Visiting a Sikh Temple: How to Step Inside Respectfully

When traveling in India, I had the opportunity to visit a lively Sikh temple in New Delhi. It was a completely new and amazing experience.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded in India’s Punjab region and based on the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. The Sikh philosophy focuses on the equality of all people, and is said to be summed up by Guru Nanak as, “Realization of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living.”

The Sikhs are extremely gracious in welcoming visitors and helping them to understand the Sikh religion and customs. Visiting a gurdwara, the Sikh meeting place for worship, is open to everyone – regardless of beliefs, caste or color.

Based on my experience, here are some guidelines to follow for a respectful visit, and notes about what to expect.

Dress modestly.
Like any other sacred space, you will want to plan on dressing modestly when visiting a Sikh temple. It’s best to wear loose-fitting clothing as you may sit with others on the floor in the main prayer hall.

Check-in before entering.
The Sikh temple I visited had a reception area for visitors. There was staff on-hand to welcome and educate visitors, and to loan them a head-covering cloth if they did not have one. The representative I met was delighted to share information and answer all my questions about Sikhism before I entered the temple. Any trepidation I may have felt about entering this unknown world were completely wiped away by the hospitality of the first Sikhs I met.

Cover your head.
Everyone must cover their heads before entering the gurdwara. Sikh men customarily wear turbans, while Sikh women typically wear head scarves as part of their traditional dress. If you do not have a head covering, inquire about borrowing one when you arrive at the temple. During my visit in Delhi, there were large bandanna-like cloths available to use.

Remove your shoes and wash your hands and feet.
Many gurdwaras have a fountain or small moat just outside the entrance of the main prayer hall. It is customary to remove your shoes here and place them on the shoe racks provided, and wash your hands and feet. Mere steps from the chaotic streets of Delhi, this small ritual upon entering brought an immediate feeling of peace and tranquility as I stepped inside.

In the main prayer hall, be aware of the Guru Granth.
Entering the main prayer hall, I found an immediately uplifting and soothing feeling. Musicians playing traditional Sikh devotional music filled the room with a beautiful sublime song. Many sat and prayed on rugs on the floor, while others bowed and placed offerings before a raised platform containing the Guru Granth (the holy book). I sat cross-legged and felt the positivity of the atmosphere, being careful not to point my feet towards nor turn my back on the Guru Granth. During a worship service, women and men each sit on a different side of the room.

Take part in Langar.
Langar is a beautiful tradition that takes place every day in every Sikh gurdwara around the world. Langar refers to full vegetarian meals that are funded and prepared completely by volunteer worshipers and served to anyone who wishes to partake in them. In the langar kitchen, I was welcomed to help prepare and cook thousands of roti, the Indian flat bread staple, with a host of local volunteers. The kitchen was a hum of activity as people stirred giant pots filled with lentils and the women laughed with me as I struggled to make my roti look as perfect as theirs. Peering into the langar hall I saw a great cafeteria-like room where people shared in the great meal, and everyone pitched in to the dishes. The sense of true community and care was profound.

Accept prashad if it is offered to you.
Prashad is a small sweet which is a sanctified offering served to every person who enters the gurdwara. It is customary to eat it with your right hand. If you do not wish to eat it, it is disrespectful to refuse it or throw it away, so it is best to accept it and take it with you.

I stepped out of the Sikh temple and back onto the dirty, noisy streets of New Delhi with a feeling of lightness and joy. As I traveled on in India, I encountered many Sikhs, all of whom were very approachable and kind to a stranger like me. I related how much I had enjoyed learning a bit about their traditions in visiting a gurdwara, and without exception, they were happy to further the connection. If you have the opportunity, a visit to a Sikh temple is a rich travel experience.

Planning to visit a Buddhist temple? Here’s some tips to do so respectfully.

Sikh temple exterior photo by Hari Singh
All other photos by the author

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After all I’d heard, I didn’t know what to expect when I visited Venice. Packed gondolas plying the waterways like piranha? A mass of humanity crowding the thoroughfares and choking the causeways?

Venice was a surprise and a delight. Tourist-ed though it may be, it remains a truly magical place, and one that I feel is well worth a visit.

When my sister and I visited the City of Light last spring, we were lucky to make one important discovery: Staying at the right place in Venice can make all the difference.

I’m about to do you a huge favor.
I’m going to reveal one of the best kept secrets in Venice.

