Sat Sri Akal Everyone,

This is an interesting discussion and I have pondered over it many times. While I agree the times of the day makes a big difference in the intensity of Meditation or Path or Kirtan with early morning and sunset considered the best. I think the state of the mind, body and being also plays a very big role. I feel that sometimes we tend to ignore that the Guru ji's said that the divinity is within and to realize that divinity one must take a holistic approach.

From personal experience, I have mostly been waking up early for a few months now and doing path and meditation. How I spent my previous day had a very big impact on not just how early I could wake up(obviously) but more interestingly what I felt after waking up. Being more refreshed and clear headed helped me read and enjoy the banis a lot more. Here is a link to my experiences with reading the Jaap Sahib.
http://www.sikhsailor.com/2010/06/jaap-sahib-soun...

Also, we tend to sometimes forget or disregard the whole purpose of prayer and meditation. If we can wake up at Amrit Vela and be one with Wahe Guru ji, there is nothing like it. But lets accept the fact that we live a worldly, a Miri life and due to its demands waking up early is not always conducive. In such a situation, I like to avoid making this into a ritual or chore, that is being just done for the sake of it. Prayer to me is something done out of love, with devotion and not something out of fear or supplication out of desire for things.
http://www.sikhsailor.com/2010/07/naam-japo-medit...

I always try to speak from experience. It is 6:07pm here in Bangalore. Since I was working from home today I decided to meditate for a little while before all the evening plans started. After a long time I lasted for almost an hour in a still and tranquil position. Again, it might have been that I was into it and the Jap, the mantra were flowing seamlessly. But more importantly, I was doing to so I could enjoy it, so I could feel it in my entire being, because by repeating "Waheguru" I truly wanted to say "Wah" .. "he" ..."Gu" ... "Ru" ..

So In the end, go for the feeling, go for the rass, Waheguru ji is there forever, everywhere to help you, to embrace you, as long as we take an earnest first step.

To me this looks like a personal dispute between a few people that has taken an communal overtone. While at one level I agree with the points raise by Karimul and iSingh, I would like to respectfully offer another approach.

Our Gurus intended the Gurudwara not just as an abode for the Divine but also as a meeting place where the sangat can meet, help each other and exchange ideas. Think about what we are doing right now at the "Langar Hall" virtually. So in that light the langar hall in a traditional, physical gurudwara should also be a point were opposing views are heard and disputes resolved amicably. By building a new Gurudwara or by boycotting it we would be just running away from the problem.

"Sura so pehchaniye jo lade deen ke het, purja purja kat mare kabhoo na chode khet"

A real warrior is one who fights for the downtrodden
And would rather die a thousand cuts, than run away from the field

That said, the "battles" today are not the physical kinds where we are fighting oppression, where someone is trying to kill us. But there are still battles, of our minds, of your psyche, of what our faith means to us, of what is moral and just. Someone said that a pen is mightier than the sword. I would say our Keyboards :) are mightier than the swords, infact they are swords. Now coming to the point on "employing all strategem for solving this problem"

Have the two opposing parties been sat down in a room, maybe even outside the Gurudwara, with an objective and independent mediator to listen to grievances on both sides?

Have there been any petitions signed by the Sangat and submitted to the local governing authorities that detail our faith and the dispute, while also suggesting solutions?

Has any investigation been done to figure out what led to this decision in the first place?

I'm just saying, lets find the facts before we start judging people and getting all worked up. There is a dispute, lets find the cause before we can figure out a solution.

Another option for your friend could be that a bunch of people get together and raise funds to support his research. I would be willing to contribute some amount.