Sikhism Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev

and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh gu rus (the last teaching being the holy scripture Gur Granth Shib Ji). It is the fif th-largest organized religion in the world, with over 30 million Sikhs and one o f the most steadily growing. This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally 'of the gurus'). Punjab of India 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. On e must have control over one's internal vices and be able to be constantly immer sed in virtues clarified in the Guru Granth Sahib. A Sikh must also have the cou rage to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irre spective of religion, colour, caste or creed. The principal beliefs of Sikhi are faith and justice, in Wahegururepresented by t he phrase ik akr, meaning one God. Sikhi advocates the pursuit of salvation through personal meditation on the name and message of God. The followers of Sikhi are ordained 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 t he writings of six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devote es from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed b y 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) a nd 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 Pakistani Punjab. Philosophy and teachings The Harimandir Sahib, known popularly as the Golden Temple, is a sacred shrine f or Sikhs. The origins of Sikhi lie in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. The essence 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 em phasizes the principle of equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on t he basis of caste, creed, and gender. Sikh principles encourage living life as a householder. Sikhi is a monotheistic and a revealed religion. In Sikhi, Godtermed Vhiguris shapel ess, timeless, and sightless: nirakr, akaal, and alakh. The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"signifying the universality of Go d. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite with power over everything, an d is signified by the term k akr. Sikhs believe that before creation, all that exist ed was God and God's hukam (will or order). When God willed, the entire cosmos w as 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 as not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav vipak) in all creation and visi ble 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. Guru Nanak Dev emphasized the revelation thr ough meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communicat ion between God and human beings. God has no gender in Sikhi, (though translatio ns may incorrectly present a male God); indeed Sikhi teaches that God is "Akaal Purkh" with characteristic of "Nirankar" [Niran meaning "without" and kar meanin

g "form", hence "without form"]. In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many wo rlds on which God has created life. Pursuing salvation and Khalsa Guru 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 Khal sa Code of Conduct laid out by the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, makes it clear that human birth is obtained with great fortune, therefore one needs to be able to make the most of this chance. The Sikhs believe in living 'Chakar Vati'-roam ing free as freedom, not as slaves or be oppressed. Mydefined as illusion or "unreality"is one of the core deviations from the pursuit o f God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions which give only illusive satisfaction. However, Nanak emphasised my as not a refer ence to the unreality of the world, but of its values. In Sikhi, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lustknown as the Five Evilsare believed to b e particularly pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is se paration from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and re lentless devotion. Nabad (the divine Word) to emphasise the totality of the revelation. Nanak design ated the word guru (meaning teacher) as the voice of God and the source and guid e for knowledge and salvation. Salvation can be reached only through rigorous an d disciplined devotion to God. Nanak distinctly emphasised the irrelevance of ou tward observations such as rites, pilgrimages, or asceticism. He stressed that d evotion must take place through the heart, with the spirit and the soul. Accordi ng to Gurbani the supreme purpose of human life is to reconnect with Truth. Howe ver, our Ego is the biggest disease in the reunion with Truth / God and the solu tion to this disease also lies within human ego (mind and body). With Guru's gra ce the seeker meditates honestly on "Word" which leads to the end of ego. Guru i s indistinguishable from God and are one and same thing as God which cannot be f ound with thousands of wisdoms. One gets connected with Guru only with accumulat ion of selfless search of truth. Ultimately the seeker realizes that it is the c onsciousness within the body which is seeker / follower and Word is true Guru. H uman body is just a means to achieve the reunion with Truth. Truth is a form of matter which lies within human body but is beyond the realm of time / death. Onc e 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 re petition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice in r eligious traditions in India, but Nanak's interpretation emphasized inward, pers onal observance. Nanak's ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divin e Name and a total conforming to Dharma or the "Divine Order". Nanak described t he result of the disciplined application of nm simra as a "growing towards and int o God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sach kha (Th e Realm of Truth)the final union of the spirit with God. Guru Nanak stressed now kirat kar: that a Sikh should balance work, worship, and charity, 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 distribution o f free food at Sikh gurdwaras (lagar), giving charitable donations, and working f or the good of the community and others (sv). Sikhs believe that no matter what race, sex, or religion one is, all are equal i n God's eyes. Men and women are equal and share the same rights, and women can l ead in prayers. Ten gurus and religious authority

