GURDWARA

(Punjabi: doorway to the Guru), the place of worship of the Sikhs, a religious group of India. The gurdwara containson a cot under a canopya copy of the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of Sikhism. It also serves as a meeting place for conducting business of the congregation and wedding and initiation ceremonies. The more historically important gurdwaras serve as centres of pilgrimage during festivals. A free kitchen and frequently a school are attached to the gurdwara. The chief gurdwara is the Harimandir, the Golden Temple at Amritsar, Punjab state, but every Sikh family endeavours to set aside one room of the house for the reading of the Adi Granth, and this room is also called a gurdwara. When entering a gurdwara a Sikh takes off his shoes, washes his feet, and covers his head. The service usually consists of the opening of the book, singing of hymns, reading and discussion of a text, prayer, distribution of karah prasad (a preparation made of equal parts of wheat flour, sugar, and clarified butter), and dispersal. During the period of Mughal persecution of the Sikhs, the management of some gurdwaras (and the considerable lands and funds attached to them) passed into the hands of Hindu caretakers (mahants). After years of increasing agitation on the part of the Sikhs, the British government passed the Sikh Gurdwara Act in 1925 returning control of the gurdwaras to the Sikhs. The gurdwaras of historic importance are now managed by an elected body known as the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (Committee of Shrine Management).