Golak (Sikhism)

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Golak donation-box at Gurdwara Panjab Sahib, installed in-front of the Guru Granth Sahib. PanjaSahib IMG 0114.JPG
Golak donation-box at Gurdwara Panjab Sahib, installed in-front of the Guru Granth Sahib.

A Golak (meaning "till", "receptacle", or "cash-box" [1] ) is a donation-box installed at Sikh temples for the purposes of keeping gifts, offerings, and financial contributions. [2] [3] The golak is usually kept at the front of the sanctum sanctorum in the Darbar Sahib Hall as a receptacle for visitors to put money inside. [2] [3] Whatever is inputted into the golak should be used for charitable means and offerings are made in the name of the guru. [3] [1] They are found in gurdwaras and historically, dharamsāls. [3] [4] The donations from the golak fund langar, schools, and hospitals. [1]

Contents

Etymology

The word Punjabi word golak is related from the Sanskrit word golak and Persian gholak. [3]

Purpose

Sikhism stresses upon dān (charity). [1] Sikhs are religiously mandated to part with a tenth of their income for donations, known as dasvandh . [3] The rehitnamas mandate Sikh households to maintain their own personal golak to collect their tithe together. [3] The dasvandhs collected and routine offerings come together as the Gurū kī Golak, a public fund used for expenses relating to the community and for charity. [3] This common-fund does not need to be kept together at a single location. [3] The running of free-kitchens ( langar ) requires financial and material resources. [3] Other expenses relating to construction works, orphanage maintenance, asylums, dispensaries, schools occur. [3] Thus, golaks are important for the functioning of Sikh practices and institutions. [3] There exists a Sikh expression relating to the practice: Gharīb kī rasnā, Gurū kī golak (meaning "feeding a poor man is tantamount to contributing to the Gurū's golak"). [3]

Golaks at gurdwaras recieving daily donations and offerings are sealed, some of which is used to fund the cost of the temple's langar-khana. [3] When the golak contributions are counted, it is done so in the presence of chosen people. [1] Sikhism does not mandate strict-rules regarding the collection of donations and gifts. [5]

History

In India, it has long been a custom where devotees would make an offering to a deity. [3] Early Sikh worship places, known as dharamsāls, all had a golak to collect donations. [3] [4] When the Manji dioceses and Masand management system came about, the masands were responsible for collecting the tithes from areas of their jurisdiction and submit them to the Sikh guru, where they became part of the common-fund. [3] The main responsibility of the masands was collecting dasvandh donations and submitting them to the guru on a regular-basis, procuring receipts of donations against them. [6] Guru Arjan invented the practice of pooling financial and material donations and gifts together as a common-fund as the Sikh community was experiencing growth and needed resources. [7] These increased finances allowed for the construction of more sarovars (temple-tanks), shrines, and settlements. [7] The guru's golak was the treasury. [6] According to Chaupa Singh's rehitnama, a Sikh should view a destitute person's mouth as a Golak for charity. [8] Therefore, the downtrodden and lowly are central recipients for aid and donations by Sikhs, rather than a Brahminical-class. [5]

Eventually, the masands became corrupted overtime and therefore Guru Gobind Singh abolished them and established direct contact with the scattered sangats , no relying on any intermediary. [3] The Sikh households would maintain a private golak, and after the masands were abolished, the sangats would submit all of their dasvandh from their golak to Guru Gobind Singh when visiting him on special occasions, such as festivals. [3] When the Guru Granth Sahib was given the guruship, the guru was available at multiple places at the same time, installed in gurdwaras. [3] As a result, the tithe and offerings could be submitted at any gurdwara or associated charitable institutions, making household golaks obsolete. [3] After the Gurdwara Reform movement, golaks at most historical gurdwaras are operated by the SGPC whilst other gurdwaras are managed by local committees or sangats. [3]

Robbery

There have been instances of gurdwaras being robbed, including their associated golaks. [9] [10] [11] [12] The robberies have occurred in the Indian state of Punjab but also at overseas gurdwaras in the diaspora. [9] [10] [11] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurdwara</span> Place of worship in Sikhism

A gurdwara or gurudwara is a place of assembly and worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as Gurdwara Sahib. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurdwaras. Each gurdwara has a Darbar Sahib where the Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a takht in a prominent central position. Any congregant may recite, sing, and explain the verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, in the presence of the rest of the congregation.

