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{{Short description|Place of worship in Sikhism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
[[File:Golden temple india.jpg|thumb|271x271px|[[Golden Temple]] in [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab]], [[India]] ]]
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A '''gurdwara''', '''gurudwara''', or '''gurudwar''' ({{langx|pa|ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ|gurdu'ārā|door of the [[Sikh gurus|guru]]}}) is a place of assembly and [[place of worship|worship]] in [[Sikhism]], but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". [[Sikhism|Sikhs]] also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in a gurdwara. Each gurdwara has a ''[[Darbar Sahib Hall|Darbar Sahib]]'' where the [[Guru Granth Sahib]] is placed on a {{lang|pa-Latn|takht}} (an elevated throne) in a prominent central position. Any congregant (sometimes with specialized training, in which case they are known by the term [[granthi]]) may recite, sing, and explain the verses from the [[Guru Granth Sahib]], in the presence of the rest of the congregation.

All gurdwaras have a {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Langar (Sikhism)|langar]]}} hall, where people can eat free [[lacto-vegetarian]] food served by volunteers at the gurdwara.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Gurdwara|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ritesrituals/gurdwara_1.shtml|work=BBC.co.uk|publisher=BBC|access-date=18 March 2013|archive-date=11 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111153725/http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ritesrituals/gurdwara_1.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> They may also have a medical facility room, library, nursery, classroom, meeting rooms, playground, sports ground, a gift shop, and finally a repair shop.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gurdwara Requirements|url=http://www.worldgurudwaras.com/gurudwaras/gurdwara-requirements|work=WorldGurudwaras.com|access-date=18 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220923/http://www.worldgurudwaras.com/gurudwaras/gurdwara-requirements|archive-date=4 October 2013}}</ref> A gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the [[Nishan Sahib]], the Sikh flag.

The best-known gurdwaras are in the Darbar Sahib complex in [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]],{{sfn|The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica|2014}} including [[Golden Temple]] (Sri Harmandir Sahib), the spiritual center of the Sikhs and [[Akal Takht]], the political center of the Sikhs.{{sfn|The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica|2014}}

==History==

=== Dharamsals ===

==== Origin ====
Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak was ordained directly by [[God in Sikhism|God]] to construct ''[[Dharamshala (type of building)|dharamsals]]'' (places of worship; meaning ‘abode of righteousness’), as per the B.40 [[Janamsakhis|Janamsakhi]]:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Dhillon |first=Balwant Singh |date=November 1997 |title=Dharamsala: An Early Sikh Religious Centre |url=https://sikhinstitute.org/gurd_legi/ch_4.htm |website=Institute of Sikh Studies |access-date=2023-06-21 |archive-date=2023-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621165835/https://sikhinstitute.org/gurd_legi/ch_4.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Oberoi |first=Harjot |title=The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1994 |isbn=9780226615936 |pages=52}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=Go, Nanak [answered God]. Your Panth will flourish. The salutation of your followers shall be: 'In the name of the true Guru I fall at your feet'. The salutation of the Vaisnava Panth is: 'In the name of Rama and Krisna'. The salutation of the Sanyasi Panth is: 'In the name of Narayan I bow before you'. The Yogi's salutation is: 'Hail to the primal One'. The Muslims' cry is: 'In the name of the One God peace be with you'. You are Nanak and your Panth will flourish. Your followers shall be called Nanak-panthis and their salutation will be: 'In the name of the true Guru I fall at your feet'. I shall bless your Panth. Inculcate devotion towards Me and strengthen men's obedience to their dharma. As the Vaisnavas have their temple, the yogis their asan, and the Muslims their mosque, so your followers shall have their dharamsala. Three things you must inculcate in your Panth: repeating the divine Name, giving charity, and regular bathing. Keep yourself unspotted while yet remaining a householder.|author=B.40 Janamsakhi translated by W.H. McLeod|title=''The Evolution of the Sikh Community'' (1975)|source=page 30}}
The above statement separates the institution of Sikh dharamsals from those of other faiths, ordaining it as an independent institution based upon Sikhism alone.<ref name=":0" /> The first centre was built in [[Kartarpur, Pakistan|Kartarpur]], on the banks of [[Ravi River]] in the [[Punjab region]] by the first Sikh guru, [[Guru Nanak Dev]] in the year 1521. It now lies in the [[Narowal District]] of west Punjab (Pakistan). During the time of Guru Nanak, Sikh places of worship were known as dharamsals where ''[[kirtan]]'' was conducted by the early Sikh congregation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Singh |first=Pashaura |date=2021-04-03 |title=Ideological basis in the formation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal: exploring the concept of Guru-Panth |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17448727.2021.1873656 |journal=Sikh Formations |language=en |volume=17 |issue=1–2 |pages=16–33 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2021.1873656 |s2cid=234146387 |issn=1744-8727 |quote=Guru Nanak himself was not content to leave the ethical principles that he expounded in his life as merely theoretical constructs, but instead sought to institutionalize them during the last two decades of his life at Kartarpur. He referred to the earth (dhartī) as ‘the place to practice righteousness’ (dharamsāl, GGS 7) and his own village was conceived as a place of justice where the divine will was carried out. Thus, the original place of worship established by him came to be known as dharamsālā (‘abode of righteousness’) where early Sikhs gathered to sing devotional hymns (kīrtan), which was the principal corporate activity of the community at Kartarpur. |access-date=2022-11-23 |archive-date=2022-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123062932/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17448727.2021.1873656 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

