Gurdwara in the context of "Golden Temple"

A temple (from the Latin templum) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship for some religions are commonly called "temples" in English, while those of other religions are not, even though they fulfill very similar functions.

The religions for which the terms are used include the great majority of ancient religions that are now extinct, such as the Ancient Egyptian religion and the Ancient Greek religion. Among religions still active: Hinduism (whose temples are called mandir or kovil), Buddhism (whose temples are called vihara), Sikhism (whose temples are called gurudwara), Jainism (whose temples are sometimes called derasar), Zoroastrianism (whose temples are sometimes called agiary), the Baháʼí Faith (which are often simply referred to as Baháʼí House of Worship), Taoism (which are sometimes called daoguan), Shinto (which are often called jinja), Confucianism (which are sometimes called the Temple of Confucius).

A rumāl (Punjabi: ਰੁਮਾਲ) is a piece of clothing similar to a handkerchief or bandana. It is worn by men who cut their hair and other guests when they are in a gurdwara. Covering the head is respectful in Sikhism and if a man is not wearing a turban, then a rumāl must be worn before entering the gurdwara. Rumāls are also worn by Sikh children on their topknot called joora, and by Sikh males while engaging in athletic activities.

In most gurdwaras, there is often a basket of rumāls outside for welcoming in more guests. If there are no rumāls supplied by the gurdwara then a clean and plain handkerchief is the most suitable cloth to use.

Darbar Sahib, or Darbar Hall, literally means the Imperial Court, and often refers to the main room within a Gurdwara. This room is where the Guru Granth Sahib sits on a raised throne, or takht, in a prominent central position.

A Granthi (Punjabi: ਗ੍ਰੰਥੀ, IPA: [ˈɡɾən.t̪ʰiː]) is a person, female or male, of the Sikh religion who is a ceremonial reader of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the holy book in Sikhism, often read to worshipers at Sikh temples called a Gurdwara.

The name Granthi comes from the Sanskrit granthika, which means a relater or narrator. Any Sikh individual appointed the title of being a Granthi is considered a principal religious official of Sikhism. Although they are considered religious officials in Sikhism, they are not considered to be the equivalent of a priest, as the belief is that there are no such religious intermediaries.

In Sikhism, a langar (Punjabi: ਲੰਗਰ, pronunciation: [lʌŋɾ], 'kitchen') is the community kitchen of a gurdwara, which serves meals to all free of charge, regardless of religion, caste, gender, economic status, or ethnicity. People sit on the floor and eat together, and the kitchen is maintained and serviced by Sikh community volunteers who are doing seva ("selfless services"). The meals served at a langar are always lacto-vegetarian.

The Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das (Punjabi, Urdu: گردوارہ جنم استھان گورو رام داس) is a gurdwara in Lahore, Pakistan. The gurdwara was built atop the site traditionally believed to be the location of the birthplace and childhood home of Guru Ram Das, the 4th Sikh guru.

Hari Parbat (Kashmiri pronunciation: [haːri parbatʰ]), also called Koh-i-Maran (Kashmiri pronunciation: [koːhi maːraːn]), is a hill overlooking Srinagar, the largest city and the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the site of the Hari Parbat fort, built by the Durrani Empire, and of a Hindu temple, mosques, and gurdwara.