<i>Khalsa</i> Sikh community and special group

The term Khalsa refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion, as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs. The Khalsa tradition was initiated in 1699 by the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh. Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism. The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi.

The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.

Dasvandh is the one tenth part of one's income that one should donate, both financially and directly in the form of seva, according to Sikh principles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh gurus</span> Spiritual leaders of Sikhism

The Sikh gurus are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established the religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. He was succeeded by nine other human gurus until, in 1708, the Guruship was finally passed on by the tenth guru to the holy Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, which is now considered the living Guru by the followers of the Sikh faith. The guruship was also passed onto the Guru Panth, consisting of the Khalsa, however this means of guruship went into decline following to rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anandpur Sahib</span> City in Punjab, India

Anandpur Sahib, also referred simply as Anandpur, is a city in Rupnagar district (Ropar), on the edge of Shivalik Hills, in the Indian state of Punjab. Located near the Sutlej River, the city is one of the most sacred religious places in Sikhism, being the place where the last two Sikh Gurus, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, lived. It is also the place where Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth in 1699. The city is home to Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, the third of the five Takhts in Sikhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granthi</span> A person who read Sikhism holy book to worshipers

A Granthi is a person, female or male, of the Sikh religion who is a ceremonial reader of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the holy book in Sikhism, often read to worshipers at Sikh temples called a Gurdwara.

Rehat refers to the rules and traditions which govern the unique Sikh lifestyle and determines correct Sikh orthodoxy and orthopraxy. The Sikh Rehit Maryada is a code of conduct and conventions for Sikhism. The final version of the Rehat Maryada was controversially approved by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar in 1945. The Rehat Maryada was created to provide guidance to Sikhs on practical and functional aspects of daily life, including the operations of Sikh Gurdwaras, and religious practices to foster cohesion throughout the community. Rehitnāma is a Punjabi term that refers to a genre of Sikh religious literature which expounds upon specifying an approved way of life for a Sikh.

Gurpurab, alternatively spelt as Gurpurb or Gurpurub, in Sikh tradition is a celebration of an anniversary of a Guru's birth marked by the holding of a festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hukamnama</span> Hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib taken as an order

A Hukamnama, in modern-times, refers to a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib which is given as an injunction, order, or edict to Sikhs. It also refers to edicts issued by the contemporary Takhts. In the historical sense, it was used to refer to an issued commandment, instruction, injunction, order, or edict given by one of the Gurus of Sikhism or their officiated followers and associates during their lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Ram Das</span> Fourth Sikh guru from 1574 to 1581

Guru Ram Das, sometimes spelled as Guru Ramdas, was the fourth of the ten Sikh gurus. He was born to a family based in Lahore, who named him Bhai Jetha. He was orphaned at age seven; and thereafter grew up with his maternal grandmother in a village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaheedi Jor Mela</span> Annual religious congregation

Shaheedi Sabha is a three-day annual religious congregation (get-together) organised every year in December at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, in the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, India to pay homage to the martyrdom of Chhotte Sahibzade Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, the youngest sons of the 10th sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharamshala (type of building)</span> Type of sanctuary, communal or religious resthouse

A dharamshala, also written as dharmashala, is a public resthouse or shelter in the Indian subcontinent. It also refers to Sikh places of worship before the introduction of Gurdwaras. Just as sarai are for travellers and caravans, dharamshalas are built for religious travellers at pilgrimage sites. In Nepal there are dharamshalas especially built for pilgrims as well as dharamshalas for locals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Temple</span> Sikh religious building in Punjab, India

The Golden Temple (also known as the Harmandir Sāhib, or the Darbār Sāhib, is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Arjan</span> Fifth Sikh guru from 1581 to 1606

Guru Arjan was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib. He is regarded as the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith.

