MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY !

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Gwalior - Sikh temple

This temple has been built inside the fort to commemorate an event in the life of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, about 400 years ago. The local king was muslim, and as many muslim kings he was very harsh towards hindus and wanted to convert them all. He managed to capture 40 minor hindu kings and put them in his jail, in Gwalior's fort. They were supposed to be killed soon after, but it so happened that Guru Nanak was among them in the jail, and that the sultan of Delhi got sick. His wife asked what to do to a muslim saint, who replied her that unless Nanak was liberated from the jail in Gwalior, the sultan of Delhi would die. So it was requested to Gwalior's king to liberate him. But Nanak refused to get out of the jail alone, so that all the kings had to be liberated. After this, lots of people converted to Sikhism. I guess this religion was created to reconciliate hindus and muslims, for that it is a monotheist religion in which God cannot be represented, and at the same time Sikhs believe in reincarnation and that they can be liberated from the cycles by reciting the name of their God. Faithful to their reputation of hospitality, they offered me a breakfast and be accomodated in a room if I wanted.







Inside, it looks almost like a mosque






I had to cover my head to be allowed inside the temple.


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