Chandigarh: ‘Gurdwara not a just place of worship, a place that welcomes all’

Veteran journalist Roopinder Singh launched his book 'Gurdwaras-Abodes of the Guru' in Chandigarh.

The book examines gurdwaras across geographies including Punjab, the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan.

Singh described gurdwaras as spaces shaped by memory, community, architecture, and hospitality, not just worship.

He contrasted Sikh institution-building with European church patronage, emphasizing the role of the 'sangat' (community).

Examples include a repurposed church gurdwara in New York with stained glass, and a Maryland gurdwara developing Guru Nanak forests.