Gurdwara Designs

[Guest jigsaw_puzzled_singh]

The view from Heaven.

I've spent many hours over the last few weeks looking at the following amazing drone footages of Gurdawaras across the world. They really do make you look at the building itself in a whole new light. No need for too many words from me....have a look yourself. Really fascinating stuff:

Gurdwara Bedford, England:

 

 

Chamkaur sahib

 

 

Harisar sahib:

 

Rewalsar sahib:

 

 

Balundpuri:

 

Anandpur:

 

Babour sahib:

 

Bangkok:

 

Melaka, malaysia:

 

Shaheed Ganj:

 

 

El Sobrante, California :

 

 

Sangrur:

 

Pushkar, rajhastan:

 

Aukland, new Zealand:

 

Patna sahib:

 

Poanta sahib:

 

Hazur sahib:

 

Mananana sahib:

 

Kartarpur sahib, pakistan:

 

Dasmesh Darbar, Brampton, canada

 

[Guest jigsaw_puzzled_singh]

Found something that really fascinated me up in the Midlands the other day.   As far as I know, this Gurdwara on the legendary Foleshill Road in Coventry is the world's only 'Art Deco' Gurdwara:

 

Got a fascinating history....this building. Used to be the Redesdale Cinema in the 1930s - An absolute beauty !

 

[SwissSardarji]

Hello Ladies & Gentlemen

I was searching in google on Sikh architecture and came across this thread. Read it and was disappointed by the personal attacks.

I must say, when we proud punjabis have no more arguments to support our ideas/position, we pick the 'talwar' and go for a kill.

Can I humbly ask for some sewa from all my Sikh and non Sikh friends:

I am trying to build an 'Ideal Gurdwara' (everybody likes to dream). So what would you consider an Ideal Gurdwara architecture to be? What are the best things you have seen in different religious places? What improvements can we make?

My idea is to make a list of all facilities that we consider necessary for a gurdwara before we build/transform a building.

I should be like a check list which we can consult to make sure we haven't forgotten anything.

Direction and signs
Parking access
Parking to main bulilding entry
Reception facilities including shoe storage and hand washing facilities
Wheelchair access from parking to Darbar sahib hall via reception
Reception to Darbar hall path
Darbar hall setup, decoration, donation boxes/receipts system
Seating facilities for the aged / handicapped
Sound system quality and media screens
Darbar hall to Langar hall passage
Langar service
Kitchen setups
Fire services access & fire escapes
Sarowar facilities if available
etc...

So please help me to make this list which then can be used by anybody, be it a small village gurdwara in India or and big city abroad.

Thanking you in advance for your constructive criticism

Charanjit Singh aka SwissSardarji

Improving the Sikh Lifestyle www.smartsikh.org

[dallysingh101]

37 minutes ago, SwissSardarji said:

Hello Ladies & Gentlemen

I was searching in google on Sikh architecture and came across this thread. Read it and was disappointed by the personal attacks.

I must say, when we proud punjabis have no more arguments to support our ideas/position, we pick the 'talwar' and go for a kill.

Can I humbly ask for some sewa from all my Sikh and non Sikh friends:

I am trying to build an 'Ideal Gurdwara' (everybody likes to dream). So what would you consider an Ideal Gurdwara architecture to be? What are the best things you have seen in different religious places? What improvements can we make?

My idea is to make a list of all facilities that we consider necessary for a gurdwara before we build/transform a building.

I should be like a check list which we can consult to make sure we haven't forgotten anything.

Direction and signs
Parking access
Parking to main bulilding entry
Reception facilities including shoe storage and hand washing facilities
Wheelchair access from parking to Darbar sahib hall via reception
Reception to Darbar hall path
Darbar hall setup, decoration, donation boxes/receipts system
Seating facilities for the aged / handicapped
Sound system quality and media screens
Darbar hall to Langar hall passage
Langar service
Kitchen setups
Fire services access & fire escapes
Sarowar facilities if available
etc...

So please help me to make this list which then can be used by anybody, be it a small village gurdwara in India or and big city abroad.

Thanking you in advance for your constructive criticism

Charanjit Singh aka SwissSardarji

Improving the Sikh Lifestyle www.smartsikh.org

I think security is another BIG issue that needs to be central to all Gurdwaras. We've had a mass shooting by a neo-nazi in the US. Someone (islamic fundamentalist) tried to blow one up in Germany. One was burnt to the ground in London (Bow) with no culprit ever found. |Others have been petrol bombed too. We had that period of beadbi of maharaj in Panjab itself even (with torn up saroops). 

