VISITOR GUIDE

Welcome to
Gurdwara Sahib

A Gurdwara serves as the focal point for Sikhs to gather and participate in communal worship. The term 'Gurdwara' in Punjabi signifies 'the Guru's dwelling' or 'the gateway to the Guru'. In a Gurdwara Sahib, the Guru is represented not by an individual, but by the Sikh scriptures, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

We welcome everyone, all genders, race and all faiths to come visit us and learn more about us.

Visitor Guide

Below are some universal principles and etiquette for visitors to a Sikh Gurdwara, which are applicable to all places of Sikh worship

Educational Visits

Providing education to our community and individuals with diverse beliefs and traditions significantly contributes to the creation of a more resilient future

Dress appropriately to ensure comfort while sitting on the carpeted floor. Loose-fitting attire that covers most of your body is recommended.
Kindly remove your shoes and place them in the designated shoe racks in the entry area.
Kindly ensure that you cover your head inside any area of the Gurdwara building. Handkerchief-sized cloth coverings are available for visitors at the entrance near the Gurdwara Office room.
Please keep interruptions in the Prayer Hall (Darbar Sahib) to a minimum, and place cell phones/pagers on silent or off modes.
No smoking, alcohol, or drugs of any kind are allowed on the Gurdwara premises at any time.
Visitors under the influence of alcohol or drugs are not allowed on the Gurdwara premises.
When you enter the Prayer Hall, you may bow to the Guru Granth Sahib, our holy scriptures, and then join the congregation. (And as you bow to the Guru Granth Sahib, if you like, you may place a token contribution into the contribution box.)
Men sit on the right side as you enter and women sit on the left side.
The religious ceremony concludes with the congregation partaking in kara parshad, a sanctified food made of whole wheat flour, butter, and sugar, blessed by the Guru. Please accept the parshad graciously and refrain from discarding it. If you prefer a small portion, you may politely request so from the serving volunteer.
Following the religious service, langar will be served in the Langar Hall. We kindly request your cooperation in maintaining the cleanliness and dignity of the Gurdwara premises by avoiding littering
Should you have any inquiries, please feel free to approach any Sikh representative in the congregation at the end of the service.

Thank You

We welcome educational visits to the Gurdwara Sahib by schools, senior homes, other communities and organizations

Our current curriculum for school visits includes:

A brief introduction to the history of Sikhism and our Gurus.
The purpose of the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple)
An understanding of the Sikh Beliefs.
Sikh Identity – How to Recognize a Sikh.
An overview of Sikh customs and religious symbols.
An outline of the major Sikh Festivals.
Show you how a Sikh ties his turban.
Hymn singing and playing on the musical Sikh instrument called the Harmonium (Waja)
A question and answer session

If you wish to organise a visit, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@kdsvictoria.org

In your email, please supply us the following information:

Preferred date of visit
Full Name and Address of Organization
Details of who we will be visiting
Any other details that are pertinent to the visit

We look forward to helping you make the best use of the educational resources available to yourselves and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Hope to see you soon and further your knowledge of Sikhism.