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Sikhism

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Religious movements,
traditions and organizations

   Sikhism ( IPA: ['siːkɪz(ə)m] or ['sɪk-] ; Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖੀ, sikkhī, IPA:
   ['sɪk.kʰiː] ) is a religion that began in 15th Century Northern India
   with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. This
   system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally
   known as the Gurmat (literally the teachings of the gurus) or the Sikh
   Dharma. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the
   Sanskrit root śiṣya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śikṣa meaning
   "instruction." Sikhism is the fifth-largest organised religion in the
   world.

   The principal belief in Sikhism is faith in one
   God—Vāhigurū—represented using the sacred symbol of ēk ōaṅkār. Sikhism
   advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal
   meditation on the name and message of God. The followers of Sikhism are
   ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened
   leaders, as well as the holy scripture—the Gurū Granth Sāhib—which
   includes the selected works of many authors from diverse socioeconomic
   and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Gobind Singh, the
   tenth guru, as the final guru of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhism's traditions
   and teachings are distinctly associated with the history, society and
   culture of the Northern India.

   Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and
   number over 23 million across the world. However, most Sikhs live in
   the state of Punjab in India; prior to partition, millions of Sikhs
   lived in what is now the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Philosophy and teachings

   The Harimandir Sahib, known popularly as the Golden Temple, is a sacred
   shrine for Sikhs.
   Enlarge
   The Harimandir Sahib, known popularly as the Golden Temple, is a sacred
   shrine for Sikhs.

   Sikh religious philosophy has roots in the religious traditions of
   northern India. The Sant Mat traditions are fundamental to the
   teachings of Sikhism's founder, Nanak. Especially important to the
   connection with Sikhism were the teachings of the saint Kabir. Sikhism
   is also inspired by the emphasis on devotion to God in the traditions
   of Vaishnavism, especially through the Bhakti movement, as well as
   influences of Sufism. However, Nanak's teachings diverge significantly
   from Vaishnavism in their rejection of idol worship, the doctrine of
   divine incarnations and a strict emphasis on inward devotion; Sikhism
   is professed to be a more difficult personal pursuit than Bhakti. The
   evolution of Nanak's thoughts on the basis of his own experiences and
   study have also given Sikhism a distinctly unique feature.

   Scholars have presented Sikhism as both a distinct faith and a
   syncretic religion which combines some elements of Hinduism and Islam.
   Sikhs maintain that their religion was directly revealed by God and
   therefore to many of them, the notion of its being a syncretic religion
   is offensive.

God

   In Sikhism, God – termed Vāhigurū – is formless, eternal, and
   unobserved: niraṅkār, akāl, and alakh. Nanak interpreted Vāhigurū as a
   single, personal and transcendental creator. The beginning of the first
   composition of Sikh scripture is the figure " 1"—signifying the unity
   of God. To achieve salvation, the devotee must develop an intimate
   faith in and relationship with God. God is omnipresent and infinite,
   and is signified by the term ēk ōaṅkār. Sikhs believe that prior to
   creation, all that existed was God and his infinite hukam (will). When
   God willed, the entire cosmos was created. From these beginnings, God
   nurtured "enticement and attachment" to māyā, or the human perception
   of reality.

   While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings, Nanak
   described God as not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent ( sarav
   viāpak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually
   awakened. Nanak stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye,"
   or the "heart" of a human being: devotees must meditate to progress
   towards enlightenment. Nanak emphasised the revelation through
   meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of
   communication between God and human beings. God has no gender in
   Sikhism, though translations may incorrectly present a masculine God.
   In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which God has
   created life.

Pursuing salvation

   A Sikh man at the Harimandir Sahib.
   Enlarge
   A Sikh man at the Harimandir Sahib.

   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
   chief obstacles to the attainment of salvation are social conflicts and
   an attachment to worldly pursuits, which commit men and women to an
   endless cycle of birth - a concept known as karma.

