Dharamshala (type of building)
A dharamshala, also written as dharmashala, is a public resthouse or shelter in the Indian subcontinent. It also refers to Sikh places of worship before the introduction of Gurdwaras. Just as sarai are for travellers and caravans, dharamshalas are built for religious travellers at pilgrimage sites. In Nepal there are dharamshalas especially built for pilgrims as well as dharamshalas for locals.
A Dharamshala in Tibet
Seth Sadasukh Gambhir Chand Kothari Dharamshala, Haridwar. Donated by a businessman in 1822
Dharamshala at Haridwar
Sawarankaron ki Dharamshala (Resthouse for Goldsmiths), Railway road, Haridwar.
A gurdwara or gurudwara is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs but its normal meaning is place of guru or "Home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as Gurdwara Sahib. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurdwaras. Each gurdwara has a Darbar Sahib where the Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a takht in a prominent central position. Any congregant may recite, sing, and explain the verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, in the presence of the rest of the congregation.
Golden Temple, Amritsar
The Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, India, known informally as the Golden Temple, is the holiest gurdwara of Sikhism, next to Akal Takht, a Sikh seat of power.
Shri Hazoor Sahib is a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, India; is one of the five takhts.
Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is one of the most prominent Sikh gurdwara in Delhi, India and known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, as well as the pool inside its complex, known as the "Sarovar."
