The

Gurdwara

Today you are going to

learn :
1. How Sikhs use the Gurdwara
2. The symbolism behind some
of the objects and actions
performed in a Gurdwara.

Key words
Langar the
kitchen and free
food that is
given inside a
gurdwara.

Gurdwara - it means
the house of doors.

Gurdwara

Symbolise represent
something.

Think of a place that is very special

to you.
Working in pairs, Discuss how you
show respect for that place? Do you
scream and shout there? Do u keep
silent? Do you run around? Do you sit
down? Are you calm in that place or
are you fidgety? You have a minute
for this task..

A Gurdwara Place of worship

A Gurdwara is the place where Sikhs

come together for congregational
worship.

House of Doors
The literal meaning of the Punjabi word
Gurdwara is the residence of the Guru, or
the door that leads to the Guru. It has 4
entrances to show it is always open to all.

A Gurdwara
in Bedford

The Gurdwara is used for many

different reasons:
Meetings
Worshipping God.
Centre for learning for children and
adults. To learn the Punjabi language.
Celebration of important occasions
Weddings and births.
Relaxation.

In a modern Gurdwara the Guru is not a

person, but the book of Sikh scriptures
called 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
is a Gurdwara.

Flying the flag

Gurdwaras fly
the Sikh flag
outside.
The flag is
orange/yellow
and has the
Sikh logo in
the middle.

The Four Doors

4 doors of a Gurdwara
These doors SYMBOLISE that people
from all four points of the compass are
welcome.
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

Write down 5 reasons that the Gurdwara is

used for.
Write down as many as you can yourself.
Then working with the person next to you,
share your ideas and write down whatever you
did not have already.

Before going into a Gurdwara

Remove your shoes and wash your feet if they are
dirty.
Cover your head.
A person should not go in drunk, or carrying
alcohol or tobacco. (A Sikh, of course, would not do
either.)

On entering a Gurdwara
Firstly, Sikhs
bow to the
Guru Granth
Sahib, touching
the floor with
their forehead.
This
SYMBOLISES
respect and
submission to
the truths
contained in
the book.

 Secondly they place an offering of food

or money in front of the Guru Granth
Sahib.

This is used to run the Gurdwara and the

free food kitchen (langar). The offering
is NOT charity, but a SHARING of
God's gifts. If a person has no money or
food to offer, they may offer flowers,
or just some words of sincere thanks

Write down the answers ONLY in

FULL sentences to the following
questions:
1.What does bowing down to the Guru
Granth Sahib symbolise?
2.What do the 4 doors of the
Gurdwara symbolise?

When entering a Gurdwara, the main thing

that stands out is the raised platform, on
which the Guru Granth Sahib is placed to be
read from during the prayer service.
This platform called a palki, and it
SYMBOLISES respect.

A person always stands next to the

holy book or behind it, and waves a
fan over it. This is called a chauri.
The chauri SYMBOLISES authority.

Seating in a Gurdwara
Everyone sits on the
floor in a Gurdwara.
This SYMBOLISES
humility before the
Guru Granth Sahib,
and because it gives
everyone a place of
equal status to sit.
Most people sit
cross-legged.
Cushions and seats
are not allowed.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?

1. What is a Gurdwara?
2. What is the Palki and
what does it
symbolise?
3. What is the chauri and
what does it
symbolise?

The Guru Granth Sahib is treated with greatest

respect, and so when it is not used for prayers,
Sikhs place it in a different room over night,
where it is covered with special cloths. This room
and the covers SYMBOLISE protection and
safety.
The next morning it will be taken again into the
main prayer hall,

The free food kitchen, or Langar

After every service Sikhs come to the Langar

where a free vegetarian meal has been prepared
for everybody. Sharing food is important as the
Gurus taught that all Sikhs should share their
possessions. All the work involved in preparing the
food, serving it and clearing up afterwards is called
'seva' which means voluntary, selfless service.

 Although Sikhs are not required to be

vegetarian, only vegetarian food is served
in the gurdwaras. This ensures that any
visitor to the Gurdwara can eat in the
Langar.

Questions
Individual task:
1.

What do Sikhs do with the holy book at the end of

the day?

2. What does covering the holy book symbolise?

3. Why does everyone sit on the floor in a Gurdwara?
BBB (big brain bonus)
Why do you think Sikhs show so much respect to the
Guru Granth sahib?

Plenary
Look at the following pictures.
can you tell your neighbour what
It is or what is going on, and
Where possible what it
symbolises?

What is this?

What is this?
And what does it
show?

What is
this and
what does
it
symbolise?

What is this and what does it

symbolise?

What are these 2 people

doing and what does it
symbolise?

How are the people sitting and what does

this symbolise?