   Māyā—defined as illusion or "unreality"—is one of the core deviations
   from the pursuit of God and salvation - people are distracted from
   devotion by worldly attractions which give only illusive satisfaction.
   However, Nanak emphasised māyā as not a reference to the unreality of
   the world, but of its values. In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger,
   greed, attachment and lust—known as the Five Evils—are 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.

   Nanak described God's revelation—the path to salvation—with terms such
   as nām (the divine Name) and śabad (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 outwardly observations such as rites, pilgrimages or
   asceticism. He stressed that devotion must take place through the
   heart, with the spirit and the soul.

   A key practice to be pursued is nām simraṇ—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 emphasised inward, personal observance. Nanak's ideal is
   the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total
   conforming to the divine Order. Nanak described the result of the
   disciplined application of nām simraṇ as a "growing towards and into
   God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sac
   khaṇḍ (The Realm of Truth)—the final union of the spirit with God.

   Nanak stressed kirat karō - that a Sikh should balance work, worship,
   and charity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in
   particular, fellow human beings. They are encouraged to have a caṛdī
   kalā, or optimistic, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the
   concept of sharing— vaṇḍ chakkō—through the distribution of free food
   at Sikh gurdwaras ( laṅgar), giving charitable donations, and working
   for the betterment of the community and others (sēvā).

The ten gurus and religious authority

   A rare Tanjore style painting from the late 19th century depicting the
   ten Sikh Gurus with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.
   Enlarge
   A rare Tanjore style painting from the late 19th century depicting the
   ten Sikh Gurus with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.

   The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gurū, meaning teacher, guide or
   mentor. The traditions and philosophy of Sikhism were established by
   ten specific gurus from 1469 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 first guru and appointed a
   disciple as successor. Guru Gobind Singh was the final guru in human
   form. Before his death, Gobind Singh decreed that the Gurū Granth Sāhib
   would be the final and perpetual guru of the Sikhs.
   #      Name       Date of Birth     Guruship on      Date of Death   Age
   1  Nanak Dev    15 April 1469     20 August 1507   22 September 1539 69
   2  Angad Dev    31 March 1504     7 September 1539 29 March 1552     48
   3  Amar Das     5 May 1479        26 March 1552    1 September 1574  95
   4  Ram Das      24 September 1534 1 September 1574 1 September 1581  46
   5  Arjun Dev    15 April 1563     1 September 1581 30 May 1606       43
   6  Har Gobind   19 June 1595      25 May 1606      28 February 1644  48
   7  Har Rai      16 January 1630   3 March 1644     6 October 1661    31
   8  Har Krishan  7 July 1656       6 October 1661   30 March 1664     7
   9  Teg Bahadur  1 April 1621      20 March 1665    11 November 1675  54
   10 Gobind Singh 22 December 1666  11 November 1675 7 October 1708    41

   After Nanak's death, the most important phase in the development of
   Sikhism came with the second successor, Amar Das. Nanak's teachings
   emphasised the pursuit of salvation; Nanak had significant but loose
   followings. Amar Das began building a cohesive community of followers
   with initiatives such as sanctioning distinctive ceremonies for birth,
   marriage and death. Amar Das also established the manji (comparable to
   a diocese) system of clerical supervision.
   The interior of the Akal Takht.
   Enlarge
   The interior of the Akal Takht.

   Amar Das's successor and son-in-law 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 Ram Das's youngest son Arjun Dev
   succeeded him, the line of male gurus from the Sodhi Khatri family was
   established: all succeeding gurus were direct descendants of this line.
   Arjun Dev was responsible for compiling the Sikh scriptures. Arjun 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
   organisation of Sikh communities to defend themselves against the
   attacks of Mughal forces.

