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Summary of Question:	Temples And Guru Granth Sahib
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Saturday, 5/25/2002 11:32 AM MDT

Dear friends,

I am very interested in Sikhism and would like to know whether are there purification rituals obligatory to touch the Holy Book or to enter Temples or to touch other sacred objects and whether a house where there is a paper that some phrases from Guru Granth Sahib are written on is considered as a Temple.
Hoping that you can help me I thank you with all my heart.
Yours sincerely,
Davide

(REPLY)

Thank you for your questions. I suggest that you go to the home page of Sikhnet and on the left hand side you will find links to various aspects of Sikh Dharma so you can learn more than I can possibly write in this short message. However, as for touching the "Holy Book" -- we really want to be aware that the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is our Living Guru, and not just a "book"! As for purification "rituals" -- well, I suppose you could call washing your hands, and covering your head before touching the Guru "rituals," but they are just things we do in respect and reverence before reading from the Guru. A Gurdwara (temple) is any place where the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is installed and worship takes place. (Again, you can read details in "Victory and Virtue" which is the Sikh Dharma manual accessed from the website home page.) People can hold Gurdwaras in their homes (Gurdwara literally means the "gate of the Guru") and everyone and anyone is welcome to attend. Most Sikhs will have a Nitnam, (small book in which are written the daily Sikh prayers) at home all the time, but that does not make the home a Gurdwara. Many Sikhs carry the Nitnam with them as well. BTW, it's been said that the body is the living Temple of God! So God basically lives everywhere, and in everyone! but we set up special places for formal worship. (I would also suggest that you read the article on Shabd Guru, which will explain more about the power and uniqueness of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.) I hope these suggestions are somewhat helpful. Blessings, SP