The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gur, meaning teacher, guide, or mentor. The traditions and philosophy of Sikhi were established by ten specific gurus from 1469 to 1708. Each guru added to and reinforced the message taught by the previo us, 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 gur u in human form. Before his death, Guru Gobind Singh decreed that the Gur Granth Shib would be the final and perpetual guru of the Sikhs. Guru Angad Dev succeeded Guru Nanak. Later, an important phase in the developmen t of Sikhi came with the third successor, Guru Amar Das. Guru Nanak's teachings emphasised the pursuit of salvation; Guru Amar Das began building a cohesive com munity 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. Guru Amar Das's successor and son-in-law Guru Ram Das founded the city of Amrits ar, which is home of the Harimandir Sahib and regarded widely as the holiest cit y for all Sikhs. When Guru Ram Das's youngest son Arjan succeeded him, the line of male gurus from the Sodhi Khatri family was established: all succeeding gurus were direct descendants of this line. Guru Arjan Dev was captured by Mughal aut horities who were suspicious and hostile to the religious order he was developin g. His persecution and death inspired his successors to promote a military and p olitical organization of Sikh communities to defend themselves against the attac ks 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, Guru Hargobind, was re sponsible for the creation of the concept of Akal Takht (throne of the timeless one), which serves as the supreme decision-making centre of Sikhi and sits oppos ite the Darbar Sahib. The Sarbat ls (a representative portion of the Khalsa Panth) h istorically gathers at the Akal Takht on special festivals such as Vaisakhi or H ola Mohalla and when there is a need to discuss matters that affect the entire S ikh nation. A gurmat (literally, guru's intention) is an order passed by the Sarb at ls in the presence of the Gur Granth Shib. A gurmat may only be passed on a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion; it is binding upon all Sikhs. The term hukamnm (literally, edict or royal order) is often used interchan geably with the term gurmat. However, a hukamnm formally refers to a hymn from the Gur Granth Shib which is a given order to Sikhs. History Guru Nanak (14691539), the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Ri Bhi d T alwand, now called Nankana Sahib (in present-day Pakistan). His parents were Khat ri 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 and take missionary journeys. In his early teens, Nanak caught the attention of the local landlord *Rai Bular Bhatti, who was moved by his amazing intellect and divine qualities. *Rai Bular Bhatti 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 r ecognise the divine qualities in Nanak. Both of them then encouraged and support ed Nanak to study and travel. At the age of thirty, Nanak went missing and was p resumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stre am 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 moment t hat Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhi. Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely ack nowledged to have made five major journeys, spanning thousands of miles, the fir st tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Andhra and

Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the fourth tour west towards Baghdad and Mecca. In his last and final tour, he returned to the banks of the Ravi River to end his days. Growth of Sikhi and Rise of Khalsa The tenth guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh, created the Khalsa in the year 169 9, which means "Akal Purakh de fauj" - the Army of God. Guru Gobind Singh clearl y choose these words very deliberately - he did not state that the Khalsa was th e army of the Khalsa or an army of the Sikhs or the army of Punjab - but an Army of God whose function was the protection and safeguarding of all the peoples of God regardless of religion, colour, race or creed. The Sikh Khalsa rise to power began in the 17th century during a time of growing militancy against Muslim rule. The creation of a Sikh Empire began when Guru Go bind Singh sent his brave Sikh general, Banda Singh Bahadur along with some hund red Singhs to punish those who had committed atrocities against Pir Buddhu Shah and avenge the murder of his youngest sons. Banda Singh, with a large group of S ikhs, advanced towards the main Muslim Mughal city of Sirhind and, following the instructions of the guru, punished all the culprits. Soon after the invasion of Sirhind, Guru Gobind Singh was stabbed by a Pathan assassin hired by Mughals, J amshed Khan stabbed the Guru in the left side below the heart while he was resti ng in his chamber after the Rehras prayer. Guru Gobind Singh killed the attacker with his sword, while the assassin's companion tried to flee but was killed by some 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 str ong 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 Pa nth 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, T hose separated will unite and all the devotees shall be saved." The death of the Guru reached Banda Singh and Sikhs all over Punjab. After this the Sikhs took over many Muslim and Mughal lands, establishing a Sikh Empire. Ot her 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 dismay and despair after Wazir Khan's head was stuck up on a spear and lifted high up b y a Sikh who took his seat at Sirhind, Muslim troops on beholding the head took alarm. Many Muslims embraced Sikhism and joined the Khalsa. Banda Singh at this time also married the daughter of a Muslim General. However, the concept of jiha d was re-proclaimed, and it took over 60,000 Muslim troops to capture 400 Sikhs and Banda Singh, where Banda Singh was captured and tortured. Banda Singh's miss ion played an important development of the Dal Khalsa and the Sikh Misls, which eventually led to a new king, Maharaja Ranjit Singh capturing Lahore in 1799 and establishing the Sikh Kingdom of Punjab. The new king and the Sikh Misls rose t o power in a series of sweeping military and diplomatic victories. Increasing th e number of Sikhs and spreading the Empire further. His vast empire comprised al most 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 many natives including Muslims, Hindus, Persians and many Asian countries. Even many Pathans who had previously lived their during the Islamic rule, attempted many times to attack the Empire with over 20,000 troops, in which case Maharaja Ranji t Singh sent his bravest Sikh warrior, named Akali Phula Singh Nihang (at the ag e of 65) and a few hundred Singhs to deal with the Invading Pathans and bring th em under control. Soon during a battle, a Pathan hiding behind a boulder shot Ak ali Phula Singh from close range during a battle with a number of Pathan soldier s began shooting him. Akali Phula Singh was found bullet ridden.

The Sikhs retained control of the Sikh Empire. However, another challenge was ye t to come. In the East, the British Empire took over thousands of square miles o f land, including eastern parts of India and many Asian countries, soon reaching the Sikh Empire where the British would also meet their biggest challenge durin g their Conquest. Both British and Sikh sides lost many troops and heavy number of materials in various battles, such as the Anglo-Sikh wars. The British was cl aimed to be unbeatable, but Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikhs were the only pe ople who could stand toe to toe with the British forces. For the first time duri ng the British Conquest the British were unable to invade and resulted in both s ides having to stop and come to terms. Narrated by Mohanlal Kashmiri, Secretary to Sir Alexander Burnes, Maharaja Ranjit Singh replied to the British, "As long as I'm alive, the British will never conquest here." This led to further Anglo-S ikh wars and further loss on both sides. In 1839, the death of Maharaja Ranjit S ingh, the Empire fell on the shoulders of his son, Maharaja Duleep Singh (at the age of 11). The Empire had fallen. The British Commission General describes Mah araja Ranjit Singh, "was by all accounts a fierce and revered conquerer." Political advancement Hargobind, became the sixth guru of the Sikhs. He carried two swordsone for spiri tual and the other for temporal reasons (known as mr and pr in Sikhi). Sikhs grew as an organized community and under the 10th Guru the Sikhs developed a trained fi ghting force to defend their independence. In 1644, Har Rai became guru followed by Harkrishan, the boy guru, in 1661. No hymns composed by these three gurus ar e included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Tegh Bahadur became guru in 1665 and led the Sikhs until 1675. Tegh Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb for helping to protect the faith of Hindus, after a delega tion of Kashmiri Pandits came to him for help when the Emperor was killing those who refused to convert to Islam. He was succeeded by his son, Gobind Rai who wa s just nine years old at the time of his father's death. Gobind Rai further mili tarised his followers, and was baptised by the Paj Pir when he formed the Khalsa on March 30, 1699. From here on in he was known as Gobind Singh. From the time of Nanak the Sikhs had significantly transformed. Even though the core Sikh spiritual philosophy was never affected, the followers now began to de velop a political identity. Conflict with Mughal authorities escalated during th e 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 and goals with political and military duties. After Aurangzeb killed four of his so ns, Gobind Singh sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnamah (Notification/Epistle of Victory) . Shortly before his death, Gobind Singh ordered that the Gur Granth Shib (the Sikh Holy Scripture), would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs and tem poral authority would be vested in the Khalsathe Sikh Nation. A former ascetic was charged by Gobind Singh with the duty of punishing those wh o had persecuted the innocents in Punjab. After the Guru's death, Baba Banda Sin gh Bahadur became the commander-in-chief of the Khalsa and was responsible for s everal 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 consi derable regional force in medieval India and it continued to evolve after the de mise of the gurus. After the death of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Sikh Confederacy of Sikh warrior bands known as misls were formed. With the decline of the Mugha l empire, a Sikh Empire arose in the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with it s capital in Lahore and limits reaching the Khyber Pass and the borders of China . The order, traditions and discipline developed over centuries culminated at th e time of Ranjit Singh to give rise to the common religious and social identity

