Thursday 7th May 2020

SikhismPlaces of worship

What will I be learning today?

LS: I am learning to understand the importance of places of

worship to individuals and the community.

Lesson focus: Sikh Gurdwara

The Golden Temple, also known as

Harmandir Sahib, is a Gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar,

Punjab, India. It is the holiest Gurdwara and

the most important pilgrimage site of

Sikhism.

What are Gurdwaras?

Sri Harmandir Sahib, located in India, is also known as The Golden Temple. This is the most famous and important place of worship in the Sikh religion with its doors open from all the sides to people of all faiths.

Hemkund Sahib,

Hemkund, also in India, is

a gurdwara 15,000 feet

above sea level in the

Himalayan range.

People come here from

all over the world.

Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha is the

largest Sikh place of

worship in the UK and

only 4 miles from

Smallberry Green

School.

Places of worship are places where people can pray

to God, for quiet contemplation and a place to

meet like-minded people.

This gives them a sense of belonging and

community. Everyone is welcome to a Gurdwara

regardless of faith, background, or sex.

What does the inside of a

Gurdwara look like?

Upon entry of a Gurdwara, there are a few rules to follow:

• You must take off your shoes.

• You must cover your head as a sign of respect.

Everyone to attends the Gurdwara is able to have a free meal from the kitchen which is known as Langar. All food is cooked and prepared by volunteers at the Gurdwara and

anyone can help! All food served in a Gurdwara is vegetarian.

Features of a Gurdwara

Guru Granth Sahib This is the Sikh holy book. It is treatedlike a person and even has its ownroom during the night. The book isplaced on a raised platform undera canopy and covered with anan expensive cloth during the day.

ChaurA fan which is waved over the

Guru Granth Sahib as a sign of

respect and to ensure no dirt or

dust covers the holy book.

Flags (Nishan Sahib)Gurdwaras fly flags outside to show that

it is a special place of worship. The flag

contains the Sikh symbol (Khanda).

The Four DoorsThere are four doors into the

gurdwara to show that people

from the north, east, south and

west are welcome.

Showing respect

Many Sikhs visit a gurdwara for worship. The gurdwara is also a place to learn

more about Sikhism. The gurdwara is a community centre too, offering food, shelter and company for those who

need it.

The morning service begins with singinga hymn, there is also a religious talk

(called a sermon), prayers are said thenthere are readings from the Guru

GranthSahib (the holy book).

Last of all, food isoffered to everyone so people can eat

and spend time together.

Sikhs don’t have priests so any Sikh can lead the prayers and read from the

Guru Granth Sahib. Everyone is equal!

• Offer a donation such as money, flowers or food

• Sit quietly on the floor with your legs crossed, facing

the Guru Granth Sahib

• Never point your feet at the Guru Granth Sahib as

this is disrespectful

• Men and women sit in different places

Watch this YouTube clip

which explains a Sikh Gurdwara

and its features.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6VWFDxyCr4

Let’s get to work!

Please visit the school website orGoogle Classrooms and click onto

the Year 4 Class Pages to download the activities for this

lesson.

Activity 1: can you match the features of a Gurdwara to the corresponding statements?

Activity 2:

Design your own Rumala for the Gurdwara.

If you’re finding things tricky

to download or print, feel

free to complete your work in

your yellow exercise book