Golak (Sikhism)
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A Golak (meaning "till", "receptacle", or "cash-box"[1]) is a donation-box installed at Sikh temples for the purposes of keeping gifts, offerings, and financial contributions.[2][3] The golak is usually kept at the front of the sanctum sanctorum in the Darbar Sahib Hall as a receptacle for visitors to put money inside.[2][3] Whatever is inputted into the golak should be used for charitable means and offerings are made in the name of the guru.[3][1] They are found in gurdwaras and historically, dharamsāls.[3][4] The donations from the golak fund langar, schools, and hospitals.[1]
Purpose
Sikhism stresses upon dān (charity).[1] Sikhs are religiously mandated to part with a tenth of their income for donations, known as dasvandh.[3] The rehitnamas mandate Sikh households to maintain their own personal golak to collect their tithe together.[3] The dasvandhs collected and routine offerings come together as the Gurū kī Golak, a public fund used for expenses relating to the community and for charity.[3] This common-fund does not need to be kept together at a single location.[3] The running of free-kitchens (langar) requires financial and material resources.[3] Other expenses relating to construction works, orphanage maintenance, asylums, dispensaries, schools occur.[3] Thus, golaks are important for the functioning of Sikh practices and institutions.[3] There exists a Sikh expression relating to the practice: Gharīb kī rasnā, Gurū kī golak (meaning "feeding a poor man is tantamount to contributing to the Gurū's golak").[3]
Golaks at gurdwaras receiving daily donations and offerings are sealed, some of which is used to fund the cost of the temple's langar-khana.[3] When the golak contributions are counted, it is done so in the presence of chosen people.[1] Sikhism does not mandate strict-rules regarding the collection of donations and gifts.[5]