British royal couple visits Gurdwara

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh conducted themselves as any devout Sikh visiting a Gurdwara, writes Vijay Dutt.

For over an hour, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh not only looked but conducted themselves as well like any devout Sikh visiting a Gurdwara. The Queen reverentially entered the prayer hall of the Gurdwara in Hounslow in Middlesex, wearing white ankle socks and with a golden shawl covering her head. The Duke too removed his shoes and followed her into the hall wearing a blue headscarf that bore the symbol of Khanda, the holy swords.

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They were welcomed by a group singing jaaps and playing drums and harmonium. Standing respectfully like any devout Sikh before the Guru Granth Saheb, the Queen bowed her head while the Duke clasped his hands in a sign of praying.

Over 500 people, including Sikh war veterans, had congregated at the Gurdwara to see the Queen open a £2.5 million extension project. She also viewed an exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the Holy Scriptures. The Queen's visit was in effect a reiteration of the British society having become multi-ethnic and multi-cultural.

The Hounslow Gurdwara is one of the oldest ones in Britain and is uniquely free of any factional tug-of -war. A computer database holds hundreds of names of eligible Sikh men and women looking for a spouse through an assisted "marriage" scheme.