On this
brisk Friday morning, we were dropped off a block away from the temple. We
walked down a crowded street lined with vendors and a couple monkeys until we
came along the path that led to the temple. At the beginning of the path was a
small building. A man was behind the counter constantly filling cups with
water. People came up to the counter drank a cup of water and put the cup back
for it to be cleaned and filled again for someone else. Our knowledgeable guide
for the day explained that this stand was free and open for everyone. People
were able to come and get a drink of clean drinking water, to hydrate after
their journey there. This was the first glimpse into the giving and welcoming
nature of the Sikh religion.
We walked
down the path towards the white and gold temple in front of us. Before we
entered we removed our shoes and socks and covered our heads with scarves as it
is respectful in the religion. We walked up steps and through a small foot
cleaning pool. Since the day was brisk, the cold white marble and the thin
layer of water made our feet a little chilly, but we were soon distracted and
overwhelmed by the beauty of the temple. As we entered the temple, our guide
instructed us to touch the steps with our hands as the practitioners of the
religion did. This forces everyone to bow their head before entering the temple
and thus show respect. We sat with our legs crossed, facing the centerpiece of
the temple and listened to the chanting of the holy book, which lay under a
gold arch. There were three men sitting near the arch playing musical
instruments to the chanting of the sacred text. In front of the arch, people
lined up to donate money and pray. We sat on the carpet of the temple next to
those there worshipping, among them were young families, groups of older men or
young girls huddled together. In this space all seemed equal, there were no
divisions or seperate levels, all came and bowed and sat together on the floor
of the temple. We exited the temple and in front of us lay a large pool.
Our guide
used this time to explain more about what Sikhism is. Sikh means “disciple.”
Sikhs believe in One God and the teachings of the Ten Gurus. This religion was
founded by Guru Nanak, who was dedicated to living spiritually, while also
taking an active and secular part in the world. Though Sikhs make up only about
1.8% of India’s population their spirit and dedication is known nationwide.
Sikhism states that life is not sinful since it originates from a pure source,
the One God. Sikhs do not recognize the caste system nor do they believe in
idol-worship, rituals, or superstitions. This religion is focused on “practical
living, rendering service to humanity and engendering tolerance and brotherly
love towards all.” They preach that salvation is obtained by earning an honest
living and leading a normal life. Sikhism advocates for optimism, hope, and
equality.
Our guide
taught us the five K’s of Sikhism, which is Kesha (long, unshaven hair), Kangha
(a comb), Kara (a steel bracelet), Kachha (a pair of shorts), and Kirpan (a
sword). The sword is to defend those who are persecuted. Our guide explained
that the temple remains open 24/7. The vast pool was a place for people
to come and bathe after a journey. The temple and dining hall are open to
people of all faiths, genders, identities.
These
values were apartent through our time at the temple. Everyone was treated
equally and welcomed to the temple. After a walk around the pool, we stood in
line and received a handful of halwa, a yummy, brown, doughy dessert that we
all ate as we made our way to the kitchen.
Sikhism focuses on
community, service, and egalitarianism. All Sikh temples provide nutritious
food and clean drinking water to all people. Everyone is invited not only to
eat the food but to join together in making it as well. All twenty three of us
crowded into the efficient kitchen. There were several elderly women sitting on
very short benches, intently hunched over balling and rolling out the dough. We
hesitantly gathered around, painfully aware of our own inexperience among the
well trained women that seemed to be molded into the worn benches. Our presence
broke up the well oiled machine that cranked out roti for the thousands of
people patiently waiting merely 100 feet away. While we disrupted the pace we
seemed to liven up the room. The women were more than willing to share in their
knowledge or redo a roti or two that was not up to their standards. As hesitant
as we started out, we soon found our groove and began turning out roti rather
quickly. Soon a rush of new, hungry people gathered in, inspiring our bread
baking even more. After only half an hour all of our twenty
something backs began to hurt being bent over. I looked over at the woman who
had been there long before me and would be there long after and marveled at her
level of dedication to feeding the masses. The women welcomed us in, taught us
their tricks, and giggled at our lopsided roti.
After
we had worked up a large appetite from rolling lots of roti, we waited as we
watched the last meal wave clear out of the large room filled only with long
thin carpets creating isles for us to eat in. Soon the doors opened releasing
the next wave of people in a mad dash to claim a space on the mats. In almost
no time, the large room was filled. We sat in lines of over 30 people sitting
across from and next to people we didn’t know. Volunteer servers walked by
handing each of us a metal tray to put on the white marble ground in front of
us. Efficiently more volunteers came by and placed/scooped roti, dal makhani,
and a potato dish on our tray. The food was incredibly delicious and flavorful.
The volunteers continued to walk by offering additional servings. We all were
careful to take just as much as we could eat since we were told we couldn’t
waste any food because food is sacred and made to feed all who need it. After
we scraped our plates clean with our last bites of the roti, we stood up and
dropped off our trays to be cleaned and used for the next wave of people. The
experience of sitting and eating with all the people at the temple overwhelmed
us with a feeling of community and inclusiveness.
In India
we have been treated anywhere between celebrities or royalty: we are waited on
hand and foot, given gifts and extravagant welcomes everywhere we go. But
the Sikh temple was different. In a way it was the most welcomed I felt because
we were not treated as others but brought in with mutual respect. Because
of the Sikhs intense egalitarian belief system, no one is treated differently
or given special treatment. The rich wait in line and eat next to the poor and
we were no different. Indians have an amazing sense of hospitality. It is one
of the things that we all truly love about the country. But in the Sikh temple
we were guests serving the hosts. We felt useful, a part of something bigger,
and an equal part of the community. At our class meeting that night we were
debriefing on our wondrous day at Agra and our enlightening day at the Sikh
temple. Both days were extraordinarily humbling in their own ways. One day we
were at one of the wonders of the world and marveled at the intricacies of the
Taj Mahal. The next, we were cooking in a kitchen that will provide completely
free food for over 100,000 people that day. We felt our afternoon at the Sikh
temple was humbling, inspiring, and welcoming. We were in absolute awe at the
generosity and inclusiveness of the Sikhs. We all hope to bring back that sense
of full service community to Olaf and our own home towns.
-Hannah and Tara
-Hannah and Tara
