Human Interest

The Golden Temple of Amristar, located in the northern Punjab region of India, is renowned as the holiest shrine in the Sikh religion. 80,000 -160,000 people come here each day to enjoy a free eatery on top of prayer. This is the largest free eatery in the world. What an unbelievable idea that this huge number of people can enjoy free food. Food is cooked up by workers in large vats in order to feed the masses. This is not a homeless shelter, there was a man in this video who said he was from a prominent family and he can to the temple because he felt peace of mind here. The temple is covered in glitter and gold hence its name.

I think this idea is excellent. Sikhism is a blend of Islam and Hinduism.  They believe that everyone is equal and strive for peace and tranquility.  The Golden Temple is, essentially, a place to go to get away from the fast-paced and cut-throat environment of everyday-life.  They accept all races and religions.  I love this model and idea.  I hope the Sikhs gain more attention and spread their simple idea of peace, love, and volunteerism.

This video provides some valuable insight into a religion that not many people know about. Sikhism combines elements of Hinduism and Islam, but rejects the Hindu concept of a caste system. It is practiced predominantly in the Punjab region of India, but practicing Sikhs can be found around the world. The Golden Temple of Amristar is one of Sikhism's most important holy sites, and adherents of any religion are welcome at the temple. There is a large community kitchen inside the temple, where volunteers produce tens of thousands of meals for temple visitors everyday. Everyone who visits the temple sits and eats together in the community eatery, as Sikhs believe all people are equal, and so they are not concerned with separating visitors by gender, race, or religion.

Sikhism and its Golden Temple are really interesting examples of cross-cultural pollination. While it is not unusual to see cultures adapt elements of fashion or music from other cultures, it is unusual to see one culture fuse its religion with another. Generally, religion is seen as a concrete ideology with immutable truths that should not be disturbed or tampered with. Sikhism sheds this rigidity and incorporates elements of two major religions into one, creating a religion of peace, equality, and tolerance. This is the ideal of any religion, and Sikhism exhibits wonderfully. The Punjab region of India acts as a melting pot for Hinduism and Islam, creating a geographic center for ideologies that reach far beyond their geographic origins. Though Sikhism is a small religion compared to Islam or Hinduism, it provides a fascinating and excellent example of how cultures can come together peacefully to create something new and positive.