Gurdwara Sahib Refused To Give Shelter

[S1ngh]

This is second time in my life that i personally saw gurdwara management refusing shelter to non-sikh for a night. Here's what happened..

We had a sri akhand paath sahib going on in our local gurdwara sahib during the weekend and most of my family literally stayed @ gurdwara sahib till late night doing sewa, cooking langar and listening to paaath... It was friday late night a nice well mannered couple (late 30''s) came to gurdwara sahib for staying overnight. They were budget travelers from spain and were on the way to Yosemite National Park. I am not going to name gurdwara sahib but this gurdwara sahib is panthic in terms of several kaum issues. Anyway, gurudwara sahib location is on the way to yosemite park and this couple showed up @ gurdwara sahib; wanting to stay overnight. Granthi Singh of the gurdwara sahib was very nice and tried his best to give shelter to this couple and he was constantly on phone with pardhan; who keep refusing by giving some stupid reasons.. Later on some were talking that we don't keep anyone because of the possibility that indian government can send agents to spy on them.. For crying out loud... u are doing akhand paath not making forumula of dhamakay in gurdwara sahib..

Spanish couple told us that they are budget travelers and can't afford a motel or stuff.. they told gurdwara ppl that they will sleep inside langar hall or under the shed of joora ghar. They didn't listened to them. Now, how and why they came to gurdwara sahib? Well, this same couple went to travel india few times and they always stayed @ gurdwara sahib and they knew names of gurdwara sahib and so on. They were telling experience of how they felt comfortable staying @ sikh places during their whole trip to india... My dad stayed mostly in every country and he could tell that these ppl are genuine by talking about their travels and so on.. Point is that they are not some kind of junkie or stuff like that... Anyway, after 2 hours of waiting, gurudwara representative came in a car just to make sure that they don't stay @ gurdwara property.. He told them: "You can eat but cannot stay and have to leave the property." That was their reply without any emotion or explanation.. Comeon.. sri akhand paath is going on and few ppls are awake @ night.. so what gives them to say no to them..

Getting tired of this crap going on with management, my dad took them to our home and they stayed for a night and they gave us little present and left quietly in the morning..

Now my point is that what is the use of doing katha saying " If ppl see nishaan sahib from far far away, it gives traveler right to come, eat and stay @ our guru's house"... Look at the examples of Bhagat Puran Singh ji who came into sikhi after staying @ gurdwara sahib.. There are countless other hidden stories where human life totally changed after staying @ gurudwara sahib (after all its house of guru sahib)..

Anyway, i was disappointed the way gurdwara system works here.. It is time for these management or sangat to review the principles of gurdwara. To me gurughar is not only for SIKHS but for all human.

I was just totally mad.. and such stuff probably happens everyday around the globe..

[VanHelsingh]

Granthi Singh of the gurdwara sahib was very nice and tried his best to give shelter to this couple and he was constantly on phone with pardhan; who keep refusing by giving some stupid reasons.. Later on some were talking that we don't keep anyone because of the possibility that indian government can send agents to spy on them.. For crying out loud... u are doing akhand paath not making forumula of dhamakay in gurdwara sahib..

:lol: - That would be so funny if it wasn't so paranoid. Although I wouldn't put anything past these anti-Sikh groups.

I dread to think what the couple thought of Sikhs after being refused somewhere to stay. Not a good impression to make on people. Sad news.

[Only five]

Singh, even though it's a panthic Gurdwara. You should have a meeting with the pardhaan, so this issue can be resolved. The title of being a panthic Gurdwara should not give these committee members and Pardhaan the right to do as they wish while disregarding Sikh values. One thing that springs up, due to a earlier discussion, is when Sant Baba Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa would not hold back calling those out who were running panthic institutions and were in the wrong. People make mistakes, but this incident was no mistake, but a total disregard for Gurmat.

[SunSingh]

a different point of view, i feel that gurdwara accomodations are only required for sangat, and not for those who are just gallavanting about. sangat's money is for prachaar, not to make backpacking across india cheaper. you have some good points, but i just don't think that it's part of the function of gurdwara sahibs to be inns. i don't think there is anything wrong wiht providng said accomodation, but certainly feel that it is not required.

[Singh559]

Singh Ji is this Gurudwara in Fresno? If so, I'm from Fresno as well and it may be the same one i'm telling this story about..

At any rate, I also have seen something like this happen. In January I met a Singh while going to do gatka in Caruthers, anyways we talked and he told me he was moving back to Punjab because his parents, wife and new born son was there. We made plans to go to Punjab and meet up with each other there (we did in Zirakpur and went to Patiala to look at shastars). Anways he told me his story of how his apartment got broken into and everything got stolen so he stopped paying rent and started to live in his truck. This went on for a long time and sometimes he would need to stay at the Gurughar. He would always feel uneasy and hated going there to stay because one of the 'Gianijis' would always give him a hard time and tell others he is 'freeloading" off the Gurughar. What I found interesting was the Doctor uncle who helped build the Gurughar said it was fine if he stayed and many of the Singhs there were fine with it. A couple days before his flight he needed somewhere to stay for two days or so and the same thing happened, this gianiji would give him a hard time for staying there and he didn't want to go there to stay because of that.

When his parents were here they were well off with a nice house and had like four trucks and were overall well off, they would help the Gurughar as well and i think they donated a harmonium and tabla as well...

These issues need to be faced tactfully, but refusing unless it's absolutely necessary shouldn't happen. I understand a bit of restraint so no one abuses the system and literally freeloads, but refusing someone who is needy is wrong.

[SunSingh]

that makes sense.