The worship centres were built as a place where Sikhs could gather to hear the guru give spiritual discourse and sing religious [[hymns]] in the praise of {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Waheguru]]}}.

==== Spread ====
Guru Nanak would arrange early Sikh followers into various ''sangat'' congregations or parishes and instructed them to erect a dharamsal dedicated to spreading their Guru's message and teachings in their local area.<ref name=":0" />

[[Bhai Gurdas]] states the following:<ref name=":0" />

{{Blockquote|text=“Wherever Guru Nanak visited, that place became a place of worship. The most important centres including those of the jogis visited by the Guru became spiritual centres. Even houses have been turned into dharamsalas where kirtan was sung on the eve of Vaisakhi.”|author=Bhai Gurdas}}

Guru Nanak set-up an important dharamsal in the new-found [[Kartarpur, Pakistan|Kartarpur]] after settling there.<ref name=":0" /> Other important dharamsals were located in [[Khadur Sahib|Khadur]], [[Goindval|Goindwal]], [[Amritsar|Ramdaspur]], [[Tarn Taran Sahib|Tarn Taran]], [[Kartarpur, India|Kartarpur (Doaba)]] and [[Sri Hargobindpur]], all of whom had been directly founded upon the instruction of a Sikh guru.<ref name=":0" /> When the Manji system and the later Masand systems of preachers and dioceses was set-up, they were directed to found a dharamsal in their dedicated area of missionary work.<ref name=":0" /> Passionate early Sikhs would found dharamsals at various places across the [[Indian subcontinent]] and in [[Afghanistan]] as a means of expressing their devotion to the faith.<ref name=":0" /> [[Udasi]]s were commanded by Guru Hargobind and his successors to found dharamsals in the distant reaches of the subcontinent far from the nucleus of Sikh centrality and rejuvenate the abandoned, dilapidated, or struggling dharamsals which had been founded by Guru Nanak and his followers in faraway places, which struggled due to their extreme distance from the central Sikh authority located mainly in Punjab.<ref name=":0" /> Guru Tegh Bahadur founded new dharamsal centres during his missionary tours of the [[Malwa (Punjab)|Malwa region of Punjab]] and in [[Northeast India|northeastern India]].<ref name=":0" /> Dharamsals were also established on trade routes utilized by Sikh [[Khatri]] merchants, especially upon the routes between [[Chittagong|Chitagong]]-to-[[Kabul]] plus [[Agra]]-to-[[Burhanpur|Burhampur]].<ref name=":0" />

