| A Gurudwara is the holy temple of the Sikhs. But unlike | | | | covering their head with a handkerchief or cloth or |
| Hindu temples and Christian churches a Gurudwara | | | | scarf. No woman is to enter the temple without |
| has no image of any guru or saint. There are also no | | | | covering her head. Even the Prince Charles had |
| statues or icons inside. The only object of worship in a | | | | entered the Golden temple at Amritsar with his head |
| Gurudwara is the Granth sahib the holy book of the | | | | covered. |
| Sikhs. | | | | Devotees entering the temple must remove their |
| The tenth Guru Gobind Singh had decreed that after | | | | shoes and socks as well as wash their hands and |
| his death there would be no guru and all Sikhs were | | | | feet before entering the prayer hall. Woman |
| enjoined to worship the Granth sahib the holy book of | | | | worshipers are also to follow the same ritual. |
| the Sikhs. The Granth sahib written in a Hindi dialect of | | | | After entering inside the devotee is to walk towards |
| that period called the Braj Bhasa is a compilation of | | | | the Granth sahib and kneel before the holy book. If he |
| sacred writings and verses of the Sikh gurus and also | | | | wishes he can make a donation in the box that is kept |
| includes Muslim and Hindu saint's verses. | | | | in front of the book. After kneeling he can take a |
| The granth sahib is worshiped as a god and all rituals | | | | round of the holy book and then sit down on the |
| are carried out by treating the granth as the epitome | | | | carpet to listen to the recitation of verses from the |
| of the Sikh religion. The holy book is kept in the centre | | | | granth. |
| of the prayer hall and a granthi or Sikh priest reads the | | | | Sikh gurudwaras are open to people of all faiths and |
| verses of the book. In addition the book is kept on a | | | | castes. There is no bar to anyone and even a |
| raised podium with a canopy on it as a cover. | | | | scheduled caste Hindu can pray at the temple. Sikh |
| All visitors to the Sikh temple are to first remove their | | | | gurudwaras are the centre of the Sikh religion and all |
| shoes and socks and enter the temple only barefoot. | | | | functions revolve around the holy book. Marriages are |
| They are also enjoined to keep their head | | | | also conducted with the bride and groom taking 4 |
| covered.Sikhs will wear the turban or a small under | | | | rounds around the guru granth sahib. |
| turban called the patka. Non Sikhs can enter by | | | | |