Matha Teknaਮੱਥਾ ਟੇਕਣਾ

Matha tekna is the Sikh act of bowing before Guru Granth Sahib Ji, touching the forehead to the floor in the gurdwara. The words say exactly what the body does: matha means the forehead, and tekna means to lay down or place. It is the first thing most Sikhs do on entering the prayer hall, with the head covered and the shoes already left at the door, and it is the gesture visitors most often ask about.

What does matha tekna mean?

The phrase comes from two plain Punjabi words. Matha, also written mattha, is the forehead, the broad front of the head above the eyes. Tekna means to place, to lay down, or to rest something. Put together, matha tekna means laying the forehead down, and that is what happens: the worshipper kneels and rests the forehead on the floor before the Guru. The phrase is also spelled matha tekhna, and in older writing matha taykna, but the meaning is the same in every spelling. The forehead matters because it is the highest and proudest part of the self. Laying it lowest, on the floor, is humility made physical, the ego set down in front of the Guru.

How is matha tekna done?

Everything before the bow is preparation. Shoes come off at the entrance and the head is covered at all times inside the gurdwara, with a dastar, a dupatta, or one of the scarves kept near the door for visitors. Hands are washed on the way in. Then the worshipper walks to the front of the darbar hall with folded hands, towards Guru Granth Sahib Ji seated on its raised platform under the canopy. An offering may be placed before the Guru, money or flowers, or a donation dropped in the golak, the collection box. The offering is customary but never required, and no one is turned away for not making one. Then the worshipper kneels, bows down, and touches the forehead to the floor. After rising with folded hands, many worshippers walk slowly around Guru Granth Sahib Ji in a clockwise circle, keeping it on their right, and bow once more before turning to greet the sangat and sit down cross-legged on the floor. The whole act takes less than a minute, and it is repeated every time a Sikh enters the hall.

Why do Sikhs bow before the Guru Granth Sahib?

Sikhs bow to the Word, not to paper and ink. Guru Granth Sahib Ji is honoured as the living, eternal Guru, and the bow is submission to the wisdom the scripture carries: the hymns of the Gurus and the devotional writings of the saints within it. It is not idol worship, and Sikhs are clear about the difference. The bow is also a promise. In laying the forehead down, the worshipper sets aside pride and asks for the Guru's guidance, and rises to receive the hukam, the day's reading taken as the Guru's order. The example comes from the top. When Guru Gobind Singh Ji ended the line of human Gurus in 1708, he bowed before the Granth himself and declared it the eternal Guru. Every bow since follows his.

When do Sikhs do matha tekna?

Matha tekna is done on entering the gurdwara, every visit, before sitting down with the sangat. It is done with extra feeling on gurpurabs, at Vaisakhi, and on festival days, when the halls are full. At an Anand Karaj, the Sikh wedding, the bride and groom bow together before the Guru before the lavan begin. Sikhs also bow before a journey, a new venture, or an important day in the family's life, and in homes where Guru Granth Sahib Ji is installed, the family bows morning and evening. The same gesture belongs to Punjabi life beyond the gurdwara. A young person bows the forehead before a revered elder, and the elder answers by resting a palm on the forehead in blessing. Between the two movements, bowing down and blessing, much of Punjabi respect is spoken without a word.

What matha tekna is not

Matha tekna is not worship of a book. The reverence is for the Shabad, the Word, and the bow would mean nothing without the teaching it points to. It is not bowing to a person either. Sikhs do not bow before any living person as a Guru, however respected, and no granthi or elder expects it. And it is not a test at the door. A visitor who does not wish to bow is not required to, and is welcome to enter, sit quietly, and join the congregation. The gurdwara asks for covered heads and removed shoes from everyone, but the bow itself is an act of faith, offered freely.

Visiting a gurdwara for the first time?

Come as you are, and follow a few simple rules. Dress modestly, leave shoes at the racks, wash your hands, and cover your head; scarves are usually available at the entrance if you do not have one. Walk to the front, bow if you wish, and sit on the floor with the congregation. Stand during the ardas, the standing prayer, and stay for the hukamnama, the reading that follows. Accept the karah prasad in cupped hands when it is offered, and stay for langar, the free meal served to everyone. No one will ask what you believe, and no one will mind if you simply watch and listen. That is how most first visits go, and how many Sikhs remember their own.