==== Structure and operation ====
The dharamsals were simple constructions and modest buildings, usually just consisting of a single humble room to house the local devotees of a locality for prayers.<ref name=":0" /> This was especially true in the rural areas, villages, and small towns where most of the local [[Sikhs|Sikh]] congregations consisted of simple peasants with little means of wealth.<ref name=":0" /> They were not built upon a specific axis because Sikhs believe God is omnipresent and the entire Earth is divine and equally fitting as such.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Guru Granth Sahib|Adi Granth]] was installed at dharamsals after its codification and introduction in 1604.<ref name=":0" /> The dharamsals likely did not contain intricate and ornate furniture, fittings, and other decorative accessories, unlike modern-day gurdwaras.<ref name=":0" /> Dharamsals incorporated a body of water for public bathing due to the importance placed upon ''isnan'' (customary bathing in the [[Amrit Velā|morning]]) in Sikhism.<ref name=":0" /> Wherever natural sources of water were not readily available, a ''baoli'' (step-well), bucket well, or ''rahat'' ([[Saqiyah|Persian wheel]]) would be implemented and installed in the courtyard of the structure or near a pool of water.<ref name=":0" /> The dharamsals incorporated a [[Langar (Sikhism)|''langar'']] (communal kitchen) and lodge, especially the ones on important highways and trade routes, where persons could eat and stay without discriminated based upon their religious or caste-background.<ref name=":0" /> This facilitated the fast spread of [[Sikhism]] throughout the Punjab.<ref name=":0" /> Some dharamsals contained a hospital ward where the sick and injured could receive treatment.<ref name=":0" /> Other dharamsals incorporated carpentry workshops to construct beds and other needed furniture.<ref name=":0" /> The dharamsals often contained a school where one could learn [[Gurmukhi]], [[Sikh music]], and interpretation of [[Sikh scriptures]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Gurdwaras ===
<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Templo dorado-Amritsar-India048.JPG|The [[Harmandir Sahib]] in [[Amritsar]], India, known informally as the Golden Temple, is the holiest gurdwara of [[Sikhism]], next to [[Akal Takht]], a Sikh seat of power.
File:Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra, September 2012.jpg|Shri [[Hazur Sahib Nanded|Hazoor Sahib]] is a gurdwara in [[Nanded]], [[Maharashtra, India]]; is one of the five {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Takht (Sikhism)|takhts]]}}.
File:Front view of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi.jpg|[[Gurudwara Bangla Sahib]] is one of the most prominent [[Sikhism|Sikh]] gurdwara in [[Delhi, India]] and known for its association with the eighth [[Sikh Guru]], [[Guru Har Krishan]], as well as the pool inside its complex, known as the "Sarovar."
</gallery>

As the [[Sikhs|Sikh]] population continued to grow, [[Guru Hargobind]], the sixth Sikh guru, introduced the word "gurdwara". Gurdwaras evolved out of the earlier Dharamsal centres.<ref name=":0" />

The etymology of the term ''gurdwara'' is from the words {{lang|pa-Latn|gur}} ({{lang|pa|ਗੁਰ}}) (a reference to the Sikh gurus) and {{lang|pa-Latn|dwara}} ({{lang|pa|ਦੁਆਰਾ}}) (gateway in [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]), together meaning 'the gateway through which the guru could be reached'.<ref name=SGPC/> Thereafter, all Sikh places of worship came to be known as gurdwaras. According to Raj Sadosh, the term ''Gurdham'' refers to a place that had been visited by the Sikh gurus.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sadosh |first=Raj |date=17 April 1999 |title=Greeting card from Pakistan |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99apr17/punjab.htm#2 |access-date=30 December 2025 |work=The Tribune}}</ref>

The use of '[[sahib]]', as sometimes appended in the term ''Gurdwara Sahib'', derives from a [[loanword]] of Arabic origin, meaning "companion" or "friend".<ref>{{OED|sahib, ''n.''}}</ref>

