miss

[Guest kaur]

Going rate for ardaas???

After spending nearly 2 weeks in hospital after having triplets a friend of mine on their way home thought it would be a nice idea to go to a gurudwara (in the midlands) and do ardaas for the new babies before they went home. Upon asking for this the Gianni advised that it would cost £51 for each of the babies to do this???!!!! after asking a few times they were told £51 each. Now they did not have £153 on them in cash so just did mathaa teek and left. Suffice to say this has put a sour taste in all our mouths. How can they charge so much money to do ardaas for new babies. We are told that youngsters are not attending the gurudwara etc etc but yet when we do, these kind of actions then distance youngsters// us even further. Is it because they went without elders?

[Guest ARDAAS_SINGH]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh Bhenji,

Ardaas is something which is very personal to the individual performing it - when we do ardas we speak to waheguru ji and guru ji like his young innocent children. In ardaas we beg waheguru ji and it is through this begging that we recevie the fruit of ardaas. How can a third party perform the ardaas, there will be absolutely no emotion in there what so ever! We can't win over Guru ji by giving money, he has made maya in this world. Tell your friend to to go to gurdwara with her babies & husband, stand up in front of guru granth sahib ji and and make whatever request she wishes - how can our father ever reject a heartfelt prayer like this?

 

[jkvlondon]

I find this disgusting ...doing ardas is every sikh's right you don't need a giani to do it for you and especially not being charged for it

[proactive]

Firstly congratulations on the birth of your triplets!!

In the Gurdwara I go to it is up to you how much you donate for the Ardas but I think the smallest amount people give is £ 11  and there is no upper limit. This is for the Ardas at the end of the service. I would contact the committee and ask them why you were quoted these prices. Even if the Ardas was just personally for you still it should not be that extortionate. 

On a side note, there is no requirement for a Giani provided you or another  someone who can do the Ardas for you then you could easily go to the Gurdwara with that person and do Ardas. Just put whatever amount you wish into the Golak. 

[S4NGH]

What an absolute joke. Infuriating.

[jkvlondon]

When we had the twins my husband  went to Gurdwara with my mother and got an ardas done there was zero exchange of money , the akkhars came up and we took time to select and then as soon as we were able took them to Guru ji's hazari and sangat to get the jaikarey after sharing the names (three weeks in special care 2 months preemie) . With my daughter we went on a normal diwan , got an ardas done and took the akkar , on the spot came up with a name and then told sangat etc . Again no money . Of course khushi vich you can put degh vaste chanda but no one ever had the cheek to charge per head or stipulate a cost. Times have really gotten shameful now , used to be everyone's khushi to welcome another sikh ...sorry for the bad experience

[MisterrSingh]

On the bright side, from my experience when granthi mischief of this sort does occur, I find most gurdwaras are actually quite conducive to sanctioning whoever attempts to play these games with the sangat. Some even get rid of repeat offenders. OP might consider getting in touch with someone high up from the relevant gurdwara, and make a complaint. Asking for such a huge amount of money - that was, I assume, going to be pocketed by the Gianni himself - is a sin, IMO. Yes, there's no problem in donating however much money you're comfortable with, but being told about a fixed price that's crazy high for an ardaas is wrong.