The Al Tramonto Dorato, a sweet bed and breakfast in Venice, truly made our stay in Venice special. Just out of reach of the anonymous tourist bustle, we enjoyed a quiet and cozy stay in a centuries-old family home as the guest of Nicola Derai, the proprietor. We were welcomed as friends by Nicola from the moment we arrived, and the Al Tramonto Dorato quickly became our Venetian home base.

We paid 60 Euro a night for a twin room with shared bath for a 2-night mid-week stay in the spring shoulder season. Unheard of! This included a sustaining breakfast of yogurt, bread/pastries, jam & cheese and homemade espresso, made to order by Nicola.

WiFi is available for a small fee; I found the best signal to be in the common areas. Our guest room was simple and spotless, with comfortable beds and a spacious wardrobe. The room had a courtyard view, but the common room has breathtaking views over the lagoon that you can drink in via the large windows and balcony. (Add a little iPhoneography and you’ve got a classic Room with a View!)

The Al Tramonto Dorato is in the Castello District – an area that is home to many workday Venetians, and has been for ages. In the morning I loved to perch on the balcony overlooking the lagoon and watch people arrive on vapporettos (water taxis) on their way to work. One early morning I awoke just at first light and saw the paper boy jump off his delivery boat (no BMX bikes for these guys!) throw a bundle of papers at the door of the cafe downstairs. At the Giardini Pubblici, a nearby park, I exchanged nods with morning dog-walkers and saw men in business suits escorting their prim-and-proper children to school. At a late-night wine bar down a nearby alley, we seemed to be the only English-speakers.

The nearest vaporetto stop is Arsenal. Apparently, this is not a common stop on many of the routes. Twice we ended up on vaporettos which we thought would deliver us there, but did not. Not to worry – it’s about a 15 minute leisurely stroll down to the heart of the city at St. Mark’s Square. And when you’ve toured the Doge’s Palace and gazed at St. Mark’s golden domes, you’ll leave the masses behind and be back in your own ‘hood in time for supper.

Understandably, the Al Tramonto Dorato books up early! I used the HostelWorld website to view availability and put down a deposit and snag the nights I wanted for our stay. You may also contact Nicola directly through their website to book.

Also planning to visit the Cinque Terre on your Italian odyssey? Here’s my recommendation for the best local accommodations there.

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I participated in my first #ExpChat, a weekly Twitter chat hosted by Expedia on different travel topics, last week. The topic was “sustainable travel”. Admittedly, I was a bit taken aback by what I heard.

“Q1 What comes to mind when you think of sustainable travel?”

Some replied with honest ignorance, like —

“I’m not sure.”
“I’m here to find out!”

Many others centered on another theme—

“Using the same towels and linens for more than one day at my hotel.”
“Yes! I’m annoyed that more hotels don’t offer a discount for reusing your towels!”

That’s when I realized something. I haven’t been doing my job properly. If the travel community does not have a sense of what sustainable travel truly means, I need to help get everyone up to speed.

Sustainable Travel is not the same thing as “green travel” or “eco-tourism”. Absolutely, YES —environmental stewardship is a very important component, but there is a reason why it is not lumped together. The environmental piece is only half of the picture.

Sustainable Travel is just as concerned with cultural preservation as it is with environmental preservation. Without discounting the important of biodiversity, habitat restoration and the like, sustainable travel is about making tourism work for host communities in the long run. It views the traditional culture and beliefs as equally important to protect as the natural setting these communities call home.

Sustainability means “the capacity to endure“. This is where the conversation MUST be elevated beyond reusing linens.

How do we give communities the capacity to endure, and even thrive, in the face of tourism? What broad-spectrum benefits must be built-in for locals to embrace and grow with tourism? A large part of looking at sustainable tourism is the benefit that local communities see – economically, for sure, but also on an emotional/spiritual level.  How do indigenous communities who now deal with tourism on a daily basis relate to it and all it brings? Does it promote cultural pride rather that erode at traditional values? Does it bring new opportunities for prosperity, new access to beneficial technologies and overall, a better way of life? And who determines that?

To me, sustainable travel seeks to answer questions like these, and in the process, create lasting, meaningful tourism structures that preserve and promote the cultural and environmental treasures of the world.

I have no intention of shaming my fellow tweeters on #ExpChat; I gained a lot of insight from the discussion and came away with a feeling of great hope. Even with the limits of definition, there was a genuine interest to learn more, and a couple of very valid concepts and ideas being volleyed around. It’s discussions like this which will move things forward.

So, let’s talk! How do you see sustainable tourism defining itself today? What do we need to focus on to elevate the conversation about sustainability in travel?

Hotel linens photo by violarenate via creative commons

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