that the term "Sikhi" describes. After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire fell into disorder and was even tually annexed by the United Kingdom after the hard-fought First and Second Angl o-Sikh Wars. This brought the Punjab under the British Raj. Sikhs formed the Shi romani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal to preserve Sik hs' religious and political organization a quarter of a century later. With the partition of India in 1947, thousands of Sikhs were killed in violence and milli ons were forced to leave their ancestral homes in West Punjab. Sikhs faced initi al opposition from the Government in forming a linguistic state that other state s in India were afforded. The Akali Dal started a non-violence movement for Sikh and Punjabi rights. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emerged as a leader of the Damda mi Taksal in 1977 and promoted a more militant solution to the problem. In June 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian army to launch Oper ation Blue Star to remove Bhindranwale and his followers from the Darbar Sahib. Bhindranwale and his accompanying followers were killed during the army's operat ions. 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 confl icts in Punjab, as a reaction to Operation Blue Star and the assassin. Scripture There is one primary source of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gur Granth Shib. The G ur Granth Shib may be referred to as the di Granthliterally, The First Volumeand the two 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 refers to the final version of the scripture created by Gobind Singh. There are other sources of scriptures such as the Dasam Granth and so called Jan amsakhis. These however, have been the subject of controversial debate amongst t he Sikh community. Adi Granth The di Granth was compiled primarily by Bhai Gurdas under the supervision of Guru Arjan 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 Gurmukh script was standardised by Angad Dev, the second guru of the Sikhs, for use in t he Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the rad and Devangar scr ipts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns a nd teachings of the Sikh gurus and fifteen bhagats. These fifteen bhagats are Na mdev, Ravidas, Jaidev, Trilocan, Beni, Ramanand, Sainu, Dhanna, Sadhna, Pipa, Su r, Bhikhan, Paramanand, Farid, and Kabir. At the time, Arjan Sahib tried to prev ent undue influence from the followers of Prithi Chand, the guru's older brother and rival. The original version of the di Granth is known as the kartrpur b and is claimed to b e held by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur. (In fact the original volume was burned by Ahmad Shah Durrani's army in 1757 when they burned the whole town of Kartarp ur.) 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's hymns. The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the Eleventh and final spiritual auth ority 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 a lk (couplet) from Guru Gobind Singh. It also contains the traditions and teaching

s of sants (saints) such as Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Sheikh Farid along with several others. The bulk of the scripture is classified into rgs, with each rg subdivided accordin g to length and author. There are 31 main rgs within the Gur Granth Shib. In additi on to the rgs, there are clear references to the folk music of Punjab. The main l anguage used in the scripture is known as Sant Bh, a language related to both Punja bi and Hindi and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents o f popular devotional religion.[29] As per the name "Gurmukhi", it is not merely a script but it is the language which came out of Guru's mouth - by using this d efinition, all words in Guru Granth Sahib constitute "Gurbani" words, thus makin g Gurmukhi language which then constitute two components - spoken Gurmukhi words (in form of Gurbani which originated from different languages (like world's dif ferent languages have similar roots) and Gurmukhi script. The text further compr ises over 5000 abads, or hymns, which are poetically constructed and set to class ical form of music rendition, can be set to predetermined musical tl, or rhythmic beats. The Granth begins with the Ml Mantra, an iconic verse created by Nanak:

ISO 15919 transliteration: Ika akra sati nmu karat purakhu nirabha'u niravairu akl a mrati ajn saibha gura prasdi. Simplified transliteration: Ik agkr sat nm kart purkh nirbha'u nirvair akl mrat aj aibha gur prasd. English: The One of which everything is and continuous, the ever existing, c reator being personified, without fear, without hatred, image Of the timeless be ing, beyond birth, self existent, by Guru's Grace. All text within the Granth is known as gurbn. And Gurbani is the Guru "Baani Guru Guru hai Baani" (The word is the Guru and Guru is the word) and "Shabd Guru Sura t Dhun Chaylaa" (The Shabad is the Guru, upon whom I lovingly focus my conscious ness; I am the disciple.). Therefore, as evident from the message of the Guru Na nak (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 co mbination of teacher-leader. Therefore, the lineage from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobi nd Singh was of the teacher-leaders eventually wherein the temporal authority wa s 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, teacherleader, of the Sikhs till eternity. Dasam Granth The Dasam Granth is a scripture of Sikhs which contains texts attributed to the Tenth Guru. The Dasam Granth holds a significance of great amount for Sikhs, how ever it doesn't have the same authority as Adi Granth. Some compositions of the Dasam Granth like Jaap Sahib, (Amrit Savaiye), and Benti Chaupai are part of the daily prayers/lessons (Nitnem) of/for Sikhs. Janamsakhis The Janamskhs (literally birth stories), are writings which profess to be biograph ies of Nanak. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide an int eresting look at Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhi. There are severalofte n contradictory and sometimes unreliableJanamskhs and they are not held in the same regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge. Observances Observant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to strengthen a nd express their faith. The daily recitation from memory of specific passages fr om the Gur Granth Shib, especially the Japu (or Japj, literally chant) hymns is rec

ommended immediately after rising and bathing. Family customs include both readi ng passages from the scripture and attending the gurdwara (also gurdur, meaning th e doorway to God; sometimes transliterated as gurudwara). There are many gurdwar as prominently constructed and maintained across India, as well as in almost eve ry 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 scrip ture with their foreheads.. The recitation of the eighteenth century ards is also customary for attending Sikhs. The ards recalls past sufferings and glories of t he 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 ente r and eat together and are served by faithful members of the community. This is the main cost associated with gurdwaras and where monetary donations are primari ly spent. Sikh festivals/events Technically, there are no festivals in Sikhism. However, the events mostly centr ed around the lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs are commemorated. The SGPC, th e Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of the historical gurdwaras of Punjab, o rganises celebrations based on the new Nanakshahi calendar. This calendar is hig hly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted. Sikh festivals in clude 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. All t en Gurus have Gurpurabs on the Nanakshahi calendar, but it is Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh who have a gurpurab that is widely celebrated in Gurdwaras an d Sikh homes. The martyrdoms are also known as a shaheedi Gurpurabs, which mark the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur. Baisakhi occurs on 13 April. Sikhs celebrate it because on this day which fe ll on March 30, 1699, the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, inaugurated the Khalsa, the 11th 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 October 1619. 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 Anan dpur and display their individual and team warrior skills, including fighting an d riding. Cannabis or Bhang is also pounded by the Sikhs on this day. Ceremonies and customs Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught that rituals, religious ceremonies, or idol worship are of little use and Sikhs are discouraged from fasting or going on pilgrimages. S ikhs do not believe in converting people but converts to Sikhi by choice are wel comed. The morning and evening prayers take about two hours a day, starting in t he 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 approach ing the divine. Like combing hair, hearing and reciting the sacred word is used as a way to comb all negative thoughts out of the mind. The second morning praye r is Guru Gobind Singh's universal Jaap Sahib. The Guru addresses God as having no form, no country, and no religion but as the seed of seeds, sun of suns, and the song of songs. The Jaap Sahib asserts that God is the cause of conflict as w ell as peace, and of destruction as well as creation. Devotees learn that there is nothing outside of God's presence, nothing outside of God's control. Devout S ikhs are encouraged to begin the day with private meditations on the name of God .

