Q: In what language are the Gurdwara ceremonies spoken? Where is this language taught?

A: The language in the Gurdwara is mostly Gurmukhi. That’s the language of the sacred Sikh scriptures. Gurmukhi is a type of poetic Punjabi.

It must be noted that it may not be absolutely accurate to say that Punjabi is the language of the scriptures. This is because the sacred Sikh scriptures have many contributors and all of them did not speak absolute Punjabi. They spoke different languages, like Sanskrit, Persian, but most part is Punjabi.

In India this script is taught in all schools in the Punjab province. In countries outside of India the Punjabi script as well as how to read Gurbani is taught in Sunday Schools in Gurdwaras. Many parents also teach their children the script at home and then train them in scripture reading.


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