Gurudwara Sisganj
Located on the main Chandni Chowk road, just opposite Baptist Church, before Sunheri Masjid lies one of the sacred places of Sikhs in the capital, Gurdwara Sisganj. The gurdwara commemorates the site where on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Guru Tegh Bahadur; the ninth guru of the Sikhs was beheaded. He was martyred here in 1675 under a banyan tree because he objected to emperor’s use of force against the Hindus, who refused to renounce their faith and religion.
To visit the gurdwara, the visitant should leave their shoes outside at the counter and cover their head. Though one can go to the main worship place directly but it would be better if one first visit the ‘Information Office’, which is near the entrance. From there a member of the Gurdwara Management Committee will accompany and show the visitant all-important places within the gurdwara.
The main worship room of the gurdwara, which is very spacious and flood lit has the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib under a beautifully carved golden canopy. The sacred book is covered with a large red cloth and has piles of garlands of marigolds at its base. At night, the book is ceremonially carried to a special room in the gurdwara that can be seen through the glass. The book is kept there in a special-resting closet. Near the room is also kept the part of the banyan tree under which the ninth guru was killed. There is also an enclosed structure where the guru was held prisoner before beheading.
Throughout the day religious hymns are sung near the golden canopy and devotees that includes both sexes men and women, come and listen it with devotion. After the prayer, the devotees receive karah, a consecrated food cooked of wheat and ghee as blessings from the gurdwara.
An important feature and attraction of all the gurdwaras are their community kitchens (Guru ka langar), which oppose discrimination based on caste and stress the concept of equality. Here people of any background, religion, caste, color and creed eat together. The community kitchen of this gurdwara too feeds around 2000-4000 people everyday and it is advisable not to miss to taste the good food made under good hygienic conditions.
