1.
Sikhism
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Sikhism, or Sikhi, is a panentheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent during the 15th century. It is one of the youngest of the world religions. Sikhism has 25-28 million adherents worldwide and is the ninth-largest religion in the world, Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak, the first Guru, and the ten successive Sikh gurus. Guru Nanak established Kartarpur around 1520 and gathered the original core of the Sikh Panth there, an Indian religion, Sikhism rejects claims that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly on Absolute Truth. Sikhism emphasizes simran, that can be expressed musically through kirtan or internally through Nam Japo as a means to feel Gods presence, hand in hand, secular life is considered to be intertwined with the spiritual life. He also established the system of the langar, or communal kitchen, Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, established the political/temporal and spiritual realms to be mutually coexistent. The development of Sikhism was influenced by the Bhakti movement, however, Sikhism developed while the region was being ruled by the Mughal Empire. Two of the Sikh gurus – Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Islamic era persecution of Sikhs triggered the founding of the Khalsa, as an order for freedom of conscience and religion. A Sikh is expected to embody the qualities of a Sant-Sipāhī – a saint-soldier, the majority of Sikh scriptures were originally written in Gurmukhī alphabet, a script standardised by Guru Angad out of Laṇḍā scripts used in North India. Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs, which means students or disciples of the Guru, the anglicized word Sikhism is derived from the Punjabi verb Sikhi, with roots in Sikhana, and Sikhi connotes the temporal path of learning. Sikhism is a religion and states that there is one supreme entity holding control of the entire universe. This entity is referred to as Ik Onkar, the basis of Sikhism lies in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. The essence of Sikh teaching is summated by Guru Nanaks words, 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 a householder, Sikhism is a monistic form of monotheistic religion. In Sikhism, the concept of God is Vāhigurū—is shapeless, timeless, and invisible, niraṅkār, akaal, the beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure 1—signifying the universality of God. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite with power over everything, Sikhs believe that before creation, all that existed was God and Gods hukam. God in Sikhism is known as Ik Onkar, the One Supreme Reality or the all-pervading spirit and this spirit has no gender in Sikhism, though translations may present it as masculine. It is also Akaal Purkh and Nirankar, in addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which it has created life
2.
Guru Nanak
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Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated world-wide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Kartik Pooranmashi, Guru Nanak has been called one of the greatest religious innovators of all time. He travelled far and wide teaching people the message of one God who dwells in one of His creations. He set up a spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness. Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 at Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī near Lahore and his parents were Kalyan Chand Das Bedi, popularly shortened to Mehta Kalu, and Mata Tripta. His father was the local patwari for crop revenue in the village of Talwandi and his parents were both Hindus and belonged to the merchant caste. He had one sister, Bebe Nanaki, who was five years older than he was, in 1475 she married and moved to Sultanpur. Nanak was attached to his sister and followed her to Sultanpur to live with her and her husband, at the age of around 16 years, Nanak started working under Daulat Khan Lodi, employer of Nanakis husband. This was a time for Nanak, as the Puratan Janam Sakhi suggests. According to Sikh traditions, the birth and early years of Guru Nanaks life were marked with events that demonstrated that Nanak had been marked by divine grace. Commentaries on his life details of his blossoming awareness from a young age. At the age of five, Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects, at age seven, his father enrolled him at the village school as was the custom. On 24 September 1487 Nanak married Mata Sulakkhani, daughter of Mūl Chand and Chando Rāṇī, the couple had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand. Sri Chand received enlightenment from Guru Nanaks teachings and went on to become the founder of the Udasi sect, the earliest biographical sources on Nanaks life recognised today are the Janamsākhīs. Bhai Gurdas, a scribe of the Gurū Granth Sahib, also wrote about Nanaks life in his vārs, although these too were compiled some time after Nanaks time, they are less detailed than the Janamsākhīs. The Janamsākhīs recount in minute detail the circumstances of the birth of the guru, gyan-ratanavali is attributed to Bhai Mani Singh who wrote it with the express intention of correcting heretical accounts of Guru Nanak. Bhai Mani Singh was a Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh who was approached by some Sikhs with a request that he should prepare an account of Guru Nanak’s life. At the end of the Janam-sakhi there is an epilogue in which it is stated that the work was taken to Guru Gobind Singh for his seal of approval
3.
