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Gurudwara Sisganj |
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| Located on the main Chandni Chowk road, just
opposite Baptist Church, before Sunheri Masjid lies one of the
sacred places of Sikhs in the capital, Gurdwara Sisganj. The
gurdwara commemorates the site where on the orders of Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb Guru Tegh Bahadur; the ninth guru of the Sikhs
was beheaded. He was martyred here in 1675 under a banyan tree
because he objected to emperor's use of force against the Hindus,
who refused to renounce their faith and religion. |
| To visit the gurdwara, the visitant should leave
their shoes outside at the counter and cover their head. Though
one can go to the main worship place directly but it would be
better if one first visit the 'Information Office', which is
near the entrance. From there a member of the Gurdwara Management
Committee will accompany and show the visitant all-important
places within the gurdwara. |
| The main worship room of the gurdwara, which
is very spacious and flood lit has the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru
Granth Sahib under a beautifully carved golden canopy. The sacred
book is covered with a large red cloth and has piles of garlands
of marigolds at its base. At night, the book is ceremonially
carried to a special room in the gurdwara that can be seen through
the glass. The book is kept there in a special-resting closet.
Near the room is also kept the part of the banyan tree under
which the ninth guru was killed. There is also an enclosed structure
where the guru was held prisoner before beheading. |
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| Throughout the day religious hymns are sung
near the golden canopy and devotees that includes both sexes
men and women, come and listen it with devotion. After the prayer,
the devotees receive karah, a consecrated food cooked of wheat
and ghee as blessings from the gurdwara. |
| An important feature and attraction of all the
gurdwaras are their community kitchens (Guru ka langar), which
oppose discrimination based on caste and stress the concept
of equality. Here people of any background, religion, caste,
color and creed eat together. The community kitchen of this
gurdwara too feeds around 2000-4000 people everyday and it is
advisable not to miss to taste the good food made under good
hygienic conditions. |
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