   The Sikh gurus established a mechanism which allowed the Sikh religion
   to react as a community to changing circumstances. The sixth guru, Har
   Gobind, was responsible for the creation of the Akal Takht (throne of
   the timeless one) which serves as the supreme decision-making centre of
   Sikhdom and sits opposite the Harimandir Sahib. The Sarbat Ḵẖālsā (a
   representative portion of the Khalsa Panth) historically gathers at the
   Akal Takht on special festivals such as Vaisakhi or Diwali and when
   there is a need to discuss matters that affect the entire Sikh nation.
   A gurmatā (literally, guru's intention) is an order passed by the
   Sarbat Ḵẖālsā in the presence of the Gurū Granth Sāhib. A gurmatā may
   only be passed on a subject that affects the fundamental principles of
   Sikh religion; it is binding upon all Sikhs. The term hukamnāmā
   (literally, edict or royal order) is often used interchangeably with
   the term gurmatā. However, a hukamnāmā formally refers to a hymn from
   the Gurū Granth Sāhib which is given as an order to Sikhs.

History

   Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, with Hindu holy men.
   Enlarge
   Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, with Hindu holy men.

   Guru Nanak Dev (1469–1538), the first Guru within Sikhism, was born in
   the village of Rāi Bhōi dī Talvaṇḍī, now called Nankana Sahib, near
   Lahore (in what is present-day Pakistan). His father, Mehta Kalu was a
   Patwari—an accountant of land revenue in the government. Nanak's mother
   was Tripta Devi and he had one older sister, Nanaki. His parents were
   Khatri Hindus of the Bedi clan. As a boy, Nanak was fascinated by
   religion, and his desire to explore the mysteries of life eventually
   led him to leave home. It was during this period that Nanak was said to
   have met Kabir (1440–1518), a saint revered by people of different
   faiths.

   Sikh tradition states that 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. Three days later he reappeared
   and would give the same answer to any question posed to him: "There is
   no Hindu, there is no Muslim" (in Punjabi, "nā kō hindū nā kō
   musalmān"). In this phrase contains the essence of his teachings; the
   equality of humankind. Guru Nanak took birth in this world not to
   create or found any religion; he saw much problem and superficial
   ritualistic traditions in the religions already present. He came to
   re-establish Sanatan Dharma, to lead people towards the light of God
   (hence the term Guru) and not toward religious doctrine. Although the
   exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged
   to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometres. The
   first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south
   towards Ceylon via Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh
   and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad and Mecca.

   Nanak was married to Sulakhni, the daughter of Moolchand Chona, a rice
   trader from the town of Batala. They had two sons. The elder son, Sri
   Chand was an ascetic and he came to have a considerable following of
   his own, known as the Udasis. The younger son, Lakshmi Das, on the
   other hand was totally immersed in worldly life. To Nanak, who believed
   in the ideal of rāj maiṁ jōg (detachment in civic life), both his sons
   were unfit to carry on the Guruship.

Growth of the Sikh community

   Baba Buddha places a tikka (a mark of distinction) on the forehead of
   Guru Arjun Dev, pronouncing him the fifth Guru. Guru Ram Das is seated
   on the right.
   Enlarge
   Baba Buddha places a tikka (a mark of distinction) on the forehead of
   Guru Arjun Dev, pronouncing him the fifth Guru. Guru Ram Das is seated
   on the right.

   In 1538, Nanak chose his disciple Lahiṇā, a Khatri of the Trehan clan,
   as a successor to the guruship rather than either of his sons. Lahiṇā
   was named Guru Angad Dev and became the second guru of the Sikhs. Nanak
   conferred his choice at the town of Kartarpur on the banks of the river
   Ravi, where Nanak had finally settled down after his travels. Though
   Sri Chand was not an ambitious man, the Udasis believed that the
   Guruship should have gone to him, since he was a man of pious habits in
   addition to being Nanak's son. They refused to accept Angad's
   succession. On Nanak's advice, Angad shifted from Kartarpur to Khadur,
   where his wife Khivi and children were living, until he was able to
   bridge the divide between his followers and the Udasis. Angad continued
   the work started by Nanak and is widely credited for standardising the
   Gurmukhī script as used in the sacred scripture of the Sikhs.

