Geograph - photograph every grid square

The Gurdwara, with its characteristic tall flag-pole bearing the Nishan Sahib, (the golden Sikh flag, to the right of picture) was open to the public on "Doors Open Day", when our visit taught us that it is always open, to anyone, at anytime. We had to remove our shoes in the lobby (neat storage provided) and cover our head with a scarf (also provided, and the cause of much mirth between novices and old-hands).

We'd never been to a Sikh temple before this visit: the welcome was warm, the tour was enlightening, and the meal of vegetable curry and spicy chickpeas with chapatti was delicious. Someone asked our beautiful young guide if 'once a Sikh, always a Sikh?' and she said she was free to change religion at any time. "Would that be frowned upon?" persisted the visitor: "Oh yes, probably!" she laughed, "but choosing religion is not like choosing what to wear today - when I get to 60 and am finding the langar difficult, I might have a re-think!" (I reckoned that meant she was very happy - it's accepted practice to sit on the floor to partake in the langar (communal meal) as everyone is equal - but tables and chairs are provided for creaky old people like me who might get stuck at ground-level! I liked this generous attitude to traditional 'rules'.)

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