Today marks the beginning of the solar new year. It's a very important day for Sikhism just as the past week has been important for Hinduism. Today also is the anniversary of my host father's mom's death.
The whole family got up this morning and went to the gurdwara. We spent all morning there along with extended family. After we'd been there a little my cousin Jahanvi and I spent a little time walking around and talking until her mom told us to go sit inside if we weren't doing anything. My family's gurdwara is in a residential area near to our house. The temple is across from a park and then a few houses down is the langar house where food is prepared and served for free to all people everyone, regardless of caste, race, religion etc. site on the floor in rows however, only members of the Sikh community are supposed to be allowed to eat off of clean plates. The food is cooked on the idea of seva, selfless service. All Sikhs are supposed to preform some form of seva, preferably to help the religion. Cooking and serving food is one form of seva, another is Chaur. The Sikh holy book is treated as a guru because it has the writings of both Sikh gurus and holy texts form other religions inside. Chaur sahib is an implement made of yak hair mounted on a metal or wooden handle that is used to cool and keep flies off of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book.) Sometimes there are certain appointed people who preform this seva. In the gurdwara we went to it was voluntary. Because my all of my host dad's local family members were in attendance they all took turns preforming the service. My host mom had me do it as well at one point during the service. You stand behind the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and wave the Chaur Sahib over it. The book is set on a platform in with a canopy over it and an offering area in front of it where people can leave money, flowers, and prasad (food of the gods). The book is taken care of, clothed in new coverings when not in use, and fanned each day.
This was the first time that I had attended a full sermon at the gurdwara. It started around 10:30, about an hour and a half after we'd been there. The sermons are given through chanting from the book or singing. During the service people continued entering. When you enter you go to the platform where the book is held and bow to it touching your head to to the floor, offer money, and may take a round behind the platform to where there are other holy items. When inside the gurdwara premises you must always keep your head covered. Once you have paid respects to the book everyone sits on the floor, men on one side and women on the other, for the sermon. My cousin Prenisha, who's in 6th grade, sang a song with her mom as back up.
After the sermon, at around 11:30, almost everyone went to the langar house where a meal was being served. I helped my mom serve for a little bit along with some host aunts, cousins, and my sister. After we'd all eaten and been served to in turn we headed home.
I had just enough time to go home and grabbed my bag for cooking class before I had to head out the door again. On my way to the main road where I catch on auto rickshaw I ran into a school friend of mine who I hadn't seen since school ended outside of the junior school. I didn't have time to chat but we exchanged numbers and she told me that they have extra accounts classes at the junior school sometimes and that next time they did she'd call me so I could come over after.
Today during cooking class we learned rice dishes such a biryani and some basic rices too. Yesterday we learned "continental" dishes which are considered to be western. We did baked vegetables, stuffed tomatos, and potato pie. They were all something you could find in the US but with definite Indian touches.
Sikhism's Official Website
Chaur Sahib
These pictures are not ones I took but ones I got off the internet. Sometimes I don't feel right bringing a camera to holy places and taking pictures.
The whole family got up this morning and went to the gurdwara. We spent all morning there along with extended family. After we'd been there a little my cousin Jahanvi and I spent a little time walking around and talking until her mom told us to go sit inside if we weren't doing anything. My family's gurdwara is in a residential area near to our house. The temple is across from a park and then a few houses down is the langar house where food is prepared and served for free to all people everyone, regardless of caste, race, religion etc. site on the floor in rows however, only members of the Sikh community are supposed to be allowed to eat off of clean plates. The food is cooked on the idea of seva, selfless service. All Sikhs are supposed to preform some form of seva, preferably to help the religion. Cooking and serving food is one form of seva, another is Chaur. The Sikh holy book is treated as a guru because it has the writings of both Sikh gurus and holy texts form other religions inside. Chaur sahib is an implement made of yak hair mounted on a metal or wooden handle that is used to cool and keep flies off of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book.) Sometimes there are certain appointed people who preform this seva. In the gurdwara we went to it was voluntary. Because my all of my host dad's local family members were in attendance they all took turns preforming the service. My host mom had me do it as well at one point during the service. You stand behind the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and wave the Chaur Sahib over it. The book is set on a platform in with a canopy over it and an offering area in front of it where people can leave money, flowers, and prasad (food of the gods). The book is taken care of, clothed in new coverings when not in use, and fanned each day.
This was the first time that I had attended a full sermon at the gurdwara. It started around 10:30, about an hour and a half after we'd been there. The sermons are given through chanting from the book or singing. During the service people continued entering. When you enter you go to the platform where the book is held and bow to it touching your head to to the floor, offer money, and may take a round behind the platform to where there are other holy items. When inside the gurdwara premises you must always keep your head covered. Once you have paid respects to the book everyone sits on the floor, men on one side and women on the other, for the sermon. My cousin Prenisha, who's in 6th grade, sang a song with her mom as back up.
After the sermon, at around 11:30, almost everyone went to the langar house where a meal was being served. I helped my mom serve for a little bit along with some host aunts, cousins, and my sister. After we'd all eaten and been served to in turn we headed home.
I had just enough time to go home and grabbed my bag for cooking class before I had to head out the door again. On my way to the main road where I catch on auto rickshaw I ran into a school friend of mine who I hadn't seen since school ended outside of the junior school. I didn't have time to chat but we exchanged numbers and she told me that they have extra accounts classes at the junior school sometimes and that next time they did she'd call me so I could come over after.
Today during cooking class we learned rice dishes such a biryani and some basic rices too. Yesterday we learned "continental" dishes which are considered to be western. We did baked vegetables, stuffed tomatos, and potato pie. They were all something you could find in the US but with definite Indian touches.
Sikhism's Official Website
Chaur Sahib
These pictures are not ones I took but ones I got off the internet. Sometimes I don't feel right bringing a camera to holy places and taking pictures.
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| The main gurdwara in Indore (not the one my family attends) |
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| The Guru Granth Sahib. |
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| One of the main Sikh symbols (it can be found on their flag) |
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| The Guru Granth Sahib with its coverings. |
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