GUELPH — To Christians, the service of worship at the Sikh temple on Stevenson Street could seem a mystery. All the speaking, after all, is in Punjabi, the hymns are more like chants than lyrical songs, and everyone’s head must be covered, either by a veil, a turban or a head scarf provided for those who don’t have their own.
But its pillars are very much like the pillars of Christianity and the message of welcome is well understood, even if the language isn’t.
“It’s about sacrifice, education and brotherhood,” Dr. Ravi Singh Rai, vice president of the Sikh Society of Guelph, said as he guided me through Sunday morning service, “and we’re open to everyone. All we ask is that you show respect, take your shoes off, wash your hands, cover your head, and enjoy the company.”
In light of opposition to a proposed new and larger temple in Guelph’s south end, the Sikh Society was only too happy to let the Mercury see what goes on inside its sacred space.
Sikhism is a relatively new religion, just a little over 500 years old, and it was borne in a time when India was being torn apart by religious and political divisions, castes, and fanaticism.
Guru Nanak is its founder and his birthday, Nov. 14, is a big day on the Sikh calendar. April 13 is another biggie — a day to celebrate when the Sikh religion came into existence.
Nanak saw how violent the culture could be and how vulnerable its people were when battle lines were drawn over religious differences.
Nanak believed there is only one God, although there may be many paths to finding God. He aligned with no religion and in the end developed a belief system that honours the divine that exists in all humans. He called it the Light of Truth.
Nanak had 10 students and through their research and meditation, attained levels of enlightenment. Those insights were written into a book, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, or God’s book.
On Sunday the priest read passages and sang selections from the Guru Granth. Worshippers sat cross-legged on mats on the floor and stood, sat or bowed their heads to the mats at various parts of the service.
Rai said sitting on the ground puts everyone on the same level and that is a level of humbleness.
“My objective is to get more people to pray,” Rai said. “They come to temple, pray to God and learn about the book. In time they develop a strong sense of values.
“Sikhism is a way of life.”
It was clear, when the service was over and people filed into a second room to share a meal, why the Guelph society is looking for larger quarters.
The former beer store on Stevenson Street has served them well since they bought it in 1998, but with a congregation of approximately 150 people, the bottleneck to get from one room to the next lasted some 20 minutes.
Rai said the congregation wants a room where children can be schooled in Punjabi and Sikhism while their parents worship upstairs. They want a proper community kitchen to prepare the food that’s integral to their service. And they want domes to allow natural light into the temple.
Their plan for the south-end temple would give them a raised basement for kitchen, school and dining hall, and a large prayer room on the main level with high ceilings and a balcony around the perimeter overlooking the prayer room.
“We’ve talked to the city and said, give us your requests and we’ll follow them,” said Amarjit Furmah, president of the Guelph Sikh Society. “We don’t care what colour is the brick or stone. We’ll do what they want.”
The tiny parking lot at the Stevenson Street temple was full with about 40 vehicles. The new site would have 160 parking spaces, which would be plenty for even the largest weddings or funerals, Furmah said. Those are the religious events that could draw a larger crowd than a regular Sunday service, he said.
Divinder Grewal has been a member of the Sikh Society for about 10 years and lives in the south end. He said he’s never experienced racism before and can’t fathom why there’s such opposition to building a temple in that neighbourhood.
“This is a multicultural country and every Canadian has the right to practice their religion,” he said. “That’s all we want to do. I’ve never seen racism before — just on this issue.”
“We as the Sikh community have failed to communicate our religion,” Raid said. “We want people to come to our temple and see what we do.
“Perhaps when they have seen us and know us, they will not be afraid.”
