Gurdwara

A gurdwara is a Sikh place of worship, and the largest temple in Europe is in the west London suburb of Southall.

I visited as part of my faith buildings project, which has taken me from mosque to synagogue via Catholic cathedrals and Anglican village churches.

This was another experience, not just an exercise in taking photographs. I had to remove my shoes before entering, and cover my hair with an orange bandana – both men and women must wear head coverings.

The main prayer hall in this temple, which opened in 2003, is expansive. The ‘altar’ houses the Sikh holy book and is attended at all times as the faithful come and pay their respects and leave contributions.

I was left to take pictures without any objection, and then invited to eat at the canteen downstairs, where vegetarian food is served free of charge.

Here, I felt happy about including worshippers in photographs. They felt like the life and soul of this temple, a lavish example of architecture seemingly built for them.

Click first image to launch the gallery

Tags: architecture, culture, faith, Gurdwara, Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, London, photography, religion, Sikh temple, Southall, worshippers

15 thoughts on “Gurdwara”

dianaed2013 on February 9, 2014 at 22:34 said:

You certainly find some unusual places away from the tourist trap – great photos.

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- mikeosbornphoto on February 9, 2014 at 22:36 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Diana. I’ll try to find some more :-)
  
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ckponderings on February 9, 2014 at 16:39 said:

A great set of images, Mike. The gurdwara is full of colour, but it’s the monochrome shots that stand out the most! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on February 9, 2014 at 16:45 said:
  
  Thank you kindly, Richard. Yes, you have a point there. I think my favourite is Seven Devotees with its brown wash.
  
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  - ckponderings on February 9, 2014 at 16:55 said:
    
    Definitely… I classed that as monochrome too! :)
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on February 9, 2014 at 16:57 said:
      
      Yes, it is indeed!
      
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RobynG on February 9, 2014 at 15:08 said:

Very nice Mike! I love to visit churches and religious buildings. You have captured this beautifully!

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- mikeosbornphoto on February 9, 2014 at 15:46 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Robyn! This is a very modern temple and felt more alive than religious buildings sometimes too. A real treat.
  
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Laura Bloomsbury on February 9, 2014 at 12:04 said:

The colours alone lift my spirits. Your wide-angle shots take it all in – am marvelling, Mike!

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- mikeosbornphoto on February 9, 2014 at 12:35 said:
  
  Thanks so much, Laura, I’m glad you like them. The building and the life within was inspiring. I was glad to have the chance to capture just a little of it.
  
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Photographs by Peter Knight on February 9, 2014 at 11:55 said:

Nice photos Mike. It’s my local Gurdwara (my wife is Sikh) so I know it quite well. You’ve made some really great pictures of it here. Lovely to see! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on February 9, 2014 at 12:38 said:
  
  Wow, that’s great, Peter. I hope to have captured some of the essence of the building and the people. It was quite an experience and was glad to see it for myself. I found it relaxed and friendly.
  
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Pingback: Gurdwara | JOURNAL LE COMMUN'ART
franckmicha on February 9, 2014 at 10:57 said:

A reblogué ceci sur JOURNAL LE COMMUN'ART.

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- mikeosbornphoto on February 9, 2014 at 11:31 said:
  
  Thank you for sharing!
  
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