 

[puzzled]

I think domes are supposed to be part of gurdwara architecture, because i was watching katha by bhai sukha singh on the construction of harmandir sahib and in the katha he said that in suraj parkash it says that waheguru instructed that harmandir sahib should have a dome.  

[puzzled]

iv been to this gurdwara and it is massive! the nishan sahib is huge!  i thinks its the tallest nishan sahib in the world, they built it using the stuff that they use to build cranes that are used at construction sites, forgot what its called 

 

[puzzled]

along with harmandir sahib, hazur sahib is the most beautiful gurdwara i have been to. these two places have an atmosphere which you can not explain or experience anywhere else, its hard to describe it 

 

[Guest jigsaw_puzzled_singh]

A  warm welcome to you Swiss Sardarji.

Quote

I am trying to build an 'Ideal Gurdwara' (everybody likes to dream). So what would you consider an Ideal Gurdwara architecture to be?

I don't there is an "ideal" per se because, as this thread demonstrates, we all find different types of buildings pleasing. For your older sangat or the one's from India, the "ideal" darbar hall will be full of colours in order to highlight Guru ji's majesty whereas the members of your sangat born in the west will find neutral and simplistic white more befitting his heavenly glory. In terms of architecture, as I said in the first few pages of this thread, Sikhs in different countries should adapt their architecture more fitting with their historic legacy in those countries. For example, with Sikh Gurdwaras in the UK historically associated with former industrial premises....there should be an industrial type design to new gurdwaras. With Sikh Gurdwaras in Canada historically associated with the timber industry......timber should play a major part in their design. I don't know much about your Switzerland but I suggest you totally ignore designs from India, UK and Canada etc and think 'Swiss'.

Quote

 

My idea is to make a list of all facilities that we consider necessary for a gurdwara before we build/transform a building.

I should be like a check list which we can consult to make sure we haven't forgotten anything.

Direction and signs
Parking access
Parking to main bulilding entry
Reception facilities including shoe storage and hand washing facilities
Wheelchair access from parking to Darbar sahib hall via reception
Reception to Darbar hall path
Darbar hall setup, decoration, donation boxes/receipts system
Seating facilities for the aged / handicapped
Sound system quality and media screens
Darbar hall to Langar hall passage
Langar service
Kitchen setups
Fire services access & fire escapes
Sarowar facilities if available
etc...

So please help me to make this list which then can be used by anybody, be it a small village gurdwara in India or and big city abroad.

 

What is telling from your list there is how, sub-consciously, cars and parking are the first and foremost things that one thinks of when really they should be the last thing on the list.

I was at a wedding at the New Westminster Gurdwara in BC Canada a little while ago and the thing that really moved me about it was the way that had used natural sunlight. They had deliberately positioned the large windows so that lightness pervails in the darbar hall. Really beautifull. So really, I think that's what you should be concentrating on: getting the ambience right as the other things you've listed are just generic and can be bought and added at will. Jewish synagogues have moved in the direction and some of the things they've done with natural light is truly heavenly, so have modern mosques and churches. " golden rules for Gurdwaras then, in my opinion: Light and Simplicity. Above all, make use of natural light.

 

[Guest Jigsaw_Puzzled_Singh]

Ok......I know what you're gonna say when you read this. You're gonna say "whats this got to do with Sikh Architecture" or "oh look...there's that lefty talking about Trump again". I might counter by saying it's my thread anyway so I'll talk about Trump if I like but really this is something that's been bothering me a lot this week and it's something that hasn't received nearly enough news focus as it deserves. I'm talking about the Trump administration's decision this week to declare that all new federal buildings MUST be designed in the 'white' Greek classical style.  

And, with facism now out in the open - with Trump feeling emboldened enough to unleash that classic facist dream of restricting thought and brave new ideas - you just know it's only a matter of time before Modi's India enacts a similar policy, perhaps declaring that all new government buildings must incorporate an idol shrine and bell or something ?

Now, I'm as guilty as anyone because i have on numerous occasions on this very thread stated how certain building styles make me angry, sad, happy or calm, but I do find it fascinating just how deeply the design of random buildings in our environment penetrates our political psyche. Which makes me think - what is a building, such as a Sikh Gurdwara, for ? Is it there just to give me a feeling of grandeur as a Sikh ? So that I, as a Sikh, can feel all-powerfull, all-conquering - a reminder to me of the great empire my people controlled ? Or....mindful of those destructive aspects of grand buildings should Sikh Gurdwara designs purposely seek to avoid those spiritually weakening pitfalls by being deliberately small and modest ?

What say thee ?