GURDWARA – CONCEPT AND INSTITUTION – INSTITUTE OF S IKH S TUDIES CHANDIGARH GURDWARA – CONCEPT AND INSTITUTION – by Dr Gurdev Singh Sangha Edited by Dr Dharam Singh INSTITUTE OF S IKH S TUDIES CHANDIGARH Gurdwara – Concept & Institution by Dr Gurdev Singh Sangha ISBN: 81-85815-38-0 All rights are reserved First Edition: August 2017 Copies: 1100 Price: Rs. 300/- $ 7.00 £ 6.00 Published by Institute of Sikh Studies Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Kanthala, Indl Area Phase II Chandigarh -160 002 (India). Type setting Mannat Graphics, Chandigarh Email: < [email protected] > Moblile: 09915861422 Printed at Adarsh Media Printers, 1006, Sector 82, JLPL, Mohali Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................... 7 Preface .......................................................................................... 9 Introduction............................................................................... 12 Gurdwara: Concept and Institution ...................................... 20 Gurdwara: Historical Background......................................... 45 History of Gurdwara in Western Countries......................... 83 Gurdwara: Institution and Institutional Management ..... 115 Modern Challenges and their Resolution ........................... 144 Conclusion ............................................................................... 171 Bibliography ............................................................................ 187 Index ......................................................................................... 192 Gurdwara – Concept and Institution 6 Gurdwara – Concept and Institution ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am sincerely indebted to all all my friends and colleagues who have contributed to the completion of this research project in any capacity. But I deem it my moral duty to mention the names of certain individuals without whose expert guidance and suggestions I could not have undertaken this research. Dr Gurbakhsh Singh (USA) originally inspired me to take up this subject for academic study and then helped me a lot with his incisive suggestions as we had discussions together at the introductory stage of my work. I am extremely grateful to Professor Dharam Singh of Punjabi University, Patiala, for his scholarly guidance and expert advice during my doctoral study and then very kindly agreeing to give the typescript a look before sending it to press. During my doctoral study, whenever I approached him for any help he guided me through his own comments and suggested a reading list without any reservations whatsoever. I express my sense of gratitude to my friends Navtej Singh Bharati and Dr Gurnam Singh Sanghera. I met the former quite often and had exchange of views on various issues concerning this project. I am grateful to the latter for his help especially as I worked on the chapter on ‘History of Gurdwara in Western Countries’. I must also express my indebtedness to Professor Kulwant Singh, President of the Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh, as he rendered invaluable help in giving this English version of the project the form it now has. I am grateful to him as well as the Institute for agreeing to publish this work. Last but not least, I must acknowledge the contribution of my wife Sardarni Surinderjit Kaur who not only kept me relieved of all family responsibilities and enabled me to devote myself to my research work. My two daughters, Parveen and Sangeeta, too deserve my thanks for making time to read 7 Gurdwara – Concept and Institution through the draft and making very useful suggestions. I hope the book will be of interest and help to scholars and students in the field of Sikh Studies. I accept as mine whatever shortcomings the readers might find in the book and attribute all its merits to the grace of God and to my friends from whom I have learnt whatever I know on the subject. GURDEV SINGH SANGHA June 14, 2017 Kitchener, Toronto (Canada) 8 Gurdwara – Concept and Institution PREFACE Gurdwara is a place of Sikh worship, symbol of Sikh religion, Sikh community life and a nursery of Sikh beliefs and Sikh faith. It is a pivot and visible symbol of basic fundamental Sikh doctrines, Sikh philosophy, Sikh ideology. Sikh value system and Sikh religious and societal ethos, Gurdwara, both in terms of its concept and visible manifest form, is the original as well as permanent, structure in which the sacred Sikh scripture Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s volume of text remains installed on a raised platform in its Sanctorum, where devout Sikhs congregate every morning and evening, listen to and participate in the recitation and choral singing of Sikh sacred verses (Gurbani), meditate, and listen to the choral singing of verses to the