The Granth Sahib is the central object of worship in all Gurdwaras (Sikh houses of worship) and is accorded the reverence paid a living Guru. It is virtually opened in the morning and wrapped up and put away for the night. On special occasions continuous readings of it are held which last 48 hours. On the birthdays of Gurus or anniversaries commemorating Sikh martyrs the Granth is sometimes taken out in procession.
This holy book was first completed by the fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dey at Amritsar in 1604. He included his own hymns and those of his predecessors, the Guru Nanak, Angad, Amar Das and Ram Das and a selection of devotional songs of both Hindu and Islamic Saints.
In 1704 the 10th and last Guru Gobind Singh added the hymns of his predecessor Guru Teg Bahadur. (The sixth, seventh, and eighth Gurus did not write hymns) and enjoined that after his own death the Granth would take the place of the Guru. The Guru Granth Sahib opens with the Mul Mantra (basic prayer) which is a declaration of the nature of God, followed by the Japji the most important Sikh scripture written by the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak. The hymns are arranged according to the musical modes (ragas) in which they are meant to be sung. The language is mostly Punjabi or Hindu, interspersed with Marathi, Persian and Arabic words.
Guru Granth is part of mankind’s common spiritual treasure. It is important that it should be brought within the direct reach of as many people as possible. As Guru Granth Sahib, of all known religious scriptures, is the most highly venerated? It means more to the Sikhs than even the Quran ‘ means to Muslims, the Bible to Christians, the Torah to Jews, and Gita to Hindus.
SIKH TEMPLE GURDWARA YUBA CITY
2486 Tierra Buena road, Yuba City Ca. 95991 (910) 673-9918
Article extracted from this publication >> November 4, 1988
