair in place.
Kara: an iron bracelet.
Kirpan: a curved sword (young initiates wear a tiny one, less than a centimeter long, attached to the kanga).
And Kachera, which are a bit like boxer shorts and are worn at all times. We were shown only a picture of these...
We then observed the Granth, being careful never to turn our backs toward it, as a woman melodiously read aloud from a page written in the original Gurmukhī language. The whole of the Granth is poetic and, as it is read aloud, you get a sense of the rhythm of the text, which is pleasing to listen to.
After this we all went down to the communal kitchen to share lunch. Savender and her colleagues kindly provided us with a mix of lentil and potato dishes with salad, rice, chapattis, and a delicious hot pickle. I think I was the only one who had the pickle – it was a little fiery…
If I have missed any details (and I have) it is for the sake of brevity, but the Gurdwara (as all Gurdwaras) is a place of learning and is always open if you wish to learn more. I’ll be going along on Wednesday evening for a recital of the Granth with traditional musical accompaniment. I might have a little more of that pickle too…
ADDITIONAL: Last night some friends and erstwhile students of mine came with me to the Gurdwara to observe the hymn recital there. It was a special occasion for the Gurdwara, a year since the passing of one of their friends, so a feast had been prepared, which was generously extended to us. After dinner we went up to into the Gurdwara proper to observe evening prayer and scriptural readings. Savender and her friends were there to guide us through and help with occasional translations and explanations. There are also English and Latinised Gurmukhī translations/transcriptions projected onto a large screen.
After this there was an address from an elderly man whom I understood to be a relative of the royal family in Punjab, whose father or grandfather or something had been present at the opening of the central Gurdwara in 1908 (the first in Europe). He recounted anecdotes of his first experiences in Europe when he visited the UK on a state visit and also, if I understood correctly, rubbed shoulders with the likes of Adolf Hitler …
A little before eight O’clock, a group of musicians and singers gathered to begin the hymn recital and it was very much worth waiting for. I recognized one of the melodies from somewhere, though I’m not sure exactly where. There was tabla, harmonium and some beautiful singing. Occasionally the congregation (of around 70 or 80 people, I suppose) joined in. It’s quite something and I recommend getting along. Keep an eye out on their website http://www.centralgurdwara.org.uk/ but I believe there are similar recitals most Sundays and Wednesdays.
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