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General Things People Do

anders

SPNer
Jul 13, 2004
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Trying to consolidate what I have seen on visits to a number of gurdwaras in India, I have two main sets of questions.

Karah prasad

I have noted that karah prasad and a receipt is received in exchange for money, but haven't seen a price displayed at the counters. Is there a fixed price, or is the money a donation?

Then, the receipt is put in a box, for example at the beginning of the "bridge" to Harmandir Sahib, or at an entrance. Is this to certify that no other food than karah prasad is brought into the gurdwara?

Threshold actions

When entering holy places of various religions, many (most?) believers touch the threshold with one or both hands, and then it looks like they touch their ears and/or temples and/or close their hands in anjali. Is there a standard way, or is it up to each person to devise a way to show respect (including for example prostrations or bowing before the SGGS chamber)? Is there any other significance to these actions?
 

anders

SPNer
Jul 13, 2004
51
13
80
Sweden
** Bump **
Could you please at least tell me if you don't understand what I'm asking, or don't know about my questions, or whatever?
 
Jul 10, 2006
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** Bump **
Could you please at least tell me if you don't understand what I'm asking, or don't know about my questions, or whatever?

Waheguru ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru ji Ki Fateh

I have never been to Harmandar Sahib so wont know about the receipts there.

You dont pay for food or parshad in any Gurdwara.

As to holy places such as Gurdwaras, metha thek Sri Guru Granth sahib or touching the floor with your fingers to get 'sangats thoor[dust]' to your forehead, or 'hath Jor[palms joined]' and bowing to Nishan Sahib is a common thing to do.

Metha thek Sri Guru Granth sahib ji shows humility.

Visiting sangat from different backgrounds might show different gestures such as touching their 'ears' as a sign of respect. Not too sure why else they touch their 'ears'.


In Gurdwara, you wont get receipts if you metha thek and contribute money or food(uncooked) at the golak(money box).

A receipt is given by the treasurer (usually sitting near the darbar[main hall] entrance with a receipt book and a book keeping book), if you contribute daswandh/donation to the Gurdwara via him. He issues a receipt for gurdwara book-keeping purposes. There have been cases where money that has metha thek into the golak directly been stolen by unscrupulous lot.
 

anders

SPNer
Jul 13, 2004
51
13
80
Sweden
Thank you. But I still have questions. At, I think, Bangla Sahib, there was a sign, "Take slip for karah parshad from here". That was outside of the darbar, so it surely had nothing to do with the daswandh. The slip collection boxes I noticed were, now that I have had a few minutes to review my photos (some 5000 during two months in India) at the Guru Bridge in Harmandir Sahib as mentioned, and at one entrance of the Rakab Ganj Sahib in Nai Dilli.
 

vaapaaraa

SPNer
Jul 15, 2004
196
6
Its been many years, I have been to amritsar, only thing i can think of is that maybe when someone donates daswand etc, they get a recept slip for karah parsad..

I do remember that you do get a token with a number on it, to identify your pair of shoes, upon entering, but that might not be what your looking for.

Probably someone on the board, living near those Gurudwaras might be able to know.
 

kds1980

SPNer
Apr 3, 2005
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Karah prasad

I have noted that karah prasad and a receipt is received in exchange for money, but haven't seen a price displayed at the counters. Is there a fixed price, or is the money a donation?

let me try to answer your question.

it just a ritual which is not even compulsery for everybody.there is no fixed price for karah parshad it is just gift for guru ji.it doesn't matter whether you give 5 rupees or thousand rupees the quantity of karah parshad is the same.it means when you are entering gurudwara you are bringing karah parshad for guru ji.
the receipt is to ensure for proper accounting and to ensure that karah parshad is bought from the gurudwara counter.
 

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