Video summary
Simran explains that the word 鈥楪urdwara鈥 means the 鈥榟ome of the Guru鈥, or the 鈥榙oor to the Guru鈥.
She describes what happens at the Gurdware and the many symbols of respect they show when they are there. These include: taking off your shoes, washing your hands, covering your head, sitting down on the floor to eat, expressing equality through sharing food without taking notice of differences of gender, wealth, age or any other differences.
Simran explains that every Gurdwara has a kitchen - the famous 鈥楲angar鈥 - where anyone can eat; so long as they are willing to eat with everyone else. This helps to feed the poor and needy 鈥 and to challenge the wealthy and proud. Some Sikhs even take langar onto the streets as well to feed the homeless.
Simran has a go at helping to make food for everyone, but her skills are not perfect yet. Still, it is the intention that matters!
Teacher Notes
Guru Nanak taught that the mouth of a hungry person is the treasure chest of God. What do pupils think he meant?
Simran makes lots of connections between the kitchen and the scriptures. Ask your pupils to find two pictures, one of the langar and one of the dais where the Guru Granth Sahib is read. Get them to think about how these two are connected.
For Sikhs, the duty to serve others and the duty to remember God are linked in every way. Can pupils write some connections between the two pictures?
Here are some examples:
- (i) 鈥淩eligion is about food for the body and food for the soul.鈥
- (ii) 鈥淚f you believe God sees all humans equally, then you should try to see them in the same way.鈥
- (iii) 鈥淚t is good to worship God by what you do as well as what you say.鈥
- (iv) 鈥淚f God can be found in every other person, then feeding the poor is the same as serving God.
This topic will be relevant to teaching Religious Education at KS2 or KS3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 2 or 3 in Scotland.
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