   Guru Amar Das, became the third Sikh guru in 1552 at the age of 73.
   Goindval became an important centre for Sikhism during the guruship of
   Amar Das. He preached the principle of equality for women by
   prohibiting purdah and sati. Amar Das also encouraged the practice of
   laṅgar and made all those who visited him attend laṅgar before they
   could speak to him. In 1567, Emperor Akbar sat with the ordinary and
   poor people of Punjab to have laṅgar. Amar Das also trained 146
   apostles of which 52 were women, to manage the rapid expansion of the
   religion. Before he died in 1574 aged 95, he appointed his son-in-law
   Jēṭhā, a Khatri of the Sodhi clan, as the fourth Sikh guru.
   Mid-nineteenth century miniature of Guru Har Gobind.
   Enlarge
   Mid-nineteenth century miniature of Guru Har Gobind.

   Jēṭhā became Guru Ram Das and vigorously undertook his duties as the
   new guru. He is responsible for the establishment of the city of
   Ramdaspur later to be named Amritsar. In 1581, Guru Arjun Dev—youngest
   son of the fourth guru—became the fifth guru of the Sikhs. In addition
   to being responsible for building the Harimandir Sahib (often called
   the Golden Temple), he prepared the Sikh sacred text known as the Ādi
   Granth (literally the first book) and included the writings of the
   first five gurus. In 1606, for refusing to make changes to the Granth
   and for supporting an unsuccessful contender to the throne, he was
   tortured and killed by the Mughal ruler, Jahangir.

Political advancement

   Guru Har Gobind, became the sixth guru of the Sikhs. He carried two
   swords—one for spiritual and the other for temporal reasons (known as
   mīrī and pīrī in Sikhism). Sikhs grew as an organised community and
   always had a trained fighting force to defend their independence. In
   1644, Guru Har Rai became guru followed by Guru Har Krishan, the boy
   guru, in 1661. No hymns composed by these three gurus are included in
   the Sikh holy book.

   Guru Teg Bahadur became guru in 1665 and led the Sikhs until 1675. Teg
   Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb for helping to protect Hindus, after
   a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits came to him for help when the Emperor
   condemned them to death for failing 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 Pañj Piārē when he formed the Khalsa
   in 1699. From here on in he was known as Guru Gobind Singh.

   From the time of Nanak, when it was a loose collection of followers who
   focused entirely on the attainment of salvation and God, the Sikh
   community had significantly transformed. Even though the core Sikh
   religious 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 1699. The Khalsa is a disciplined
   community that combines its religious purpose and goals with political
   and military duties. After Aurangzeb killed four of his sons, Gobind
   Singh sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnāmā (Notification/Epistle of Victory).

   Shortly before his death it is believed that Gobind Singh ordered the
   Gurū Granth Sāhib (the Sikh Holy Scripture), be the ultimate spiritual
   authority for the Sikhs and temporal authority would be vested in the
   Khalsa Panth – The Sikh Nation/Community. The first scripture was
   compiled and edited by the fifth guru, Arjun Dev, in 1604.
   Guru Gobind Singh (with bird) encounters Guru Nanak Dev. An 18th
   century painting of an imaginary meeting.
   Enlarge
   Guru Gobind Singh (with bird) encounters Guru Nanak Dev. An 18th
   century painting of an imaginary meeting.

   Banda Bahadur, a former ascetic, was charged by Gobind Singh with the
   duty of punishing those who had persecuted the Sikhs. After the guru's
   death, Banda Bahadur became the leader of the Sikh army and was
   responsible for several attacks on the Mughal empire. He was executed
   by the emperor Jahandar Shah after refusing the offer of a pardon if he
   converted to Islam.

   The Sikh community'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
   Banda Bahadur, a loose confederation of Sikh warrior bands known as
   misls 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 that the term "Sikhism" describes.