[[Kanwarjit Singh Kang]] classifies gurdwaras into two distinct categories:<ref name=":25">{{Cite book |last=Kang |first=Kanwarjit Singh |title=Punjab Art and Culture |publisher=Atma Ram & Sons |year=1988 |isbn=9788170430964 |pages=81 |chapter=16. The Sikh Shrines of Anandpur Sahib}}</ref>

# Community gurdwaras - which are constructed by Sikhs to meet their religious and social requirements (includes ones constructed outside of India)<ref name=":25" />
# Historical gurdwaras - which are constructed by Sikhs at sites of historical importance in the [[history of Sikhism]] (these gurdwaras tend to be more famous)<ref name=":25" />

[[File:Nishan sahib golden temple.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.90|alt=Nishan Sahib flags on tall poles over Harmandir Sahib in India|Nishan Sahib flags on poles at Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar.]]
Some of the prominent Sikh shrines established by the Sikh gurus are:
* [[Gurdwara Janam Asthan|Nankana Sahib]], established in the 1490s by first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, Punjab, Pakistan.
* [[Sultanpur Lodhi#Historical Gurudwaras|Sultanpur Lodhi]], established in 1499 became the Sikh centre during Guru Nanak Dev time Kapurthala District, Punjab (India).
* [[Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur|Kartarpur Sahib]], established in 1521 by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, near River Ravi, Narowal, Punjab, Pakistan.
* [[Khadur Sahib]], established in 1539 by the second Sikh Guru, Guru Angad Dev ji, near River Beas, Amritsar District, Punjab, India.
* [[Goindwal Sahib]], established in 1552 by the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das ji, near River Beas, Amritsar District Punjab, India.
* Sri Amritsar, established in 1577 By the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das ji, District Amritsar, Punjab India.
* [[Tarn Taran Sahib]], established in 1590 by the fifth Sikh Guru, [Guru Arjan Dev ji], District Tarn Taran Sahib, Punjab India.
* [[Kartarpur, India|Kartarpur]] Sahib, established in 1594 by the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, near river Beas, Jalandhar District, Punjab India.
* [[Sri Hargobindpur]], established by the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, near river Beas, Gurdaspur District, Punjab India.
* [[Kiratpur Sahib]], established in 1627 by the sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, near river Sutlej, Ropar District, Punjab, India.
* [[Anandpur Sahib]], established in 1665 by the ninth Sikh Guru, [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]], near river Sutlej, Punjab, India.
* [[Gurudwara Paonta Sahib|Paonta Sahib]], established in 1685 by the tenth Sikh Guru, [[Guru Gobind Singh]], near river Yamuna, Himachal Pradesh India.

By the early 20th century, a number of Sikh gurdwaras in British India were under the control of the [[Udasi]] [[mahant]]s (clergymen).<ref name="HSSingha2000">{{cite book | author = H. S. Singha|title=The encyclopedia of Sikhism|year=2000|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=978-81-7010-301-1|page=13}}</ref> The [[Gurdwara Reform Movement]] of the 1920s resulted in [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] taking control of these gurdwaras.<ref name="Rajit2003">{{cite book | author=Rajit K. Mazumder | title=The Indian army and the making of Punjab | year=2003 | publisher = Orient Blackswan | isbn=978-81-7824-059-6 | pages=213–218}}</ref>
[[File:Ranjit Singh at Harmandir Sahib - August Schoefft - Vienna 1850 - Princess Bamba Collection - Lahore Fort.jpg|thumb|800px|center|{{center|[[Maharaja Ranjit Singh]] listening to [[Guru Granth Sahib]] being recited near the [[Akal Takht]], one of the five {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Takht (Sikhism)|takhts]]}}, and the [[Golden Temple]], holiest gurdwara of [[Sikhism]], in [[Punjab, India]] (painting by
Ágoston Schoefft, 1850).}}]]

