Sangat is a space where everyone belongs.

Introduction

Sangat is the shared part of Simran. It is where people who open the app each day can be in one another's company: reading the same hukam, holding one another in ardas, answering the same question, and seeing that they are not practising alone.

A gurdwara works because the people in it carry themselves a certain way. Sangat asks the same of you. These rules describe that. They apply to everything you share in Sangat, whatever form it takes, and to your name and photo.

Most of what you share in Sangat is visible to everyone who uses Simran and is shown with the name and photo on your profile, unless you choose to post anonymously. Please read these rules before you take part.

The basics

Be respectful

There is always a real person on the other side of the screen. People in the sangat come from every background, tradition and stage of practice. Treat each of them the way you would in a gurdwara.

Be kind

What people share here is personal. Someone may write about grief, doubt, illness, a hard week or a hard relationship. Meet that with kindness. Disagreement is fine; contempt is not.

Stay with the purpose

Each space in Sangat is there for something: a reflection, an ardas, an answer. Your family, your friends, your commute and your kitchen all belong in that. Debates, announcements and unrelated posts do not.

Guidelines

1. No hate or harassment. No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, casteism or slurs of any kind. No threats, personal attacks, or content that reveals someone's private information or encourages others to target them.
2. No attacks on how someone else practises. Sangat is for taking part, not for policing. Do not attack another person's sect, level of practice or interpretation, and do not preach at people. Share what is yours; let others do the same.
3. No abusive language. Swearing about your own day is human. Swearing at the sangat, at a group, or at a person is not allowed.
4. No promotion. No links, handles, businesses, products, services, events, petitions or fundraising, including for good causes. Sangat is not a place to be found or to grow an audience.
5. No personal information. Do not post phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, social media usernames or other identifying details, whether yours or anyone else's. Mentioning your mother, your brother or a friend is fine; naming them in full with details that identify them is not.
6. No impersonation. Your name and photo must be your own. Names or photos that present you as a Guru Sahib, as Waheguru, as a Sikh institution, or as another real person are not allowed.
7. Keep photos appropriate. Photos must not contain nudity, sexual content, graphic violence or hate symbols.
8. No illegal content. Nothing that promotes illegal activity, violence or terrorism.
9. You must be old enough. You must be at least 13 years old to take part in Sangat, and at least 16 if you live in the European Union or the United Kingdom.
10. Not a substitute for professional help. Sangat is not a place to seek or give medical, legal or financial advice. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact local emergency services or a crisis line in your country.

Reporting

If something in Sangat breaks these rules, use Report on it and choose the reason that fits. Reporting is not for disagreement: something you do not agree with, or a way of practising that is not yours, is not a reason to report it.

Once you report something you will no longer see it. Reports are confidential. The person you report is never told who reported them.

For anything the Report button does not cover, email [email protected]. Include a screenshot if you can. If you are in the European Union and wish to notify us of content you believe is illegal, use the same address and say so in the subject line.

Blocking

You can block anyone in Sangat. Once blocked, what they share disappears from your view everywhere in the app, past and future. Blocking is private: they are not notified.

What happens when a rule is broken

A name or photo that breaks these rules cannot be saved; you will be asked to choose a different one.

Reading Sangat is never taken away. Repeated or serious violations may result in the account losing the ability to take part, and, in serious cases, in the account being closed under our Terms of Service.

What you share and your privacy

• What you share in Sangat is visible to everyone using Simran and is shown with your profile name and photo. Where the app offers it, you can post anonymously instead, in which case no name, photo or profile is attached.
• Text you share may be automatically translated between English and Punjabi so the whole sangat can read one another. Translation and the automatic checks above are performed by third-party AI providers on our behalf, as described in our Privacy Policy. Your name and account are not sent with the text.
• What you share in Sangat relates to your faith. By sharing it you agree to it being published as described here.
• You can delete anything you have shared at any time, from the item itself or from your history in Settings. Deleting your Simran account removes everything you have shared in Sangat, along with your likes, reports and Sangat profile.
• Your history in Sangat stays in your account as a record of your own journey, for as long as you keep it.

Questions

If you have a question or a suggestion about Sangat, write to [email protected]. We read every message.

Taking part in Sangat means you accept these rules together with our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.