Gurdwara | But I Smile Anyway...

Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge #65 – Clear & Harp – linking to a hardly political blog-cast!

05 Oct 2015 24 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Poems Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, clear & harp, Election, Gurdwara, Haiku, Politics

Monday heralds the Haiku challenge our dear friend Ronovan sets each week. Check it out here!

The words, Clear and Harp… Again Ronovan, you are totally testing us!!!

Election Fever

It doesn’t matter

How clearly I state my views

You harp on anyway…

Ritu 2015

A little background to this haiku this time.

We are in the throes of election fever here. Not General elections, but the time to select the new Mukh Sevadar, or President, of the Sikh Temple here.

It’s annoying enough, getting bombarded with literature and visits at every turn, from well wishing supporters of various candidates, to family and friends who have their own agenda with regards to who they support.

But to have scandalous videos, and mudslinging happening between the two candidates…. Or their parties… That is unacceptable.

We are voting for someone to lead our temple for the next two years, a place of worship, a source of sanctity, not to help people with their own personal gains. This role is pretty big. We are one of the largest Gurdwaras in Europe. We need someone who will act for the good of the Sangat, the worshippers, creating a temple and atmosphere of spirituality, and serenity, not someone who point fingers, or wants gratitude.

I’ll name no names. I’m not swaying votes with my piece.

All I know is I have read lots, and it’s becoming hard to decide what is truth, and what is a pile of lies…

Truly, it has become politics within religion. Manifestos, debates, promises. All I want, and what most of those I know want, is a Gurdwara where we can go to, to pray, to soak in the beauty of the Sikh religion, to feel tranquility….

Ok, hopping off my soapbox now!!!!

Visiting the Gurdwara Today

14 Apr 2015 26 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blg, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Culture, Gurdwara, Photos, Sikh, Vaisakhi

It’s not even 9.30am, and already we have been extremely spiritual, given the auspicious nature of the day today! As it is Vaisakhi, we usually go to the Gurdwara to pay our respects, and because we had to drop Hubby Dearest to the station today, it seemed a good idea to start the day in a religious way!

The Gurdwara this morning

The flags are up, ready for the Nagar Kirtan, the religious procession that will be happening on Saturday.

The Chanda, the flag, to show that there is a Gurdwara here

Yup, that’s my two, standing at the base of the Chanda, the flag of the Khalsa, paying their respects before going inside.

The Entrance hall

It’s a beautiful building, and there is amazing wooden carved panels, brought over from India, where expert carvers created the panels.

One of the panels

As you go up one level there is a stained glass window, depicting the symbol ੴ, Ek Onkar, meaning there is one God.

Ek Onkar

Then the domes that you can see for the outside are decorated on the inside with mosaic work.

The Outer Dome

Then when you go inside the Darbar Sahib, to actually pay your respects, there is another stunning stained glass window, and the decorated area where the Guru Granth Sahib sits.