===Panj Takht===
The {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Panj Takht]]}} which literally means five seats or thrones of authority, are five gurdwaras which have a very special significance for the Sikh community.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/special-train-to-connect-all-five-takhats-first-run-on-february-16/articleshow/29908402.cms|title=Union railway ministry: Special train to connect all five Takhats, first run on February 16 | Chandigarh News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=5 February 2014 |access-date=2021-01-25|archive-date=2024-01-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129145548/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/special-train-to-connect-all-five-takhats-first-run-on-february-16/articleshow/29908402.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> They are result of the historical growth of the religion of [[Sikhism]] and represent the centers of power of the religion.
* [[Akal Takht|Akal Takht Sahib]], (the Throne of the Timeless One) established by [[Guru Hargobind]] in 1609 is situated in the complex of [[The Golden Temple]], [[Amritsar]], [[India]]{{sfn|The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica|2014}}
* [[Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib]], located in Anandpur Sahib, [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]], [[India]]<ref>{{cite book|author=W. H. McLeod|title=The A to Z of Sikhism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA16|year=2009|publisher=Scarecrow|isbn=978-0-8108-6344-6|page=16|access-date=2017-12-21|archive-date=2024-01-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129145623/https://books.google.com/books?id=vgixwfeCyDAC&pg=PA16#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Takht Sri Damdama Sahib]], located in [[Bathinda]], Punjab, India<ref>{{cite web | title=Railways halts survey to finalise the Talwandi Sabo rail route | website=hindustantimes.com | date=25 August 2015 | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/railways-halts-survey-to-finalise-the-talwandi-sabo-rail-route/story-KoJo34oRxxAXtXoAmZTcFL.html | access-date=7 October 2015 | archive-date=12 February 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212231031/https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/railways-halts-survey-to-finalise-the-talwandi-sabo-rail-route/story-KoJo34oRxxAXtXoAmZTcFL.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Takht Sri Patna Sahib|Takhat Sri Harimandir Patna Sahib]], in the neighborhood of [[Patna Sahib]], [[Patna]], [[Bihar]], India<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/five-jathedars-visit-patna-kick-off-17-preparations/articleshow/48137108.cms|title=Five jathedars visit Patna, kick off '17 preparations | Patna News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=19 July 2015 |access-date=2021-01-25|archive-date=2021-02-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206011636/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/five-jathedars-visit-patna-kick-off-17-preparations/articleshow/48137108.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Hazur Sahib Nanded|Takht Sri Hazur Sahib]], located on banks of the [[River Godavari]] in [[Nanded]], [[Maharashtra]], India.<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020427/windows/site.htm Hazoor Sahib — a salute to the saviour][[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]</ref>

==Description==
A gurdwara has a main hall called a [[Darbar Sahib Hall|darbar]], a community kitchen called a {{lang|pa-Latn|langar}},<ref name="SGPC" /> and other facilities. The essential features of a gurdwara are these public spaces, the presence of the holy book and eternal Sikh guru the [[Guru Granth Sahib|Granth Sahib]],<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ritesrituals/gurdwara_1.shtml "BBC - Religions - Sikhism: The Gurdwara"], BBC.co.uk, 2010.</ref> the pursuit of the [[Sikh Rehat Maryada]] (the Sikh code of conduct and convention), and the provision of daily services:
* {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Shabad (hymn)|Shabad]]}} {{lang|pa-Latn|[[kirtan]]}}: singing hymns from the Granth Sahib. Strictly speaking only Shabads from Guru Granth Sahib, [[Dasam Granth]], and the compositions of [[Bhai Gurdas]] and [[Bhai Nand Lal]], can be performed within a gurdwara.
* {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Paath]]}}: religious discourse and reading of [[Gurbani]] from the Guru Granth Sahib, with its explanations. There are two types of discourse: {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Akhand Paath]]}} and {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Sadharan Paath]]}}.
* {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Sangat (term)|Sangat]]}} and {{lang|pa-Latn|pangat}}: providing a free community kitchen called a langar<ref name=SGPC/> for all visitors, regardless of cultural, religious, regional, caste, or class affiliations.