Upon a child's birth, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at a random point and the child is named using the first letter on the top left hand corner of the left pa ge. All boys are given the middle name Singh, and all girls are given the middle name Kaur (this was a once a title which was conferred on an individual at join ing the Khalsa). Sikhs are joined in wedlock through the anand kraj ceremony. Sik hs are required to marry when they are of a sufficient age (child marriage is ta boo), and without regard for the future spouse's caste or descent. The marriage ceremony is performed in the company of the Guru Granth Sahib; 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 is permitted to divo rce unless special circumstances arise. A Sikh couple that wishes to divorce may be able to do so in a civil court. Upon death, the body of a Sikh is usually cr emated. 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 a s antim sanskr). Baptism and the Khalsa Khalsa (meaning "Sovereign") is the collective name given by Gobind Singh to all Sikhs, male or female, who have been baptised or initiated by taking ammrit in a ceremony called ammrit sacr. The first time that this ceremony took place was on Vaisakhi, 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 turn baptised Gobind Singh himself. The last name Singh is given to baptized Sikh ma les meaning lion and the last name Kaur is given to baptized Sikh females meanin g princess/lioness. Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks (in Punjabi known as paj kakk or paj k akr), or articles of faith, at all times. The 5 items are: ks (uncut hair), kagh (sm all wooden comb), ka (circular steel or iron bracelet), kirpn (sword/dagger), and k acchera (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic pur poses. Sikh people Worldwide, 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 constitute about 60% of the state's population. Even though there are a large number of Si khs in the world, certain countries have not recognised Sikhi as a major religio n. Large communities of Sikhs live in the neighboring states, and large communit ies of Sikhs can be found across India. However, Sikhs only make up about 2% of the Indian population. Sikh Migration beginning from the 19th century led to the creation of significan t communities in Canada (predominantly in Brampton, along with Malton in Ontario and Abbotsford, Mission, Lower Mainland, Surrey in British Columbia), East Afri ca, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom as well as Australia and New Zealand. These communities developed as Sikhs migrated out of Punjab to fil l 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. Smaller populations of Sikhs are found in within many countries in Western Europe, Maur itius, Malaysia, Fiji, Nepal, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Singapore, Mex ico, the United States and many other countries. Since 1968, thousands of non-Punjabis have taken up the Sikh belief and lifestyl e primarily in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Far East and Austra lia. These first and second generation Sikhs are of various ethnic backgrounds a nd include Caucasians, Blacks, and Chinese.

Since 2010, the Sikh Directory has organized The Sikh Awards, the first Sikh awa rd ceremony in the World. Prohibitions in Sikhism There are a number of religious prohibitions in Sikhism: Cutting hair: Cutting hair is strictly forbidden in Sikhism. Sikhs are requi red to keep unshorn hair. Intoxication: Consumption of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and other intoxicants is not allowed. Intoxicants are strictly forbidden for a Sikh. However the Nihan gs of Punjab take an infusion of cannabis to assist meditation. Adultery: In Sikhism, the spouses must be physically and mentally faithful t o one another. Blind spirituality: Superstitions and rituals should not be observed or foll owed, including pilgrimages, fasting and ritual purification; circumcision; idol s & grave worship; compulsory wearing of the veil for women; etc. Material obsession: Obsession with material wealth is not encouraged in Sikh ism. Sacrifice of creatures: The practice of sati (widows throwing themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands), ritual animal sacrifice to celebrate holy o ccasions, etc. are forbidden. Non-family-oriented living: A Sikh is encouraged NOT to live as a recluse, b eggar, yogi, monastic (monk/nun) or celibate. Sikhs are to live as saint-soldier s. Worthless talk: Bragging, lying, slander, "back-stabbing", etc. are not perm itted. The Guru Granth Sahib tells the Sikh, "Your mouth has not stopped slander ing and gossiping about others. Your service is useless and fruitless." Priestly class: Sikhism does not have priests, they were abolished by Guru G obind Singh (the 10th Guru of Sikhism). The only position he left was a Granthi to look after the Guru Granth Sahib, any Sikh is free to become Granthi or read from the Guru Granth Sahib. Eating meat killed in a ritualistic manner (Kutha meat): Sikhs are strictly prohibited from eating meat from animals slaughtered in a religiously prescribed manner (such as dhabihah or shechita, known as Kutha meat, when the animal is k illed 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.