Folks
i've been going to gurdwara for long time but never asked or understood why men & women sit separably. Is this just a general thing that's always been done and is it okay for a family of 4 to sit together if they wish to?
Thanks
Therefore, I'm glad that I don't have to sit behind a woman who may distract me with her booty!!
AS A MATTER OF INTEREST:
Separate sitting arrangement for ladies in Golden Temple
AMRITSAR:
In front of VIP enclosure, there is one more enclosure where gents and ladies could sit together and many times female folk raised objection with SGPC President Avtar Singh that space usually forcibly occupied by gents. Even many time some gents without caring presence of female, occupy the narrow space which put the females in embarrassing situation and in that circumstances female devotees prefer to leave the sanctum sanctorum rather to sit in odd situation created by the opposite sex.
Now, SGPC has deputed task force to guard the enclosure which has been reserved only for ladies and gents would not be allowed to sit there in any of the circumstances, said Manager Golden Temple Harbans Singh Malhi.
source: http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/separate-sitting-arrangement-ladies-golden-temple/31142
Even many time some gents without caring presence of female, occupy the narrow space which put the females in embarrassing situation
[Soul_jyot;183235]AS A MATTER OF INTEREST:
Separate sitting arrangement for ladies in Golden Temple
AMRITSAR: Long pending demand of female devotees has been approved when SGPC (Shriomani Gurdwara Pharbandhak Committee) made separate sitting arrangement for ladies inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Harmandhar Sahib (Golden Temple).
Earlier, there was no separate arrangement for female devotees to sit inside as they had to sit with gents and sometime many ladies feel awkward to sit with opposite sex.
As SGPC has received many complaints and urged in this regard to make separate sitting arrangement for females. Nevertheless to say that there is special VIP enclosure for visiting devotees inside, where only male can sit to listen religious hymns but ladies were not permitted to sit there.
In front of VIP enclosure, there is one more enclosure where gents and ladies could sit together and many times female folk raised objection with SGPC President Avtar Singh that space usually forcibly occupied by gents. Even many time some gents without caring presence of female, occupy the narrow space which put the females in embarrassing situation and in that circumstances female devotees prefer to leave the sanctum sanctorum rather to sit in odd situation created by the opposite sex.
Now, SGPC has deputed task force to guard the enclosure which has been reserved only for ladies and gents would not be allowed to sit there in any of the circumstances, said Manager Golden Temple Harbans Singh Malhi.
source: http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/separate-sitting-arrangement-ladies-golden-temple/31142
This article has the incorrect information. I have no idea when it was posted because there is no date on the original post.
There is no VIP area per se. As the inside of Darbar Sahib is very small, the majority of the space is taken by Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji area. There is a very small space where the Ragis sit to sing Keertan and also the 5 men who chant Swayieis when the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is brought in the Golden Palki in the morning. There is a very little room left there and it is on first come first sit basis. Yes, there is a security guard there that allows someone to sit when the space is vacant when another person leaves.
So, if one calls the Raagis and the 5 honchos VIP's, then it is a different story. I have sat there many times and I am no one.
Across from this place, there is one more space just like this but a bit larger than the one where men sit because one who enters the Darbar Sahib can only exist from the door where men are sitting. The door on the other side is strictly for women to come and sit in that space and I have always seen women sitting there. There is also a security guard there who never lets men sit on that side.
This is news to me.
One important and abhorrent thing to notice is the open segregation shown by these 5 honchos who would not let any woman or any other man chant the Swayieis except someone who is related or close to them.
The only exception was Bhai Jeevan Singh when he was well which was before his stroke. He used to travel all around the world but later on settled in Amritsar where he still lives. But whenever he was back in Amritsar in between his worldly voyages, he used to sing the Swayieis.
It is the same open segregation for women to do Seva by washing the Darbar sahib with milk at night, the job that only men perform despite the protests from the women.
As far sitting arrangements in the Gurdwaras are concerned, the separation is more due to the social reasons because Gurdwara is also a social get together where people meet. Both men and women chat while the Keertan is being performed. Jaskeerat my 23 year old always sits with me when she is home from college. On a side note, no woman in my opinion would wear plumber's jeans while visiting the Gurdwara.
Tejwant Singh
Your lovely (and slightly naughty) picture is covering much of your writing. Until that is fixed, I have reproduced your text here, so others can read it.Sorry to bring this up nearly a year later... but since I have now been to Amritsar, I'd just like to ask... where on earth do people actually find a space to sit in the sanctum sanctorum at all!?? It was always so crowded that you could barely mathatek unless you could somehow make yourself into a pretzel and do it in the same space you use for standing! (somehow I managed haha) but I found actually there is more room on the second floor to actually sit. The bottom floor seems more a thoroughfare with an endless line of people that are ushered through as quick as possible (after an hour of waiting in a line up to get there).
In Bangla Sahib though, I noticed there was no male or female side... everyone sat everywhere... I actually found Bangla Sahib more peaceful for meditation / reflection. And Sis Ganj Sahib too for that matter...
Here is a pic I took on my way through the sanctum sanctorum to illustrate my point. You can barely see the tiny space on the right where the women are... I'd say maybe 10 people can sit there tops?? Since there are literally hundreds of people in the lineup at any given time (probably more like thousand), the fact that there is even a place to sit at all is a moot point.
p.s. I got a finger pointed at me for taking this... but it was worth it