SIKH ASSOCIATION OF BRANTFORD
ਸਿੱਖ ਐਸੋਸੀਏਸ਼ਨ ਬਰੈਂਟਫੋਰਡ
About Brantford Gurudawara Sahib
Welcome to the homepage of the Brantford Gurudawara Sahib. The Gurudawara Sahib (meaning the house of God) is the Sikh place of worship. It's both a spiritual place of worship and a cultural learning centre for the young and old. We have created this website to provide information on the religious services, educational classes, events, and festival celebrations that are held at Gurudawara Sahib along with a description of the various features of Gurudawara Sahib. We have also included a brief description of Sikhism.
Brantford Gurudawara Sahib is open to everyone because in Sikhism everyone is equal. We show this equality through everyone sitting down together on the carpeted floor in 'Diwan Hall'. When coming to Gurudawara Sahib please bear this in mind when deciding on what to wear. It is necessary that any visitor remove their shoes, wash their hands and cover their head with a Rumal before entering the Gurudwara Sahib.
Visitors are also forbidden to go into the Gurudawara Sahib while they are inebriated or possess alcohol, cigarettes or any intoxicating substance. When visiting a Gurudawara Sahib the following guidelines should be followed: On first entering the large prayer room (called the Darbar Sahib), a small bow to the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book) shows respect to the 'Guru'. It is normal to sit cross-legged. Visitors will be offered Kara Parshad (sweet flour and oil-based food offered as Prashad) in the worship hall, which is usually given into the cupped hands of visitors.
There is no meat allowed in the Gurudawara Sahib, only vegetables and organic food is allowed, as the Sikh society does not eat meat. You may be offered Langar (vegetarian food from the communal kitchen). If not too certain about consuming this food you can ask to be excused although most people should take langar as it is regarded as a blessing by the Guru.
About Sikhism
The founder of Sikhism was Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538) who was born in the Punjab , now in Pakistan. At Sultanpur, he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. He is responsible for the saying" There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" which has since become one of the pillers of Sikhism. He taught a strict monotheism, the brotherhood of humanity. He rejected idol worship and the Hindu concept of cast. Guru Nanak and Panth(his followers) later built the Sikh Temple at Kartarpur.
A Succession of Nine Gurus(Regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement during the period from Guru Nanak's death until 1708. At that time, the functions of the Guru Passed to the Panth and to the holy text, considered the 11th Guru.
Mogul emperors ruled a large area of South Asia from the 16th century until the end of the 18th century. They attempted to convert the Sikhs to Islam, but were unsuccessful. It has been said of one of the Sikh Gurus (considered by many Sikh to have been the last Guru) that "Had there been no Guru Gobind Singh, the entire country would have gotten circumcised" i.e. been converted to Islam.
In 1801, the Sikh state of Punjab was founded in Northern India by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. According to a historian Vincent Smith, "The Punjab State was neither a traditional Indian territorial State and monarchy, nor merely a dictatorship of one community over another. There was an element of partnership with other communities."
An invasion by Great Britain triggered the Sikh Wars (1845-1849). The British successfully gained control over all India. After independence in 1947, occupied India was partitioned on religious ground into a mostly Muslim Pakistan and mostly Hindu India. A mass migration of Sikhs and Hindus from Pakistan to India and a reverse migration of Muslims resulted, with immense loss of life. Some Sikhs have been seeking an independent homeland since the late 1940's.