Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 T R E A S U R E 06buses, rickshaws jangling at one’s heels, scooter taxis rasping like frenziedducks—until in a wall, way beyond the hope of getting anywhere, agate lay open. Here was the gurdwara, “the gateway of the Guru.”It was an impressive place: huge gates opened onto a vast plaza of polishedwhite paving surrounded by the stone walls and balconies and galleriesof what must have been offices and lodgings. Onion-shaped fluteddomes rose above the gateways in each wall of the square. The eye’sattention however was rightly drawn to the centre, to the temple buildingitself, square and built in the Mughal style, with characteristic domesand with windows with balconies that looked out over the plaza. TheSikhs must be well organized; there was an order everywhere thatseemed “un-Indian.” It was shocking to see a set of buildings so homogeneousand in good repair, with plenty of space in the square, nochaotic crowds, no dogs, cows, or tea stalls, no rubbish, no strands ofhunched bodies squatting over wares, no blaring Bollywood soundtracks.We stood for a while and took in the space. It looked like a goodplace to rest.Furthermore, the little chap by my elbow, looking up with shiningeyes from his mass of beard and turban, couldn’t have been nicer. Hewore the uniform of a guide and welcomed us in, presenting his card:“Ram Rattan Singh, Temple Guide.” We covered our heads with clothand removed our sandals, as was expected, and explained our interest inthe holy place and our wish to stay a couple of nights. He beamed andindicated the nearby reception, outside which he would wait while webooked in, and offered to show us around afterward.The man inside was larger and less affirmative. He took us to theDirector, who was larger still and distinctly negative: “No. Foreignersare not allowed to stay.”Back to Ram Rattan Singh; then back in again to witness a heateddebate between David and Goliath. Nowadays Goliath wins.Well, we’d look around anyway with Ram Rattan Singh. He was mutteringabout the injustice and un-Sikh-like behaviour of the Director all1 7 7