On Tuesday 21 February 2017, 53 students and 4 members of staff went to visit the Singh Sabha London East Gurdwara in Seven Kings, London. We left school promptly at 9.40am and arrived at the Gurdwara at 10.45am.

On arrival, we were met by Jagmohan Singh, who is a volunteer for the Sikh schools visit organisation that arranges these trips. He was very welcoming as he took us into the reception area, asked us to remove our shoes, and put on our head covering. We then went up to the top floor where we had full access to the prayer hall. Jagmohan delivered a very enthusiastic and engaging presentation outlining the main Sikh beliefs, the 5 Ks and the Gurdwara. He also spoke at length about Seva, which means selfless service, and Sikhs believe this is fundamental to their faith based on the teachings of the ten Gurus. 

We then proceeded downstairs to the Langar Hall to have our lunch, which consisted of beans and chips for students. Staff were treated to the traditional Indian vegetarian meal. Both were equally tantalising, and some students even went for seconds. We had some students carry out their own Seva by going into the kitchen and helping clean up. The volunteers at the Gurdwara were very complimentary of our students, their behaviour and conduct throughout the day.

Katie Fagg, one of the students who attended the trip said, ‘It was really fun – in the hall they told us some really interesting facts about the Gurdwara, and in particular Fauja Singh, who is the oldest marathon runner in the world. The food we ate was really nice and I thought it was lovely how they made such an effort for us.’

It was a wonderful experience, where we all learnt so much. The students were talking about how much of a great day they had, and how they would love to go back. We are very grateful to Jagmohan and everyone at the Gurdwara for making this such a memorable experience. 

For a gallery of photos from the trip, please click here.

Mrs S Khatun
Philosophy Ethics and Religion (PER) Teacher