   After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh kingdom fell into disorder
   and eventually collapsed with the Anglo-Sikh Wars, which brought the
   Punjab under British rule. Sikhs supported and participated in the
   Indian National Congress, but also formed the Shiromani Gurdwara
   Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal to preserve Sikhs
   religious and political organisation. With the partition of India in
   1947, thousands of Sikhs were killed in violence and millions were
   forced to leave their ancestral homes in West Punjab. Even though Sikhs
   enjoyed considerable prosperity in the 1970s with the Green Revolution
   making Punjab the most prosperous state in the nation, a fringe group
   led by cleric Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale began demanding an independent
   state named Khalistan, led to clashes between militant groups and
   government forces, as well as communal violence.

Scripture

   There are two primary sources of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gurū
   Granth Sāhib and the Dasam Granth. The Gurū Granth Sāhib may be
   referred to as the Ādi Granth—literally, The First Volume—and the two
   terms are often used synonymously. Here, however, the Ādi Granth refers
   to the version of the scripture created by Arjun Dev in 1604. The Gurū
   Granth Sāhib refers to the final version of the scripture created by
   Gobind Singh.

Adi Granth

   It is believed that the Ādi Granth was compiled primarily by Bhai
   Gurdas under the supervision of Arjun Dev between the years 1603 and
   1604. It is written in the Gurmukhī script, which is a descendant of
   the Laṇḍā script used in the Punjab at that time. The Gurmukhī script
   was standardised by Arjun Dev for use in the Sikh scriptures and is
   thought to have been influenced by the Śāradā and Devanāgarī scripts.
   An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of
   hymns and teachings of the Sikh gurus and selected bhagats. At the
   time, Arjun Dev tried to prevent undue influence from the followers of
   Prithi Chand, the guru's older brother and rival.

   The original version of the Ādi Granth is known as the kartārpur bīṛ
   and is currently held by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur.

Guru Granth Sahib

   Gurū Granth Sāhib folio with Mūl Mantra.
   Enlarge
   Gurū Granth Sāhib folio with Mūl Mantra.

   The final version of the Gurū Granth Sāhib was compiled by Guru Gobind
   Singh. It consists of the original Ādi Granth with the addition of Guru
   Teg Bahadur's hymns. It was decreed by Gobind Singh that the Granth was
   to be considered the eternal, living guru of all Sikhs:

          Punjabi: ਸੱਬ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ।
          Transliteration: Sabb sikkhaṇ kō hukam hai gurū mānyō 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 śalōk (couplet) from Guru Gobind Singh. It also contains the
   traditions and teachings of sants (saints) such as Kabir, Namdev,
   Ravidas and Sheikh Farid along with several others.

   The bulk of the scripture is classified into rāgs, with each rāg
   subdivided according to length and author. There are 31 main rāgs
   within the Gurū Granth Sāhib. In addition to the rāgs, there are clear
   references to the folk music of Punjab. The main language used in the
   scripture is known as Sant Bhāṣā, a language related to both Punjabi
   and Hindi and used extensively across medieval northern India by
   proponents of popular devotional religion. The text further comprises
   over 5000 śabads, or hymns, which are poetically constructed and set to
   classical form of music rendition, can be set to predetermined musical
   tāl, or rhythmic beats.

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

          Punjabi: ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ
          ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
          ISO 15919 transliteration: Ika ōaṅkāra sati nāmu karatā purakhu
          nirabha'u niravairu akāla mūrati ajūnī saibhaṅ gura prasādi.
          Simplified transliteration: Ik ōaṅkār sat nām kartā purkh
          nirbha'u nirvair akāl mūrat ajūnī saibhaṅ gur prasād.
          English: There is One God, He is the supreme truth, He, the
          Creator, is without fear and without hate. He, the omnipresent,
          pervades the universe. He is not born, nor does he die again to
          be reborn. By His grace shalt thou worship Him.

