INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

customary Arti ceremony was performed for the Hindu deities the Sikh families
would also wave the lamp or candles before pictures of the Sikh Gurus and in addition
read the composition Arti from the Guru Granth Sahib. In many instances the
puja would end with a Sikh Ardas.
A Khatri family, who let me observe a Lakshmi puja at their house on the day of
Divali, demonstrated how Sikhs still ascribe the highest authority to their Gurus in
the ritual enactment. In their living room they had installed two colorful clay statues
of Lakshmi and Ganesh on a tray decorated with rose petals. The father of the household
began the worship by lighting incense and touching the feet of the deities. The
whole family ‒ parents and three daughters ‒ gathered around the altar and lit twelve
candles which they placed before the statues. The mother brought forward two boxes
of sweets and fed the deities ‒ first Ganesh and then Lakhsmi ‒ while the other family
members bowed before the deities with folded hands. When the offerings had been
made the father took out two newly purchased account books for the coming business
year. Before opening the first book, he took the cover to his forehead in an act of
reverence. On the first page he then painted a large swastika in turmeric (haldi) with
his right hand. The drawing was held up to be shown and offered to Lakshmi. The
same procedure was repeated with the second book. After this, the family brought
Lakshmi and Ganesh to the family gurdwara that was built on a raised balcony in the
living room. The statues of the Hindu deities were placed on the floor before a
wooden stool holding a picture of Guru Nanak. On the side of the altar Guru Granth
Sahib was installed on an elevated throne with large plates filled with sweets and
food placed before it. The children lit more candles and clay lamps which they arranged
in a row on the balcony rail. Facing the Sikh scripture, all family members
went down on their knees to perform matha tekna. The father took a seat behind the
throne and begun to read Arti while his daughters and wife listened in sitting positions.
As the final moment of the puja the father performed the Arti ceremony, not for
Lakhsmi and Ganesh, but before four bazaar posters of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind
Singh decorating the walls in the living room. The mother carried the tray with
candles into the kitchen to hold up the lights before the window and over the new
utensils in order to invite in Lakshmi. After the hour-long ceremony the family sat
down in the living room to enjoy sweets and food, all of which had been consecrated
both by Guru Granth Sahib and the Hindu goddess of wealth.
421
Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008