Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Gurdwara is a sacred place of worship for the Sikh community across the globe. One can trace the origin and development of Sikhism around Gurdwaras. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, raised structures known as dharamshalas which emerged as sacred places of worship for his disciples .With the passage of time, these dharamsalas were recognized as Gurdwaras.The fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, compiled the holy scripture of “Adi Granth” and installed it in the central Hall of Golden Temple in 1604 AD. The Guru assigned the status of Guru (divine Lord) to Adi Granth, and Bani (the hymns in Adi Granth) as the abode of true lord. Soon after that, the Gurdwaras became the the central point of all the socio-religious activities of the Sikhs. Guru Arjan also evolved a series of rituals and practices around the nucleus of the Adi Granth and made it an object of worship. Gurdwaras gave separate identity to the Sikhs. Community kitchen attached to these Gurdwaras significantly contributed towards the development of Sikhism. This paper will explore the evolution of Sikhism around Gurdwaras and its development from a sect to full fledged religious order.