A masand was a representative, religious preacher, and tithe collector in Sikhism. They were an officially appointed missionary minister representing the Sikh Guru, who baptized conversions to Sikhism, and collected dasvandh (tithe) as an offering to the Sikh community and religious establishment. A masand forwarded the collected amount to the Sikh guru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manji (Sikhism)</span> Sikh religious administrative unit

A Manji was a Sikh religious administrative unit, similar to a parish or diocese, for the propagation of Sikhism. It was part of the Sikh missionary administrative organization founded by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of Sikhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pangat</span>

Pangat is a word derived from the Sanskrit word pankti that means a line, a row, or a group. It refers to the Sikh concept of commensality. It is a synonym for Guru Ka Langar. In a Pangat, food is served by volunteers (Sevadars) to people of all religions who sit together to eat. Pangat is about eating food while sitting in rows with no discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, race, ethnicity, gender, religion or economic status. According to the beliefs of Sikhism, nobody sleeps without eating, nor should anybody die of hunger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhism in Bangladesh</span>

Sikhism in Bangladesh has an extensive heritage and history, although Sikhs had always been a minority community in Bengal. Their founder, Guru Nanak visited a number of places in Bengal in the early sixteenth century where he introduced Sikhism to locals and founded numerous establishments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sangat (Sikhism)</span>

In Sikhism, sangat refers to the community of followers, sometimes referred to as a "congregation."

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Singha, H. S. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Over 1000 Entries). Hemkunt Press. p. 81. ISBN   9788170103011.
  2. 1 2 Singh, Harbans, ed. (1992). The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Vol. 2: E-L (2nd ed.). Punjabi University. pp. 100–101. ISBN   9788173802041.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Gill, Pritam Singh. "GOLAK". eos.learnpunjabi.org (digital version of 'The Encyclopedia of Sikhism' operated by Punjabi University, Patiala). Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 Dhillon, Balwant Singh (November 1997). "Dharamsala: An Early Sikh Religious Centre". Institute of Sikh Studies.
  5. 1 2 Singh, Jagraj (2009). "Tradition of Daswandh in Sikhism". A Complete Guide to Sikhism. Unistar Books. pp. 178–179. ISBN   9788171427543.
  6. 1 2 Gandhi, Surjit Singh (2007). History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469-1606 C.E. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 362. ISBN   9788126908578. They were also required to collect Daswandh which the Sikhs were enjoined upon to contribute to Guru's treasury (Golak). Daswandh was levied for the maintenance of the Sikh Church and for undertaking works of public beneficence. The Sikhs paid Daswandh to the Masand whose duty it was that he/she should submit the amount thus collected to the Guru regularly and procure a receipt against that.
  7. 1 2 Nayar, Kamala Elizabeth; Sandhu, Jaswinder Singh (Apr 16, 2020). The Sikh View on Happiness: Guru Arjan’s Sukhmani. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 28. ISBN   9781350139886. Guru Arjan instituted the practice of Sikh families sharing their earnings (later established as dasvand) to the Guru's charity box (Guru ki golak) to support the expanding Sikh Panth. Also, as a means to finance the construction of the sacred pools, temples and new towns, he reorganized the masand system (initially set up by his father Guru Ram Das). The masand network flourished throughout the Punjab and beyond, thus strengthening the Panth's economic base.
  8. ↑ Dogra, R. C.; Mansukhani, Gobind Singh (1995). Encyclopaedia of Sikh Religion and Culture (reprint ed.). Vikas Publishing House. p. 171. ISBN   9780706994995.
  9. 1 2 "Cash stolen from golak at Jalandhar gurdwara". The Tribune. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Rs 1.5 lakh stolen from gurdwara golak". The Tribune. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Thieves Steal Golak from Gurdwara In Moga". The Unmute. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Kohli, Shefali (7 December 2022). "Mahilpur: Cash stolen from Gurdwara's 'golak'". PTC News. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Golak theft at Malim Nawar gurdwara". Asia Samachar. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
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