Sewa in Gurudwara Sahib (Sikhism)

Sewa or Seva – Selfless i.e. voluntary service.

Sewa is selfless service and it is very important in the Sikh World. Serving fresh, clean drinking water, cleaning used utensils in Langar (Gurdwara kitchen) and shoes of Sangat in Gurdwara, are some out of top Sewas.

Help to clean Gurdwara including its rest rooms, cooking Langar (food) and serving it, and maintaining Gurdwara premises are usual Sewas. Still, an important service in India is serving fresh, clean, drinking water to the people and even to the animals. Water dispensing stand or stall is called a Chhabil. The people render selfless service while reciting the Name of God.

Voluntary service is offered at hospitals or at institutions serving orphans, handicapped and sick. First-aid is provided, the poor and needy are helped, and medicines are distributed. Clothes and blankets are provided free and free food stand are run.

Some give free academic or religious education. Surgeon, specialists, general doctors, engineers, architects, advocates and other help individuals or institutions. Anyone can render Sewa as per individual choice, capacity and ability. There is no end to it. Sewa is part and parcel of the Sikh life.
You may come across a container with the label Sewa it is a Can to put in trash, a Sewa – service.
Especially in the overseas countries, disposable plastic-ware has mostly eradicated selfless service of cleaning utensils, or has pushed it to the background. But still, it is of much use. One can transform it into Sewa of any other kind. Electric fans and air-conditioning has taken away Sewa of manually fanning Sangat (gathering). Still, many avenues of Sewa remain open.

Sewa and Simran (Selfless service and Naam-Jaap) go together. Sewa includes a help to the needy, sharing boons. Selfless or voluntary service is one and the same thing. The words like selfless and voluntary differentiate a devotional from the other (compensated) services.

Sewa should be rendered with smile, humility and sweetness. If one serves, grudges, shows bad temper, feels irritated, it is no Sewa.