The Very Sacred Gurudwara Singh Sabha Of Bhubaneswar!
Situated at a prime location in Janpath area of the capital city, the structure of this Gurudwara is conspicuous from a distance and houses three separate buildings in a massive area. It was in 1981 that the Gurudwara Singh Sabha came into existence and since then it has become a religious epicenter that attracts devotees and visitors alike.
On entering the premises, you can see that the first building on the right welcomes people into the main shrine and a huge hall. A flight of stairs on either side of this building reaches straight at the hall where the revered Guru Granth Sahib has been installed. Moreover, the roof decoration with beautifully carved wooden decor and floral patterns makes this Gurudwara a beautifully imposing sight to behold. Further on, the evenly spread maroon colored carpet paves way for the visitors to lead them directly towards the main shrine.
Besides the interiors of this Gurudwara being exquisite, it is the comforting and soothing connection of this place which lets devotees visit here all over again. Ever since its establishment, hundreds of volunteers have unanimously contributed towards keeping this structure intact and glorious as it is till today. From organizing free food on occasions to colorfully celebrating the festivals and helping the needy till their last breath, this Gurudwara has attained the status of something more than just a classical worship place.
Now coming to the hot and piping vegetarian free meals in the name of Langar, the Gurudwara has some amazing meal options which they serve to anyone who is seeking for it. For breakfast, they provide food items like idli, sambar, poori, vada, tea etc. and lunch is pretty sumptuous as well. They also dish out a very tasty Halwa as a Prasad to everyone who drops by. Especially on major festivals like Baisakhi, Gurupurab and Diwali, there is a turnout of a lot of people for the Langar, and the number sometimes even goes up to a lakh. Many a times you might also get to see visitors gladly serving food themselves and washing their own utensils in the end, thus imparting valuable life lessons of cleanliness and self- dependence!
Apart from primary services which this Gurudwara bestows, the one of utmost significance is its hearse service which is availed by people who are either extremely poor or are unable to afford vehicles for carrying the dead. With just certain nominal charges and sometimes even free of cost, people get benefited by this facility!
Moreover, the best part remains in the fact that the Gurudwara diligently manages a Guru Nanak Public School at the back of its premises!
Then there are those times when you will also notice cleaning and volunteering activities like tending the gardens being organised in the surrounding area of this Gurudwara in which the participation is mainly of the general gentry. If you get a chance, then do stop by this Gurudwara during any festival when it looks gorgeous and is decked up in a spectacular manner. To sum up everything, be here for an experience to be cherished and to take a feel of the religious bliss that exudes in its air!