Roundtable
Favourite Gurdwaras:
The Roundtable Open Forum # 38, July 21 - 27
EDITOR
The Rules of the forum are posted here on the right, and need to be followed strictly by all participants.
The following is this week's (July 21 - 27) topic for discussion, which should focus on the questions posed therein:
FAVOURITE GURDWARAS
Each one of us has had a memorable experience - probably many - in discovering a special gurdwara: special because of its architecture, its ambience, its location, its history, its traditions and practices ... that make it stand out in your mind's eye.
One of my personal treasures is the memory of the Baal-Leela Gurdwara in old Patna (Bihar, India), where young Gobind Rai played with his friends and where, even today, they serve "ghuggni" - kaaley chholey, black chick-peas - for parshad to honour their frolics in the Raja's gardens and the snack the Rani served them then.
There is the sheer grandeur of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur.
And nothing, absolutely nothing in the world, beats the ethereal beauty of the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.
Please share with us your favourite memories and experiences, especially of off-the-beaten-track gurdwaras, unusual practices, memorable saakhis associated with them, etc.
Conversation about this article
1: Bakshish Singh (Kenya), July 22, 2010, 10:15 AM.
One gurdwara in particular that haunts me is Gurdwara Laal Khooh, which sits somewhat hidden deep within the bazaars of Lahore. It is where Chandu held Guru Arjan imprisoned in a small, dingy cell and where he tortured him, before handing him over to the Mughul authorities, in whose hands he was martyred not long thereafter, some distance away, right outside the Lahore Fort walls. Though hidden by the busy stores and serpentine gullies that surround this spot built around a well - hence 'Laal Khooh' - it grabs you with its eerieness. A must-see if you're in Lahore!
2: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, U.S.A.), July 22, 2010, 11:41 AM.
As a child, I have memories of once visiting Baba Bakala - the gurdwara where Guru Tegh Bahadar meditated and stayed for a long time. This is also where I believe Makhan Shah found the Guru and declared "Sacha Guru Labho re" from the roof top. In this gurdwara, there is a small basement-like room where the Ninth Guru spent most of him time meditating in quite and solitude. The gurdwara is around an hour's drive from Chandigarh, nestling off the main road. I also have vivid memories of visiting Goindwal and Taran Taaran as a child. Can't remember which one of those two gurdwaras, it is with a sarovar that has 36 steps. And finally, I remember the many visits to the Darbar Sahib with stays at the Ramdas Sarai, right across from it. The sarai was newly built back in the early 80's and was very clean and tidy. I wish there was a book on all of the historical gurdwaras around the world.
3: Bhupinder Singh Mahal (Dundas, Ontario, Canada), July 22, 2010, 1:15 PM.
In 1989, my wife and I trekked from Mombasa to Nairobi, primarily visiting popular national parks. Our first destination was Amboseli National Park located not far from Voi. Some 100 km away in the north-east lay Makindo, known for its gurdwara which was built in the 1920s to give spiritual succor and strength to the Sikhs engaged in the building of the Kenya-Uganda railways. Over the years it has been transformed into a splendid edifice. I spent 15 years of my early life in Nairobi and although I often traveled to Mombasa and en route the train made a mid-night stop at Makindo, I never laid my eyes on the gurdwara. So, I asked my cousin, who lives in Mombasa and was our tour guide, to make the detour. The gurdwara is now a major stop for those who drive to and fro on the Nairobi-Mombasa road; not just Sikhs but also other ethnic and religious groups. There is now a long tradition for the traveler to donate a sack of flour or lentils in addition to the offerings in the sanctum sanctorum. I was delightfully pleased to note the well kept grounds and a well maintained complex of buildings. My cousin insisted that I visit the kitchen. To my great amazement I saw a number of black Kenyans wearing white turbans and the three visible symbols: kes, kara and kirpan preparing langar. It was an unforgettable sight; a proud moment.
4: Balbir Singh (Germany), July 22, 2010, 4:49 PM.
"Dithe sabhe thaav nahee tudh jehaa" [GGS:1362] - 'Having seen them all, there's none like you!' All gurdwaras fall in this category.
5: Rupinder Kaur (Canada), July 22, 2010, 10:15 PM.
As a child, my favourite was the Buffalo (New York, u.S.A.) gurdwara because, as an outsider, it seemed like everything was done by the youth. From kirtan to ardaas, seva to stage management - youth were an integral part of that sangat. It inspired me to learn more and be active in the community and to this day all my Buffalo Sikh friends are like my personal role models. I always had fond memories when visiting and really miss everyone there.
6: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia), July 24, 2010, 7:19 PM.
My earliest formative memories were the temple of my mothter's lap, and she reading janam saakhis I didn't understand much but the warmth of that love still lingers on. A few doors away was a makeshift gurdwara known as Bhai Sant Ram's gurdwara. I was attracted to it for a special reason. It had a small cubby hole where there were numbered shoe racks for satsangi's shoes. I was honoured with that seva to first take the shoes and pass on to another older boy who would deposit and issue a disc marked with a number. Gradually I was promoted to put the shoes in the rack, and my initial difficulty was whether the box number related to the above or below rack and in confusion for a day or so I handed the wrong shoes and was lovingly admonished: "Kaka, eh nahi(n), oh way!" I was about four or five at the time. While standing at my post, I would also subliminally absorb some of the 'Asa dii Vaar' and later on I could sing the lines to the greatest pleasure of my doting parents. This put me in an uneneviable position among my peers as I could sing along and they couldn't. This memory is etched in my mind even today when, 'Aga neray ayea picha rah ghay door'. The place we lived in then was known as 'Douglaspura', Lyallpur, and the era probably was between 1938 -39.
7: T. Sher Singh (Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada), July 28, 2010, 2:13 PM.
Regardless of whether it is historically accurate or not, I found my trek to and from Hemkunt a most extraordinary one. Let me add, though - I went there almost half-a-century ago, long before a permanent gurdwara building was built there. I am told it has become a busy, over-crowded and somewhat commercialized and hinduized site. Pity! It took us almost a month for a round trip then, and it proved life-transforming. The mood of our entourage, the ambience, the trek through the mountains, the isolation - and the accompaniment of Bhai Mohan Singh ji Raagi and his jatha (from Bombay) - all added to the charm. And, to top it all, I was able to take Amrit in the first-ever organized ceremony in the region, through the hands of five most extraordinary personalities. All in all, a trip of a life-time. I am told by many that it is still makes a memorable trip, albeit a greatly abbreviated one and minus all the adventure.