[[File:Typical.darbar.sahib.png|thumb|200px|right|A typical [[Darbar Sahib Hall|Darbar Sahib]] layout. Men and women usually sit on separate sides.]]
Other ceremonies performed there include the Sikh marriage ceremony, {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Anand Karaj]]}}; some of the rites of the death ceremony, {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Antam Sanskar]]}}; and most of the important [[Sikh Festivals]]. The {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Nagar Kirtan]]}}, a Sikh processional singing of holy hymns throughout a community, begin and conclude at a gurdwara.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/sikhism/ritesrituals/weddings.shtml "BBC - Religions - Sikhism: Weddings"] ,
BBC.co.uk, 2010.</ref>

Gurdwaras around the world may also serve the Sikh community in other ways, including acting as libraries of Sikh literature and schools to teach children Gurmukhi, housing the [[Sikh scriptures]], and organizing charitable work in the wider community on behalf of Sikhs. Many historical gurdwaras associated with the lives of the Sikh Gurus have a sarovar (eco-friendly pool) attached for bathing.

Gurdwaras have no [[Cult image|idols]] or statues.

==Customs==
<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
Your First Visit to a Sikh Gurdwara.webm|Instructional video on what to expect on a visit to a Sikh Gurdwara, by Sikh Dharma International.
Gurudwara Paonta Sahib, Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh.jpg|[[Gurudwara Paonta Sahib]], view inside a typical gurdwara.
</gallery>
Many gurdwaras are designed to seat men on one side and women on the other, although designs vary, and the divided seating is far from mandatory. They do not generally sit together but on separate sides of the room, both at an equal distance from the Guru Granth Sahib, as a sign of equality. Worshippers are offered {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Karah Parshad]]}} (sweet flour and [[ghee]]-based food offered as {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Prasad (food offering)|prashad]]}}) in the hall, which is usually given into cupped hands by a {{lang|pa-Latn|[[sewadar]]}} (gurdwara volunteer).

In the {{lang|pa-Latn|[[Langar (Sikhism)|langar]]}} room, food is cooked and served by the volunteers in the community. Only [[lacto-vegetarian]] food is served in the langar hall, to suit the visitors from different backgrounds so that no person may be offended. All people belonging to different faiths sit together to share a common meal, regardless of any dietary restrictions. The main philosophy behind the {{lang|pa-Latn|langar}} is two-fold: to provide training to engage in {{lang|pa-Latn|seva}} and an opportunity to serve people from all walks of life, and to help banish all distinctions between high and low or rich and poor.

==Architecture==

[[File:Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.20|220px|alt=|[[Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick]] in [[Sandwell]], one of the first and largest gurdwaras in the [[United Kingdom|UK]].]]

Gurdwara buildings do not have to conform to any set architectural design. The only established requirements are: the installation of the [[Guru Granth Sahib|Granth Sahib]] under a canopy or in a canopied seat, usually on a platform higher than the specific floor on which the devotees sit, and a tall Sikh pennant flag atop the building.

In the 21st century, more and more gurdwaras (especially within India) have been following the [[Harimandir Sahib]] pattern, a synthesis of [[Indo-Islamic architecture|Indo-Islamic]] and [[Sikh architecture]]. Most of them have square halls, stand on a higher plinth, have entrances on all four sides, and have square or octagonal domed sanctums usually in the middle. During recent decades, to meet the requirements of larger gatherings, bigger and better ventilated assembly halls, with the sanctum at one end, have become accepted style. The location of the sanctum, more often than not, is such as to allow space for circumambulation. Sometimes, to augment the space, [[verandah]]s are built to skirt the hall. A popular model for the dome is the ribbed lotus, topped by an ornamental pinnacle. Arched copings, [[kiosk]]s and solid domelets are used for exterior decorations.

==Spiritual significance==

===Meditating by the Guru Granth Sahib===
[[File:Painting of the interior of a Sikh temple (gurdwara), Punjab, ca.1875.jpg|thumb|Painting of the interior of a gurdwara, Punjab, ca.1875]]
It is the duty of all Sikhs to engage in personal and communal meditation, {{lang|pa-Latn|[[kirtan]]}} and the study of the holy scriptures. Meditating and understanding the meaning of texts from the Granth Sahib is important for the proper moral and spiritual development of a Sikh. One must study Gurmukhi script and be able to read [[Gurbani]] to understand the meaning of the text. A Sikh has to revert to the Granth Sahib for the all spiritual guidance in one's life.

