[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I am Lila Weaver and this is blog is a continuation of my pilgrimage to India. In the previous blog I told the story of leaving Cape Town, South Africa and stopping over in Dubai, just to have a Falcon perching on my arm. Also of my arrival In Delhi India, and the first few days before I met with Karman.
This blog tells of my meeting with Karman and the most exciting journey of my life.
Today is the first day of the yatra or pilgrimage, preparing me for the Takhats. I’ve been fasting for months, withholding from many simple pleasures and I’ve had no animal products for the past thirty days.
I’m extremely excited but also nervous as this will push my body, mind and soul to a higher enlightened frequency. Not knowing what to expect though I thought I had done all the necessary preparations.
Karman arrives at my hotel and indeed it is a joyous reunion. It’s been over four years after all. We are connecting as if there has never been a time gap. I admit this makes me feel more at ease. We are ready to set out and start exploring two of the bigger Sikh temples in Delhi.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”305,306,307″ img_size=”650×650″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is first on our list. We embark on a metro train, it’s quite a distance from where we are staying and we change trains a few times.
At the entrance to the massive white building Karman explains that my head must be covered. We proceed to hand in our shoes. I see so many pairs of shoes in the racks that look quite mixed up and I wonder how they’ll figure out which ones are mine when I return.
We walk through the foot baths, and then wash our hands and proceed to purchase Parshaad (Holy Communion). Now this is a very unique concept. You purchase the Parshaad and before consuming it you donate a part of it at another window for it to be distributed amongst the visitors coming to the Gurudwara worship hall. Unaware of this process Karman allowed me to taste a tiny bit. It was a delightful explosion of sweet and nutty flavours in my mouth. We kneel and bend down out of respect at the first step whilst entering the big building of the Gurudwara or holy temple.
We then proceed to the front of the temple, where we place a donation into a huge golden chest or golak. We bow down once again as the holy book or Granth is resting in front of us on a Beedh ( a low table ) which is placed on a raised platform. The priest is waving a white Chaur Sahib, a fan like object made of Yak hairs to fan the Granth as a mark of respect and reverence.
All this happens behind a fenced area where the priest and musicians are performing their duties reciting the words written in the holy Granth. We sit down for a while. We do our meditative prayers whilst the beautiful hymns and music fill the temple. The energy is surreal, I’ve never felt such a pure holy presence. We sit down in for a while and whilst sitting I absorb in the beautiful energies and feel lighter as my vibrations are becoming more and more in tune with the surrounding sounds. I don’t want to leave the temple or this energy, the energy surrounding me feels as if it’s elevating me.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”308,309,310″ img_size=”650×650″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After a while Karman nods at me and I know it’s time to exit. We take a stroll around the holy tank which is filled with water. Karman explains that the Holy Nectar cleanses you from negative energy and purifies your whole being.
The Gurudwara Bangla Sahib was dedicated to the 8th Guru, Guru Har Krishan Dev Ji. He received the jot or the divine light and the spirit were cured by of Guru Nanak at the age of five from the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai. Guru Har Krishan turned the water into holy nectar during a period when there was a cholera and smallpox outbreak. Millions merely being in contact with the water and so survived these dreadful diseases.
The Sikh emblem consists of 4 symbols which depict the 4 Kirtans or guidelines the Sikh people follow in their lives.
Khanda is the double-edged sword and a metaphor for divine knowledge and truth.
Kirpan of Miri which symbolizes temporal authority which a Sikh must have as an obligation to society.
Chakar the circle that has no end or no beginning symbolizes a God that is eternal.
Kirpan of Piri this indicates the emphasis a Sikh must place on spiritual aspiration.
We set out on a TukTuk to visit the next Gurudwara which is situated in the Chandni Chowk area which is also the biggest market in Delhi. There are nine Sikh Gurudwaras in Delhi, this specific one was also the martyrdom site of the ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji.
Just to give you a bit of background on the Sikh religion: Sikhsim is a monotheistic way of life which believes that there is only one creator. It was formed in the 15th century by Guru Nanak Dev. The main teachings were of Kirat, Naam and Vand Chakna which translates to working and earning an honest labour; praying daily and sharing with others. He also started the concept of langar (free food) and today Gurudwara’s around the world serve Langar to millions every day. There were 10 Sikh Guru’s in human form and they ordained Sikhs to treat everyone equally, respect every religion and also stand up and fight for the oppressed.
The scripture or holy Guru Granth Sahib is now considered as the living Guru and kept at their place of worship which is a temple, called a GURUDWARA which means doorway to God. The Sikhs take an AMRIT, it’s a ritual or a kind of baptism which then affords them the honour to wear the 5 K’s. These are literally, KESH or long hair, KANGA, a small wooden comb, KARA, a silver bangle, KIRPAN a short dagger and KACHERA which is a specific undergarment for men and ladies.This was implemented by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”311,312,313″ img_size=”650×650″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In this room which is now a free kitchen, Guru Ji was kept captive and tortured. This hall has been transformed into a Langar hall which now gives a plate of food to all the devotees that come to pray.
In this room I enjoyed my first Langar meal. In quiet we sat in rows on mats waiting for a server to come past and dish up. The food is tasty and wholesome, I sense a sacred energy of love with every bite I take.
The chefs are not employed, this is community work, they freely give their time and care.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”314,315,316″ img_size=”650×650″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The next morning Karman and I get ready to leave Delhi on my first bus trip in India. I look up and again I see the falcon circling overhead, keeping a watchful eye on me. It’s a five hour bus trip to the Patiala district in the Punjab state.
Our next stop is the Gurudwara Shri DukhNirvaran, in Patiala. We enjoy a meditative prayer session and Holy Communion. After a peaceful sitting we stroll around the Holy pool and settle into the Punjabi energies, much less frantic than in Delhi.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”317,318″ img_size=”650×650″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The next morning we are awoken by a cow mooing outside the family homes front door, they walk around and ask for food. We fed the cow. It was also time to depart from Patiala for the Golden Temple situated around 230 Kms away in the holy city of Amritsar.
We decided to take a private taxi to Amritsar and an angel guide arrives in the form of our Sikh driver. He has spent twelve years of his life as a musician in a temple and had immense knowledge of Gurbani (the holy scripts). Off course he could only speak Punjabi and Karman translated for me later that evening.
The trip was long as there were traffic jams upon traffic jams. We stopped off for an ablution break at a temple and the kitchen server offered us tea and sweets. As we sat drinking the tea the driver turned to me and said in pure English “It was written in the book that you will have tea here today”. I don’t know who was more astounded, me or him. Tears just filled my eyes with the overwhelming feeling of knowing that all has been written, all in our past, the future has happened already, all is written in the book of life, or Akashic records.
The journey continues, everywhere there are religious festivals. We come across a convoy of followers that are celebrating their guru’s birthday. This five-hour journey stretches to seven and a half hours and we arrived at our hotel exhausted that night.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxDiDjegROY”][/vc_column][/vc_row]