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Summary of Question:	Covering Of Head And Taking Off Of Shoes
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Friday, 8/22/2003 6:12 AM MDT

waheguru ji ka khalsa

waheguru ji ki fateh

I just wanted to follow on from the discussion regarding covering of heads and removal of shoes prior to entering the darbar sahib in gurudwaras.

I am in agreement with the idea that we are there to be a part of the sadh sangat and that the above rituals are a sign of respect. I also believe that there may be some practical reasons for the above mentioned rituals.

I believe that sitting together on the floor symbolises unity and equality of the sangath. We sit on the floor below the level of Guru Granth sahib ji’s seat in order to pay reverence to Guru Granth sahib ji.

Removal of shoes is necessary in this instance because they carry the dirt from the road. Wearing them in the darbar sahib creates mess on the floor therefore an unhygienic and unpleasant environment to sit in. In gurudwaras in India we also wash our feet prior to entering the darbar sahib in order to cleanse them and remove any odour that may distract fellow members of the sangat sitting near us.

Interms of beautifying our external appearance to go to the gurudwara… many scholars and mahapurkhs suggest it is an unwise practice as it may break the concentration of members of the sangat. As humans we are drawn to beautiful objects and it is difficult for us to focus on God anyway, so when a beautiful person enters a room we turn our attention to them and away from the real reason that we are supposed to be in that room. Therefore mahapurkh suggest we dress in a simple manner.

As for covering of heads... as Sikhs, should it not be desirable to cover our heads to protect our long hair from dust and grime regardless of whether we are in the gurudwara sahib or not?

Please correct me if I am wrong in any of the comments I have made. Please add to expand my knowledge too.

Kindest regards,
Satvinder Kaur

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REPLY
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Thanks for your comments. Guru ang sang,
-DKK