===Holy congregation and reflecting on Gurbani===
[[File:InsideSikhGurdwara.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Darbar Sahib Hall|Darbar Sahib]] of a gurdwara.]]
It is believed that a Sikh is more easily and deeply engrossed by [[Gurbani]] when engaged in congregation gatherings. For this reason, it is necessary for a Sikh to visit gurdwara. On joining the holy congregation, Sikhs should take part and obtain the benefit from the combined study of the holy scriptures. No one is to be barred from entering a gurdwara regardless of their religious or regional background and are welcomed in.

===Voluntary service (Seva)===
[[File:Communal lunch in Keshgarh Sahib.jpg|thumb| Khalsa principles of [[Deg Tegh Fateh|Deg]] to cook food ([[Langar (Sikhism)|langar]]) in huge amount]]
[[Selfless service|Seva]] is an important and prominent part of the Sikh religion. [[Dasvand]] forms a central part of Sikh belief (of [[Vand Chhako]]) and literally means donating ten percent of one's harvest, both financial and in the form of time and service such as seva to the gurdwara and anywhere where help is needed. All Sikhs therefore get involved in this communal service whenever an opportunity arises. This in its simple forms can be: sweeping and washing the floors of the gurdwara, serving water and food ([[Langar (Sikhism)|Langar]]) to or fanning the congregation, offering provisions or preparing food and doing other 'house keeping' duties.

===Community life and other matters===
[[File:Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Birmingham - 2019-04-28 - Andy Mabbett - 02.jpg|thumb|An office block repurposed as a Gurdwara, opened in Birmingham, England, in April 2019]]
Sikhism offers strong support for a healthy communal life, and a Sikh must undertake to support all worthy projects which would benefit the larger community and promote Sikh principles. Importance is given to [[Inter-faith dialogue]], support for the poor and weak; better community understanding and co-operation.

==Learning and other facilities==
Many gurdwaras also have other facilities for Sikhs to learn more about their religion, such as libraries, complexes for courses in Gurmukhi, [[Sikhism]] and Sikh scriptures, meeting rooms, and room-and-board accommodation for those who need it. Gurdwaras are open to all people, regardless of sex, age, sexuality or religion, and are generally open all hours of a day. Some gurdwaras also provide temporary accommodations ({{lang|pa-Latn|serais}}) for visitors or devotees. The gurdwara also serves as a community centre and a guest house for travellers, occasionally a clinic, and a base for local charitable activities. Apart from morning and evening services, the gurdwaras hold special congregations to mark important anniversaries on the Sikh calendar. They become scenes of much éclat and festivity during celebrations in honour of the birth and death ({{lang|pa-Latn|Joythi Joyth Samaey}}) anniversaries of the Gurus and [[Vaisakhi]].

==See also==
*[[Panj Takht]]
*[[List of gurdwaras]]
*[[List of Sikh festivals]]
*[[Nanak Shahi bricks]]
*[[Sangat (Sikhism)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="SGPC">
[http://www.sgpc.net/historical-gurdwaras/index.asp "Historical Gurdwaras"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611211006/http://sgpc.net/historical-gurdwaras/index.asp |date=2010-06-11 }},
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar, Punjab,
India, www.SGPC.net, 2005.
</ref>}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite book|title=Encyclopædia Britannica|author= ((The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica))|year=2014| url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Harmandir-Sahib }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Gurudwaras}}
*[http://www.jattdisite.com/scraps/historical-gurudwaras/ All Historical Gurudwaras]
*[https://siliguritourism.com/siliguri-gurudwara/ Siliguri Gurudwara]
*[https://www.worldgurudwaras.com/ World Gurudwaras]

{{Place of worship}}
{{Sikhism}}
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[[Category:Gurdwaras| ]]
[[Category:Sikh architecture]]
[[Category:Sikh practices]]
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Gurdwara - Revision history

Srivatsan at 18:33, 17 March 2026