accompaniment of musical string and percussion instruments and listen to teachings of Sikh Gurus being preached from the Gurdwara pulpoit. Gurdwara, with its distinct Sikh architectural design with its four doors opening in four directions symbolic of its universal appeal, its saffron flag on a flagpost in front (called Nishan Sahib ), its community kitchen ( Langar ) and night shelter ( Sarai ) is the foundational institution of Sikh religion. This well-researched and well-documented work on Gurdwara’s Concept, Institution, its origin, evolution, history, functions, practices, achievements, challenges it faced and overcame and the present day challenges, distortions and inadequacies in its institutional duty of preaching the Sikh tenets and ethos to the modern-day Sikh youth / generation and deficiencies in management alongwith suggested solutions is indeed a significant work in Sikh studies. It not only defines and crystallizes the basic spiritual and philosophical concept 9 Gurdwara – Concept and Institution of Gurdwara but also chronicles its emergence as the foundational Sikh institution in the form of its rudimentary prototypes of sangat , dharamsal and its gradual conversion into Gurdwara form its earliest inception at Bhai Lalo’s residence to its formal establishment at Kartarpur in Punjab by Guru Nanak in the medival age. Then onwards, Gurdwara as the premier Sikh institution has been continuously evolving and expanding through the ages. Today, Gurdwara with its distinct standardized architecture design ( Ahle Mukam ), its sacred Sikh scripture installed in its sanctum sanctorum, ( Ahle kitab ) its saffron Sikh flag ( Ahle Nishan ), its pulpit for preaching the Sikh gospel, its community kitchen ( langar ) and its accommodation for religious pilgrims together with its other missionary and welfare activities is the most significant icon of Sikhism as an organized religion. It has always been a rallying point for the Sikh community both during the moments of crisis as well as periods of prosperity all over the globe. This records the complete profile of Gurdwara as institution including its chronological and historical growth in western countries with reliable documentary evidence. Besides, it explains the concept, methodology and significance of various Gurdwara practices of Gurdwara management and Sikh social ceremonies. It also presents a searching critique of various contemporary Gurdwara practices and suggests remedial measures for the resolution of these distortions and malpractices which have crept in with the passage of time. Therefore, this treatise is a scholarly tour-de-survey as well as a timely academic audit of this august institution. Behind this comprehensive and scholarly account of the author, the brilliant and visionary guidance of his research guide, Dr Dharam Singh, Professor of Sikh Studies and Editor-in-Chief of Encyclopedia of Sikhism , Punjabi University, Patiala (retd) is unmistakable. His scholarly guidance puts a stamp of credibility and authoritative standardization on this work. 10 Gurdwara – Concept and Institution It is this authenticity of opinion which prompted us to adopt this work for publication, by the Institute of Sikh Studies. Its translation into English by us and its publication would enable the Sikhs and the diaspora Sikh community to be conversant with the conceptual and institutional framework of this central Sikh institution and structure, the management of the Gurdwaras under the control of respective managements in tandem with the basic Sikh tenets and bring about a uniformity in Gurdwara practices all over the globe. October 1st, 2017 Kulwant Singh President, Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh 11 Gurdwara – Concept and Institution INTRODUCTION Institutions play a very important role in every religion and these institutions stand for the fundamental principles of that religion. Undoubtedly, it is the individuals who play a major role in the implementation of the religious doctrines, but it is through the important medium of the religious institutions that those individuals tend to implement the religious doctrines. It is, therefore, evident that even for the establishment of the supremacy of the religious doctrines, religious institutions form the basis. Individuals also carry on their work through the institutions and the individuals who run these institutions on the basis of doctrines, become worthy of love and veneration of the entire community. Gurdwara, besides being an important institution of Sikh religion, is also a unique centre for creating Guru- consciousness. Symbolically, it is also non-local and non- temporal. In other words, Guru-consciousness in itself constitutes a Gurdwara, a Dharamsal, a beatific entity and a temple of God. Gurdwara, in its institutional form, is located