Personal prayer can be done anywhere. For Sikhs, it is when the self becomes one with God, and that is the time prayer is answered. During recitation of prayers or banis Sikhs can feel a state of  ‘Ang sang Wahe Guru”—the experience of God within, rather than separate or outside of the self—or as we say in Sikh Dharma: “God and me, me and God are one.”

Daily banis or prayers can either be read from a “Gutka”  (a small collection of banis) or recited from memory. The prayers alone are the focus,  so no ceremonies or rituals surround them. If one cannot find the time to sit still in a quiet, meditative space, one may recite the prayers while commuting to and from work. Starting from the time of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, the prayers contain a melody, rhythm and spirituality that make them a special part of each Sikh’s day.

Group prayer, in the form of the Ardas, is the second mode of prayer in Sikh Dharma. The Ardas is performed at Gurdwaras or at individual homes where Sikhs have gathered. This practice was formalized in the time of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, though it was practiced from the very beginning of Sikhism. Sikhs participate in group prayer whenever it is possible for them to do so. It creates a powerful vibration and a sound current to experience God within.

While chanting, the tongue should consciously touch the upper palate of the mouth. From our mouths we can create Divine vibrations that can allow us to dwell in God.

~Resource: Living Reality (1994) by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa.