sikhism wikipedia

7/27/2019 Sikhism Wikipedia

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SikhismSikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjabregion, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh gurus (the last teaching being the holy scripture Gur Granth Shib Ji). It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world, with over 30 million Sikhs and one of the most steadily growing. This system of religious philosophy and expressionhas been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally 'of the gurus'). Punjab ofIndia is the only region in the world with a majority Sikh population.

Sikhs are expected to embody the qualities of a "Sant-Sipahie"a saint-soldier. One must have control over one's internal vices and be able to be constantly immersed in virtues clarified in the Guru Granth Sahib. A Sikh must also have the courage to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irrespective of religion, colour, caste or creed.

The principal beliefs of Sikhi are faith and justice, in Wahegururepresented by the phrase ik akr, meaning one God. Sikhi advocates the pursuit of salvation throughpersonal meditation on the name and message of God. The followers of Sikhi areordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders,as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gur Granth Shib Ji, which, along with the writings of six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the Sikh religion.Sikhi's traditions and teachings are associated with the history, society and cu

lture of Punjab. Adherents of Sikhi are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over 26 million across the world.

Most Sikhs live in Punjab, India, although there is a significant Sikh diaspora.Until the Partition of India, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now PakistaniPunjab.

Philosophy and teachingsThe Harimandir Sahib, known popularly as the Golden Temple, is a sacred shrine for Sikhs.

The origins of Sikhi lie in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. Theessence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Nanak in these words: "Realization of T

ruth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living". Sikh teaching emphasizes the principle of equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender. Sikh principles encourage living life as ahouseholder.

Sikhi is a monotheistic and a revealed religion. In Sikhi, Godtermed Vhiguris shapeess, timeless, and sightless: nirakr, akaal, and alakh. The beginning of the firstcomposition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"signifying the universality of God. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite with power over everything, and is signified by the term k akr. Sikhs believe that before creation, all that exised was God and God's hukam (will or order). When God willed, the entire cosmos was created. From these beginnings, God nurtured "enticement and attachment" to my,or the human perception of reality.

While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings, Nanak described God asnot wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav vipak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. Nanak stressed that God must be seenfrom "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must meditateto progress towards enlightenment. Guru Nanak Dev emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings. God has no gender in Sikhi, (though translations may incorrectly present a male God); indeed Sikhi teaches that God is "AkaalPurkh" with characteristic of "Nirankar" [Niran meaning "without" and kar meanin


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g "form", hence "without form"]. In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which God has created life.

Pursuing salvation and KhalsaGuru Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell,but on a spiritual union with God which results in salvation. The official Khalsa Code of Conduct laid out by the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, makes it clearthat human birth is obtained with great fortune, therefore one needs to be ableto make the most of this chance. The Sikhs believe in living 'Chakar Vati'-roaming free as freedom, not as slaves or be oppressed.

Mydefined as illusion or "unreality"is one of the core deviations from the pursuit f God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractionswhich give only illusive satisfaction. However, Nanak emphasised my as not a reference to the unreality of the world, but of its values. In Sikhi, the influencesof ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lustknown as the Five Evilsare believed to be particularly pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.

Nabad (the divine Word) to emphasise the totality of the revelation. Nanak designated the word guru (meaning teacher) as the voice of God and the source and guide for knowledge and salvation. Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God. Nanak distinctly emphasised the irrelevance of ou

tward observations such as rites, pilgrimages, or asceticism. He stressed that devotion must take place through the heart, with the spirit and the soul. According to Gurbani the supreme purpose of human life is to reconnect with Truth. However, our Ego is the biggest disease in the reunion with Truth / God and the solution to this disease also lies within human ego (mind and body). With Guru's grace the seeker meditates honestly on "Word" which leads to the end of ego. Guru is indistinguishable from God and are one and same thing as God which cannot be found with thousands of wisdoms. One gets connected with Guru only with accumulation of selfless search of truth. Ultimately the seeker realizes that it is the consciousness within the body which is seeker / follower and Word is true Guru. Human body is just a means to achieve the reunion with Truth. Truth is a form ofmatter which lies within human body but is beyond the realm of time / death. Once truth starts to shine in a persons heart, the essence of current and past holy

books of all religions is understood by the person.

A key practice to be pursued is nm: remembrance of the divine Name. The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice in religious traditions in India, but Nanak's interpretation emphasized inward, personal observance. Nanak's ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total conforming to Dharma or the "Divine Order". Nanak described the result of the disciplined application of nm simra as a "growing towards and into God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sach kha (The Realm of Truth)the final union of the spirit with God.

Guru Nanak stressed now kirat kar: that a Sikh should balance work, worship, andcharity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in particular, fello

w human beings. They are encouraged to have a chad kal, or optimistic, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharingva chakkthrough the distributiof free food at Sikh gurdwaras (lagar), giving charitable donations, and working for the good of the community and others (sv).

Sikhs believe that no matter what race, sex, or religion one is, all are equal in God's eyes. Men and women are equal and share the same rights, and women can lead in prayers.

Ten gurus and religious authority


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The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gur, meaning teacher, guide, or mentor. Thetraditions and philosophy of Sikhi were established by ten specific gurus from1469 to 1708. Each guru added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting in the creation of the Sikh religion. Guru Nanak Dev was the firstguru and appointed a disciple as successor. Guru Gobind Singh was the final guru in human form. Before his death, Guru Gobind Singh decreed that the Gur GranthShib would be the final and perpetual guru of the Sikhs.

Guru Angad Dev succeeded Guru Nanak. Later, an important phase in the development of Sikhi came with the third successor, Guru Amar Das. Guru Nanak's teachingsemphasised the pursuit of salvation; Guru Amar Das began building a cohesive community of followers with initiatives such as sanctioning distinctive ceremoniesfor birth, marriage, and death. Amar Das also established the manji (comparableto a diocese) system of clerical supervision.

Guru Amar Das's successor and son-in-law Guru Ram Das founded the city of Amritsar, which is home of the Harimandir Sahib and regarded widely as the holiest city for all Sikhs. When Guru Ram Das's youngest son Arjan succeeded him, the lineof male gurus from the Sodhi Khatri family was established: all succeeding guruswere direct descendants of this line. Guru Arjan Dev was captured by Mughal authorities who were suspicious and hostile to the religious order he was developing. His persecution and death inspired his successors to promote a military and political organization of Sikh communities to defend themselves against the attacks of Mughal forces.

The Sikh gurus established a mechanism which allowed the Sikh religion to reactas a community to changing circumstances. The sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, was responsible for the creation of the concept of Akal Takht (throne of the timelessone), which serves as the supreme decision-making centre of Sikhi and sits opposite the Darbar Sahib. The Sarbat ls (a representative portion of the Khalsa Panth) istorically gathers at the Akal Takht on special festivals such as Vaisakhi or Hola Mohalla and when there is a need to discuss matters that affect the entire Sikh nation. A gurmat (literally, guru's intention) is an order passed by the Sarbat ls in the presence of the Gur Granth Shib. A gurmat may only be passed on a sthat affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion; it is binding upon allSikhs. The term hukamnm (literally, edict or royal order) is often used interchangeably with the term gurmat. However, a hukamnm formally refers to a hymn from the

Gur Granth Shib which is a given order to Sikhs.

HistoryGuru Nanak (14691539), the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Ri Bhi d alwand, now called Nankana Sahib (in present-day Pakistan). His parents were Khatri Hindus of the Bedi clan. As a boy, Nanak was fascinated by God and religion.He would not partake in religious rituals or customs and oddly meditated alone.His desire to explore the mysteries of life eventually led him to leave home andtake missionary journeys.

In his early teens, Nanak caught the attention of the local landlord *Rai BularBhatti, who was moved by his amazing intellect and divine qualities. *Rai BularBhatti was witness to many incidents in which Nanak enchanted him and as a resul

t *Rai Bular Bhatti and Nanak's sister Bibi Nanki, became the first persons to recognise the divine qualities in Nanak. Both of them then encouraged and supported Nanak to study and travel. At the age of thirty, Nanak went missing and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the Kali Bein. On the day he arrived, he declared: "There is no Hindu,there is no Muslim" (in Punjabi, "n ki hind n ki musalmn"). It was from this momhat Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning ofSikhi. Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged to have made five major journeys, spanning thousands of miles, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Andhra and


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Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the fourthtour west towards Baghdad and Mecca. In his last and final tour, he returned tothe banks of the Ravi River to end his days.

Growth of Sikhi and Rise of KhalsaThe tenth guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh, created the Khalsa in the year 1699, which means "Akal Purakh de fauj" - the Army of God. Guru Gobind Singh clearly choose these words very deliberately - he did not state that the Khalsa was the army of the Khalsa or an army of the Sikhs or the army of Punjab - but an Armyof God whose function was the protection and safeguarding of all the peoples ofGod regardless of religion, colour, race or creed.

The Sikh Khalsa rise to power began in the 17th century during a time of growingmilitancy against Muslim rule. The creation of a Sikh Empire began when Guru Gobind Singh sent his brave Sikh general, Banda Singh Bahadur along with some hundred Singhs to punish those who had committed atrocities against Pir Buddhu Shahand avenge the murder of his youngest sons. Banda Singh, with a large group of Sikhs, advanced towards the main Muslim Mughal city of Sirhind and, following theinstructions of the guru, punished all the culprits. Soon after the invasion ofSirhind, Guru Gobind Singh was stabbed by a Pathan assassin hired by Mughals, Jamshed Khan stabbed the Guru in the left side below the heart while he was resting in his chamber after the Rehras prayer. Guru Gobind Singh killed the attackerwith his sword, while the assassin's companion tried to flee but was killed bysome Sikhs who had rushed in upon hearing the noise. A European surgeon stitched

the Guru's wound. However, the wound re-opened as the Guru tugged at a hard strong bow after a few days, and caused profuse bleeding. Seeing his end was near,the Guru declared the Granth Sahib as the next Guru of the Sikhs.

He then sang his self-composed hymn: "Under orders of the Immortal Being, the Panth was created. All the Sikhs are enjoined to accept the Granth as their Guru.Consider the Guru Granth as embodiment of the Gurus. Those who want to meet God,can find Him in its hymns. The Khalsa shall rule, and impure will be no more, Those separated will unite and all the devotees shall be saved."

The death of the Guru reached Banda Singh and Sikhs all over Punjab. After thisthe Sikhs took over many Muslim and Mughal lands, establishing a Sikh Empire. Other existing Muslim Emperors proclaimed a jihad or a holy war against Banda Sing

h and the Khalsa. However, many Muslim armies and their Generals fled in dismayand despair after Wazir Khan's head was stuck up on a spear and lifted high up by a Sikh who took his seat at Sirhind, Muslim troops on beholding the head tookalarm. Many Muslims embraced Sikhism and joined the Khalsa. Banda Singh at thistime also married the daughter of a Muslim General. However, the concept of jihad was re-proclaimed, and it took over 60,000 Muslim troops to capture 400 Sikhsand Banda Singh, where Banda Singh was captured and tortured. Banda Singh's mission played an important development of the Dal Khalsa and the Sikh Misls, whicheventually led to a new king, Maharaja Ranjit Singh capturing Lahore in 1799 andestablishing the Sikh Kingdom of Punjab. The new king and the Sikh Misls rose to power in a series of sweeping military and diplomatic victories. Increasing the number of Sikhs and spreading the Empire further. His vast empire comprised almost 200,000 square miles (520,000 square kilometres) of what is now Afghanistan

, Pakistan and Northern India. The Empire of the Sikhs was widely feared by manynatives including Muslims, Hindus, Persians and many Asian countries. Even manyPathans who had previously lived their during the Islamic rule, attempted manytimes to attack the Empire with over 20,000 troops, in which case Maharaja Ranjit Singh sent his bravest Sikh warrior, named Akali Phula Singh Nihang (at the age of 65) and a few hundred Singhs to deal with the Invading Pathans and bring them under control. Soon during a battle, a Pathan hiding behind a boulder shot Akali Phula Singh from close range during a battle with a number of Pathan soldiers began shooting him. Akali Phula Singh was found bullet ridden.


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The Sikhs retained control of the Sikh Empire. However, another challenge was yet to come. In the East, the British Empire took over thousands of square miles of land, including eastern parts of India and many Asian countries, soon reachingthe Sikh Empire where the British would also meet their biggest challenge during their Conquest. Both British and Sikh sides lost many troops and heavy numberof materials in various battles, such as the Anglo-Sikh wars. The British was claimed to be unbeatable, but Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikhs were the only people who could stand toe to toe with the British forces. For the first time during the British Conquest the British were unable to invade and resulted in both sides having to stop and come to terms. Narrated by Mohanlal Kashmiri, Secretaryto Sir Alexander Burnes, Maharaja Ranjit Singh replied to the British, "As longas I'm alive, the British will never conquest here." This led to further Anglo-Sikh wars and further loss on both sides. In 1839, the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Empire fell on the shoulders of his son, Maharaja Duleep Singh (at theage of 11). The Empire had fallen. The British Commission General describes Maharaja Ranjit Singh, "was by all accounts a fierce and revered conquerer."

Political advancementHargobind, became the sixth guru of the Sikhs. He carried two swordsone for spiritual and the other for temporal reasons (known as mr and pr in Sikhi). Sikhs grew aan organized community and under the 10th Guru the Sikhs developed a trained fighting force to defend their independence. In 1644, Har Rai became guru followedby Harkrishan, the boy guru, in 1661. No hymns composed by these three gurus are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Tegh Bahadur became guru in 1665 and led the Sikhs until 1675. Tegh Bahadur wasexecuted by Aurangzeb for helping to protect the faith of Hindus, after a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits came to him for help when the Emperor was killing thosewho refused to convert to Islam. He was succeeded by his son, Gobind Rai who was just nine years old at the time of his father's death. Gobind Rai further militarised his followers, and was baptised by the Paj Pir when he formed the Khalsa onMarch 30, 1699. From here on in he was known as Gobind Singh.

From the time of Nanak the Sikhs had significantly transformed. Even though thecore Sikh spiritual philosophy was never affected, the followers now began to develop a political identity. Conflict with Mughal authorities escalated during the lifetime of Teg Bahadur and Gobind Singh. The latter founded the Khalsa in 169

9. The Khalsa is a disciplined community that combines its spiritual purpose andgoals with political and military duties. After Aurangzeb killed four of his sons, Gobind Singh sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnamah (Notification/Epistle of Victory).

Shortly before his death, Gobind Singh ordered that the Gur Granth Shib (the SikhHoly Scripture), would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs and temporal authority would be vested in the Khalsathe Sikh Nation.

A former ascetic was charged by Gobind Singh with the duty of punishing those who had persecuted the innocents in Punjab. After the Guru's death, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur became the commander-in-chief of the Khalsa and was responsible for several attacks on the Mughal empire. He was executed by the emperor Farukh Siyar

after refusing the offer of a pardon if he converted to Islam.

The Sikh nation's embrace of military and political organisation made it a considerable regional force in medieval India and it continued to evolve after the demise of the gurus. After the death of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Sikh Confederacyof Sikh warrior bands known as misls were formed. With the decline of the Mughal empire, a Sikh Empire arose in the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with its capital in Lahore and limits reaching the Khyber Pass and the borders of China. The order, traditions and discipline developed over centuries culminated at the time of Ranjit Singh to give rise to the common religious and social identity


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that the term "Sikhi" describes.

After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire fell into disorder and was eventually annexed by the United Kingdom after the hard-fought First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars. This brought the Punjab under the British Raj. Sikhs formed the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal to preserve Sikhs' religious and political organization a quarter of a century later. With thepartition of India in 1947, thousands of Sikhs were killed in violence and millions were forced to leave their ancestral homes in West Punjab. Sikhs faced initial opposition from the Government in forming a linguistic state that other states in India were afforded. The Akali Dal started a non-violence movement for Sikhand Punjabi rights. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emerged as a leader of the Damdami Taksal in 1977 and promoted a more militant solution to the problem. In June1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian army to launch Operation Blue Star to remove Bhindranwale and his followers from the Darbar Sahib.Bhindranwale and his accompanying followers were killed during the army's operations. In October, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards.The assassination was followed by the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. and Hindu-Sikh conflicts in Punjab, as a reaction to Operation Blue Star and the assassin.

ScriptureThere is one primary source of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gur Granth Shib. The Gur Granth Shib may be referred to as the di Granthliterally, The First Volumeand ttwo terms are often used synonymously. Here, however, the di Granth refers to the

version of the scripture created by Arjan Dev in 1604. The Gur Granth Shib refersto the final version of the scripture created by Gobind Singh.

There are other sources of scriptures such as the Dasam Granth and so called Janamsakhis. These however, have been the subject of controversial debate amongst the Sikh community.

Adi GranthThe di Granth was compiled primarily by Bhai Gurdas under the supervision of GuruArjan Dev between the years 1603 and 1604. It is written in the Gurmukh script,which is a descendant of the La script used in the Punjab at that time. The Gurmukhscript was standardised by Angad Dev, the second guru of the Sikhs, for use in the Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the rad and Devangar

ipts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns and teachings of the Sikh gurus and fifteen bhagats. These fifteen bhagats are Namdev, Ravidas, Jaidev, Trilocan, Beni, Ramanand, Sainu, Dhanna, Sadhna, Pipa, Sur, Bhikhan, Paramanand, Farid, and Kabir. At the time, Arjan Sahib tried to prevent undue influence from the followers of Prithi Chand, the guru's older brotherand rival.

The original version of the di Granth is known as the kartrpur b and is claimed to e held by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur. (In fact the original volume was burnedby Ahmad Shah Durrani's army in 1757 when they burned the whole town of Kartarpur.)

Guru Granth Sahib

The final version of the Gur Granth Shib was compiled by Guru Gobind Singh in 1678. It consists of the original di Granth with the addition of Guru Tegh Bahadur'shymns. The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the Eleventh and final spiritual authority of the Sikhs.

Transliteration: Sabb sikkha k hukam hai gur mny granth.English: All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru.

It contains compositions by the first five Gurus, Guru Teg Bahadur and just one alk (couplet) from Guru Gobind Singh. It also contains the traditions and teaching


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s of sants (saints) such as Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Sheikh Farid along withseveral others.

The bulk of the scripture is classified into rgs, with each rg subdivided according to length and author. There are 31 main rgs within the Gur Granth Shib. In addition to the rgs, there are clear references to the folk music of Punjab. The main language used in the scripture is known as Sant Bh, a language related to both Punjabi and Hindi and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents of popular devotional religion.[29] As per the name "Gurmukhi", it is not merelya script but it is the language which came out of Guru's mouth - by using this definition, all words in Guru Granth Sahib constitute "Gurbani" words, thus making Gurmukhi language which then constitute two components - spoken Gurmukhi words(in form of Gurbani which originated from different languages (like world's different languages have similar roots) and Gurmukhi script. The text further comprises over 5000 abads, or hymns, which are poetically constructed and set to classical form of music rendition, can be set to predetermined musical tl, or rhythmicbeats.

The Granth begins with the Ml Mantra, an iconic verse created by Nanak:

ISO 15919 transliteration: Ika akra sati nmu karat purakhu nirabha'u niravairua mrati ajn saibha gura prasdi.

Simplified transliteration: Ik agkr sat nm kart purkh nirbha'u nirvair akl maibha gur prasd.

English: The One of which everything is and continuous, the ever existing, creator being personified, without fear, without hatred, image Of the timeless being, beyond birth, self existent, by Guru's Grace.

All text within the Granth is known as gurbn. And Gurbani is the Guru "Baani GuruGuru hai Baani" (The word is the Guru and Guru is the word) and "Shabd Guru Surat Dhun Chaylaa" (The Shabad is the Guru, upon whom I lovingly focus my consciousness; I am the disciple.). Therefore, as evident from the message of the Guru Nanak (first Guru) Shabad (or word) was always the Guru (the enlightener); however, as Sikhism stand on the dual strands of Miri-Piri, the Guru in Sikhism is a combination of teacher-leader. Therefore, the lineage from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh was of the teacher-leaders eventually wherein the temporal authority was passed on to the Khalsa and spiritual authority, which always was with, passed

to Adi Granth(thence the Guru Granth Sahib).

Therefore, Guru Granth Sahib and its 11th body -the Khalsa is the Guru, teacher-leader, of the Sikhs till eternity.

Dasam GranthThe Dasam Granth is a scripture of Sikhs which contains texts attributed to theTenth Guru. The Dasam Granth holds a significance of great amount for Sikhs, however it doesn't have the same authority as Adi Granth. Some compositions of theDasam Granth like Jaap Sahib, (Amrit Savaiye), and Benti Chaupai are part of thedaily prayers/lessons (Nitnem) of/for Sikhs.

Janamsakhis

The Janamskhs (literally birth stories), are writings which profess to be biographies of Nanak. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide an interesting look at Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhi. There are severaloften contradictory and sometimes unreliableJanamskhs and they are not held in the sameregard as other sources of scriptural knowledge.

ObservancesObservant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to strengthen and express their faith. The daily recitation from memory of specific passages from the Gur Granth Shib, especially the Japu (or Japj, literally chant) hymns is rec


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ommended immediately after rising and bathing. Family customs include both reading passages from the scripture and attending the gurdwara (also gurdur, meaning the doorway to God; sometimes transliterated as gurudwara). There are many gurdwaras prominently constructed and maintained across India, as well as in almost every nation where Sikhs reside. Gurdwaras are open to all, regardless of religion,background, caste, or race.

Worship in a gurdwara consists chiefly of singing of passages from the scripture. Sikhs will commonly enter the gurdwara, touch the ground before the holy scripture with their foreheads.. The recitation of the eighteenth century ards is alsocustomary for attending Sikhs. The ards recalls past sufferings and glories of the community, invoking divine grace for all humanity.

The Sikh faith also participates in the custom of "Langar" or the community meal. All gurdwaras are open to anyone of any faith for a free meal. People can enter and eat together and are served by faithful members of the community. This isthe main cost associated with gurdwaras and where monetary donations are primarily spent.

Sikh festivals/eventsTechnically, there are no festivals in Sikhism. However, the events mostly centred around the lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs are commemorated. The SGPC, the Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of the historical gurdwaras of Punjab, organises celebrations based on the new Nanakshahi calendar. This calendar is hig

hly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted. Sikh festivals include the following:

Gurpurabs are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of the Sikhgurus. They tend to be either birthdays or celebrations of Sikh martyrdom. All ten Gurus have Gurpurabs on the Nanakshahi calendar, but it is Guru Nanak Dev andGuru Gobind Singh who have a gurpurab that is widely celebrated in Gurdwaras and Sikh homes. The martyrdoms are also known as a shaheedi Gurpurabs, which markthe martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Baisakhi occurs on 13 April. Sikhs celebrate it because on this day which fell on March 30, 1699, the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, inaugurated the Khalsa, the11th body of Guru Granth Sahib and leader of Sikhs till eternity.

Bandi Chhor celebrates Guru Hargobind's release from the Gwalior Fort, with

several innocent Hindu kings who were also imprisoned by Jahangir, on 26 October1619. This day usually commemorated on the same day of Hindu festival of Diwali.

Hola Mohalla occurs the day after Holi and is when the Khalsa gather at Anandpur and display their individual and team warrior skills, including fighting and riding. Cannabis or Bhang is also pounded by the Sikhs on this day.

Ceremonies and customsGuru Nanak Dev Ji taught that rituals, religious ceremonies, or idol worship areof little use and Sikhs are discouraged from fasting or going on pilgrimages. Sikhs do not believe in converting people but converts to Sikhi by choice are welcomed. The morning and evening prayers take about two hours a day, starting in the very early morning hours. The first morning prayer is Guru Nanak's Jap Ji. Ja

p, meaning "recitation", refers to the use of sound, as the best way of approaching the divine. Like combing hair, hearing and reciting the sacred word is usedas a way to comb all negative thoughts out of the mind. The second morning prayer is Guru Gobind Singh's universal Jaap Sahib. The Guru addresses God as havingno form, no country, and no religion but as the seed of seeds, sun of suns, andthe song of songs. The Jaap Sahib asserts that God is the cause of conflict as well as peace, and of destruction as well as creation. Devotees learn that thereis nothing outside of God's presence, nothing outside of God's control. Devout Sikhs are encouraged to begin the day with private meditations on the name of God.


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Upon a child's birth, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at a random point and thechild is named using the first letter on the top left hand corner of the left page. All boys are given the middle name Singh, and all girls are given the middlename Kaur (this was a once a title which was conferred on an individual at joining the Khalsa). Sikhs are joined in wedlock through the anand kraj ceremony. Sikhs are required to marry when they are of a sufficient age (child marriage is taboo), and without regard for the future spouse's caste or descent. The marriageceremony is performed in the company of the Guru Granth Sahib; around which thecouple circles four times. After the ceremony is complete, the husband and wifeare considered "a single soul in two bodies."

According to Sikh religious rites, neither husband nor wife is permitted to divorce unless special circumstances arise. A Sikh couple that wishes to divorce maybe able to do so in a civil court. Upon death, the body of a Sikh is usually cremated. If this is not possible, any means of disposing the body may be employed. The krtan shil and ards prayers are performed during the funeral ceremony (known s antim sanskr).

Baptism and the KhalsaKhalsa (meaning "Sovereign") is the collective name given by Gobind Singh to allSikhs, male or female, who have been baptised or initiated by taking ammrit ina ceremony called ammrit sacr. The first time that this ceremony took place was onVaisakhi, which fell on 30 March 1699 at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. It was on th

at occasion that Gobind Singh baptised the Paj Pirthe five beloved ones, who in turbaptised Gobind Singh himself. The last name Singh is given to baptized Sikh males meaning lion and the last name Kaur is given to baptized Sikh females meaning princess/lioness.

Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks (in Punjabi known as paj kakk or paj kakr), or articles of faith, at all times. The 5 items are: ks (uncut hair), kagh (sall wooden comb), ka (circular steel or iron bracelet), kirpn (sword/dagger), and kacchera (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes.

Sikh peopleWorldwide, there are 25.8 million Sikhs, which make up only 0.39% of the worlds

population. Approximately 75% of Sikhs live in the Punjab, where they constituteabout 60% of the state's population. Even though there are a large number of Sikhs in the world, certain countries have not recognised Sikhi as a major religion. Large communities of Sikhs live in the neighboring states, and large communities of Sikhs can be found across India. However, Sikhs only make up about 2% ofthe Indian population.

Sikh Migration beginning from the 19th century led to the creation of significant communities in Canada (predominantly in Brampton, along with Malton in Ontarioand Abbotsford, Mission, Lower Mainland, Surrey in British Columbia), East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom as well as Australia andNew Zealand. These communities developed as Sikhs migrated out of Punjab to fill in gaps in imperial labour markets. In the early twentieth century a significa

nt community began to take shape on the west coast of the United States. Smallerpopulations of Sikhs are found in within many countries in Western Europe, Mauritius, Malaysia, Fiji, Nepal, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Singapore, Mexico, the United States and many other countries.

Since 1968, thousands of non-Punjabis have taken up the Sikh belief and lifestyle primarily in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Far East and Australia. These first and second generation Sikhs are of various ethnic backgrounds and include Caucasians, Blacks, and Chinese.


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Since 2010, the Sikh Directory has organized The Sikh Awards, the first Sikh award ceremony in the World.

Prohibitions in SikhismThere are a number of religious prohibitions in Sikhism:

Cutting hair: Cutting hair is strictly forbidden in Sikhism. Sikhs are required to keep unshorn hair.

Intoxication: Consumption of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and other intoxicantsis not allowed. Intoxicants are strictly forbidden for a Sikh. However the Nihangs of Punjab take an infusion of cannabis to assist meditation.

Adultery: In Sikhism, the spouses must be physically and mentally faithful to one another.

Blind spirituality: Superstitions and rituals should not be observed or followed, including pilgrimages, fasting and ritual purification; circumcision; idols & grave worship; compulsory wearing of the veil for women; etc.

Material obsession: Obsession with material wealth is not encouraged in Sikhism.

Sacrifice of creatures: The practice of sati (widows throwing themselves onthe funeral pyre of their husbands), ritual animal sacrifice to celebrate holy occasions, etc. are forbidden.

Non-family-oriented living: A Sikh is encouraged NOT to live as a recluse, beggar, yogi, monastic (monk/nun) or celibate. Sikhs are to live as saint-soldiers.

Worthless talk: Bragging, lying, slander, "back-stabbing", etc. are not permitted. The Guru Granth Sahib tells the Sikh, "Your mouth has not stopped slandering and gossiping about others. Your service is useless and fruitless."

Priestly class: Sikhism does not have priests, they were abolished by Guru Gobind Singh (the 10th Guru of Sikhism). The only position he left was a Granthito look after the Guru Granth Sahib, any Sikh is free to become Granthi or readfrom the Guru Granth Sahib.

Eating meat killed in a ritualistic manner (Kutha meat): Sikhs are strictlyprohibited from eating meat from animals slaughtered in a religiously prescribedmanner (such as dhabihah or shechita, known as Kutha meat, when the animal is killed by exsanguination via throat-cutting.), or any meat where langar is served. The meat eaten by Sikhs is known as Jhatka meat.

Having premarital or extramarital sexual relations.

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