A purification ritual at the 'water curtain' follows reading and contemplation of the gatha. Water has a special significance for many faiths and is used in ceremonial practices symbolizing the purification of body and mind. Visitors may touch the wall curtain with their hands, representing a cleansing of the heart and spirit, as well as of the hands.
The significance of water for various religions is as follows:
- Christianity: Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan.
- Sikhism: Guru Nanak, founder of the religions, experienced the call of God while bathing in the Bein River in 1499.
- Hinduism: Rituals relating to birth, death and everyday activities are purified using water from the Ganges.
- Buddhism: The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara holds a willow branch with which to sprinkle water over people to purify and save them.
- Shinto: Visitors to shrines must firstly wash their hands at a font to purify themselves.