Sikh Society of Minnesota has been a pillar of Sikhism in Minnesota for over 25 years. As the only Gurdwara in the state of Minnesota, the Sikh Society of Minnesota is proud to be an active and steadfast institution that practices Sikhism.

Gurdwara means "guru's door", is a place of worship for Sikhs. The word Sikh (pronounced "sickh") means 'disciple' or 'learner'. The Sikh religion called Sikhism was founded five hundred years ago in Northern India in the fifteenth century (1469) by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and is distinct from Islam and Hinduism. The almost 25 million Sikhs worldwide constitute the fifth largest religion in the world. Sikhism is monotheistic and stresses the equality of all men and women. Sikhs believe in three basic principles; meditating on the name of God (praying), earning a living by honest means as well as sharing the fruits of one's labor with others. Sikhism emphasizes selfless service to humanity. Sikhs have unshorn hair, beards and moustaches as a gift of God and a mark of Sikh identity. Turbans are worn to cover long hair and with respect to God. People from all faiths, and those who do not profess any faith are welcomed in Gurdwara. It is centrally located in Bloomington about 10 minutes from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The Gurdwara is open daily however, regular services are held on Friday evenings and Sundays. The prerequisite for entering a Gurdwara are removing shoes and covering one's head with a handkerchief, scarf, or other cloth. Kirtan (singing of hymns) is conducted in Gurmukhi (language of Sikh Scriptures) and English translation is displayed on the screens. A free community vegetarian meal is served after each service. The Sikh community invites all people to join them in bringing mutual understanding and deep respect for all people. Non-Sikh visitors are always welcome! Please stop by or email to schedule a visit.

The Gurdwara is open everyday to everyone. Sikhism believes in equality, during the service everyone sits down together on the carpeted floor in the Diwan hall.

The Gurdwara is managed by an executive board of Sikh Society of Minnesota, elected from the members of the sangat (congregation). Through this committee, the sangat sets the governing rules for the Gurdwara.

SIKH SOCIETY OF MINNESOTA BOARD

There is no overall organization that is responsible for all the Gurdwaras in the USA or even throughout the world. Instead the sangat (congregation) from each Gurdwara elects a Management Committee that will have executive responsibility for the day to day management of the Gurdwara in accordance with the Sikh Code of Practice.

There are eleven board members serving in Management Committee in a given calendar year. Each member is elected for the three year term and after that has to sit for a gap of two years before he or she qualifies to be elected as board member again. The board members at the begining of the year elects executives such as President, Vice President, General Secretary and Treasurer for the year.