After visiting the slum and having lunch at the YMCA, we toured the Sikh temple. You've probably seen Indian men depicted wearing turbans-- that is traditional Sikh dress. Sikhism believes in equality of all people and rejects the caste system. They believe there is one God. Their name means "learner" or "disciple." Each Sikh temple has a place of worship and study where the holy book is kept, a kitchen that serves food 24/7 to anyone who comes, a bathing pool, and accommodations. The kitchen of this temple feeds 20,000 people a week. I think our churches should do more things like the Sikh kitchen.
The temple itself was beautiful, all white stone. Inside there was a big altar of sorts with the holy book on it. There were musicians playing instruments, and people would come in, kneel, and pray. It wasn't a service with a specific time; people just came and went as they wanted. There was no corporate worship, only individual, which is interesting to me, considering Sikhism is "anti-caste." Even though they believe in equality, there is not a united time of worship. People keep to themselves... to their castes?
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