   All text within the Granth is known as gurbānī. Gurbānī, according to
   Nanak, was revealed by God directly, and the authors wrote it down for
   the followers. The status accorded to the scripture is defined by the
   evolving interpretation of the concept of gurū. In the Sant tradition
   of Nanak, the guru was literally the word of God. The Sikh community
   soon transferred the role to a line of men who gave authoritative and
   practical expression to religious teachings and traditions, in addition
   to taking socio-political leadership of Sikh adherents. Gobind Singh
   declared an end of the line of human gurus, and now the Gurū Granth
   Sāhib serves as the eternal guru, with its interpretation vested with
   the community.

Dasam Granth

   A frontispiece to the Dasam Granth.
   Enlarge
   A frontispiece to the Dasam Granth.

   The Dasam Granth (formally dasvēṁ pātśāh kī granth or The Book of the
   Tenth Master) is an eighteenth-century collection of miscellaneous
   works generally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. The teachings of
   Gobind Singh were not included in Gurū Granth Sāhib, the holy book of
   the Sikhs, and instead were collected in the Dasam Granth. Unlike the
   Gurū Granth Sāhib, the Dasam Granth was never declared to hold
   guruship. The authenticity of some portions of the Granth has been
   questioned and the appropriateness of the Granth's content still causes
   much debate.

   The entire Granth is written in the Gurmukhī script, although most of
   the language is actually Braj and not Punjabi. Sikh tradition states
   that Mani Singh collected the writings of Gobind Singh after his death
   to create the Granth.

   From 1892 to 1897, scholars assembled at the Akal Takht, Amritsar, to
   study the various printed Dasam Granths and prepare the authoritative
   version. They concluded that the Dasam Granth was entirely the work of
   Gobind Singh. Further re-examinations and reviews took place in 1931,
   under the Darbar Sahib Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak
   Committee they too vindicated the earlier conclusion..

Janamsakhis

   The Janamsākhīs (literally birth stories), are writings which profess
   to be biographies of Guru Nanak Dev. Although not scripture in the
   strictest sense, they provide an interesting look at Nanak's life and
   the early start of Sikhism. There are several—often contradictory and
   sometimes unreliable—Janamsākhīs and they are not held in the same
   regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge.

Observances and ceremonies

   A man reading the Gurū Granth Sāhib at the Harimandir Sahib.
   Enlarge
   A man reading the Gurū Granth Sāhib at the Harimandir Sahib.

   Observant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to
   strengthen and express their faith. The daily recitation from memory of
   specific passages from the Gurū Granth Sāhib, especially the Japu (or
   Japjī, literally chant) hymns is recommended immediately after rising
   and bathing. Family customs include both reading passages from the
   scripture and attending the gurdwara (also gurduārā, meaning the
   doorway to God). 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 temple, touch the ground
   before the holy scripture with their foreheads, and make an offering.
   The recitation of the eighteenth century ardās is also customary for
   attending Sikhs. The ardās recalls past sufferings and glories of the
   community, invoking divine grace for all humanity.

   The most sacred shrine is the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, famously
   known as the Golden Temple. Groups of Sikhs regularly visit and
   congregate at the Harimandir Sahib. On specific occasions, groups of
   Sikhs are permitted to undertake a pilgrimage to Sikh shrines in the
   province of Punjab in Pakistan, especially at Nankana Sahib and the
   samādhī (place of cremation) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore.

   Festivals in Sikhism mostly centre around the lives of the Gurus and
   Sikh martyrs. The SGPC, the Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of
   the gurdwaras, organises celebrations based on the new Nanakshahi
   calendar. This calendar is highly controversial among Sikhs and is not
   universally accepted. Several festivals (Hola Mohalla, Diwali and Guru
   Nanak's birthday) continue to be celebrated using the Hindu calendar.
   Sikh festivals include the following:
     * Gurpurabs are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of
       the Sikh gurus. They tend to be either birthdays or celebrations of
       Sikh martyrdom.
     * Vaisakhi normally occurs on 13 April and marks the beginning of the
       new spring year and the end of the harvest. Sikhs celebrate it
       because on Vaisakhi in 1699, the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, began
       the Khalsa baptismal tradition.
     * Diwali (also known as bandī chōḍ divas) celebrates Guru Hargobind's
       release from the Gwalior Jail on 26 October 1619.
     * Hola Mohalla occurs the day after Holi and is when the Khalsa Panth
       gather at Anandpur and display their fighting skills.

Ceremonies and customs

   The anand kāraj (Sikh marriage) ceremony.
   Enlarge
   The anand kāraj (Sikh marriage) ceremony.

   Nanak taught that rituals, religious ceremonies or empty worship is of
   little use and Sikhs are discouraged from fasting or going on
   pilgrimages. However, during the period of the later gurus, and due to
   increased institutionalisation of the religion, some ceremonies and
   rites did arise. Sikhism is not a proselytising religion and most Sikhs
   do not make active attempts to gain converts. However, converts to
   Sikhism are welcomed, although there is no formal conversion ceremony.

   Upon a child's birth, the Gurū Granth Sāhib is opened at a random point
   and the child is named using the first letter on the top left-hand
   corner of the left page. All boys are given the middle name or surname
   Singh, and all girls are given the middle name or surname Kaur. Sikhs
   are joined in wedlock through the anand kāraj ceremony. Sikhs marry
   when they are sufficient age (child marriage is taboo), and without
   regard for the future spouse's caste or descent. The marriage ceremony
   is performed in the company of the Gurū Granth Sāhib; around which the
   couple circles four times. After the ceremony is complete, the husband
   and wife are considered "a single soul in two bodies."

   According to Sikh religious rites, neither husband nor wife are
   permitted to divorce. A Sikh couple that wishes to divorce may be able
   to do so in a civil court – but this is not condoned. 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 kīrtan sōhilā and ardās
   prayers are performed during the funeral ceremony (known as antim
   sanskār).

Baptism and the Khalsa

   Khalsa (meaning pure) is the name given by Gobind Singh to all Sikhs
   who have been baptised or initiated by taking ammrit in a ceremony
   called ammrit sañcār. The first time that this ceremony took place was
   on Vaisakhi, which fell on 30 March 1699 at Anandpur Sahib in India. It
   was on that occasion that Gobind Singh baptised the Pañj Piārē who in
   turn baptised Gobind Singh himself.
   A kaṛā, kaṅghā and kirpān.
   Enlarge
   A kaṛā, kaṅghā and kirpān.

   Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks (in Punjabi known as pañj
   kakkē or pañj kakār), or articles of faith, at all times. The tenth
   guru, Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh
   could actively use them to make a difference to their own and to
   others' spirituality. The 5 items are: kēs (uncut hair), kaṅghā (small
   comb), kaṛā (circular heavy metal bracelet), kirpān (ceremonial short
   sword), and kacchā (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both
   practical and symbolic purposes.

Sikh people

   Worldwide, Sikhs number more than 23 million, but more than 90 percent
   of Sikhs live in the Indian state of Punjab, where they form close to
   65 percent of the population. Large communities of Sikhs live in the
   neighbouring states and indeed large communities of Sikhs can be found
   across India. However, Sikhs comprise only about 2 percent of the
   Indian population. Migration beginning from the nineteenth century led
   to the creation of significant communities in Canada, the United
   Kingdom, the Middle East, East Africa, Southeast Asia and more
   recently, the United States, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

   Smaller populations of Sikhs are found in Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
   Fiji and other countries.

   As with most world religions, there are groups of Sikhs (such as the
   Namdharis, Ravidasis and Udasis) who do not adhere to the mainstream
   principles followed by most Sikhs. Some of these groups may not
   consider themselves a part of Sikhism, although similarities in beliefs
   and principles firmly render them a part of the Sikh religious domain.
   Groups such as the Nirankaris have a history of bad relations with
   mainstream Sikhism, and are considered pariahs by some Sikhs. Others,
   such as the Nihangs, tend to have little difference in belief and
   practice, and are considered Sikhs proper by mainstream Sikhism.

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