Sikh
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A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion which originated during the 15th century in the Punjab region of Northwestern Indian subcontinent. The term Sikh has its origin in the Sanskrit words शिष्य or शिक्ष, Sikh properly refers to adherents of Sikhism as a religion, not an ethnic group. However, because Sikhism has seldom sought converts, most Sikhs share strong ethno-religious ties, many countries, such as the United Kingdom, therefore recognize Sikh as a designated ethnicity on their censuses. Male Sikhs have Singh, and female Sikhs have Kaur as their middle or last name, initiated male and female Sikhs must cover their hair with a turban. The greater Punjab region is the homeland of the Sikhs. Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, was born to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta, in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak was a religious leader and social reformer. However, Sikh political history may be said to begin with the death of the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev, Religious practices were formalised by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699. Gobind Singh initiated five people from a variety of backgrounds, known as the Panj Piare to form the Khalsa. During the period of Mughal rule in India several Sikh gurus were killed by the Mughals for opposing their persecution of minority communities including Sikhs. Sikhs subsequently militarized to oppose Mughal rule, after defeating the Afghan, Mughal and Maratha invaders, the Misls were formed, under Sultan-ul-Quam Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. The empire is considered the zenith of political Sikhism, encompassing Kashmir, Ladakh, hari Singh Nalwa, the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army in the North West Frontier, expanded the confederacy to the Khyber Pass. Its secular administration implemented military, economic and governmental reforms, after the annexation of the Sikh kingdom by the British, the latter recognized the martial qualities of the Sikhs and Punjabis in general and started recruiting from that area. During the 1857 Indian mutiny, the Sikhs stayed loyal to the British and this resulted in heavy recruiting from Punjab to the colonial army for the next 90 years of the British Raj. The distinct turban that differentiates a Sikh from other turban wearers is a relic of the rules of the British Indian Army, the British colonial rule saw the emergence of many reform movements in India including Punjab. This included formation in 1873 and 1879 of the First and Second Singh Sabha respectively, the Sikh leaders of the Singh Sabha worked to offer a clear definition of Sikh identity and tried to purify Sikh belief and practice. The later part of British colonial rule saw the emergence of the Akali movement or the Gurdwara Reform Movement to bring reform in the gurdwaras during the early 1920s. The movement led to the introduction of Sikh Gurdwara Bill in 1925, the months leading up to the partition of India in 1947 were marked by conflict in the Punjab between Sikhs and Muslims. This caused the migration of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus from West Punjab
4.
Guru Granth Sahib
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Guru Granth Sahib is the central religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal living Guru following the lineage of the ten human Gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth, the first rendition, was compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan and this second rendition became known as Guru Granth Sahib. After Guru Gobind Singh died, Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Mani Singh prepared many copies of the work for distribution, the text consists of 1430 Angs and 6,000 śabads, which are poetically rendered and set to a rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music. The bulk of the scripture is classified into thirty-one rāgas, with each Granth rāga subdivided according to length, the hymns in the scripture are arranged primarily by the rāgas in which they are read. Guru Granth Sahib is predominantly composed by six Sikh Gurus, Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, and Guru Teg Bahadur. It also contains the traditions and teachings of fourteen Hindu Bhakti movement sants, such as Ramananda, Kabir and Namdev among others, the vision in the Guru Granth Sahib, states Torkel Brekke, is a society based on divine justice without oppression of any kind. While the Granth acknowledges and respects the scriptures of Hinduism and Islam and it is installed in a Sikh gurdwara, many Sikhs bow or prostrate before it on entering the temple. The Granth is revered as eternal gurbānī and the authority in Sikhism. During the guruship of Guru Nanak, collections of his hymns were compiled and his successor, Guru Angad, began collecting his predecessors writings. This tradition was continued by the third and fifth gurus as well, in order to prevent spurious scriptures from gaining legitimacy, Guru Arjan began compiling a sacred book for the Sikh community. In addition, he sent disciples to go across the country to find and he also invited members of other religions and contemporary religious writers to submit writings for possible inclusion. Guru Arjan selected hymns for inclusion into the book, and Bhai Gurdas acted as his scribe, while the manuscript was being put together, Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, received a report that the manuscript contained passages vilifying Islam. Therefore, while travelling north, he stopped en route and asked to inspect it, Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas brought him a copy of the manuscript as it then existed. After choosing three random passages to be read, Akbar decided that this report had been false, in 1604 Guru Arjans manuscript was completed and installed at the Harmandir Sahib with Baba Buddha as the first granthi, or reader. Since communities of Sikh disciples were scattered all over northern India, the sixth, seventh, and eighth gurus did not write religious verses, however, the ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, did. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, included Guru Tegh Bahadurs writings into the Guru Granth Sahibbut did not include any of his own verses in the Guru Granth Sahib. The religious verses of Guru Gobind Singh were not included in Guru Granth Sahib, but some of his religious verses are included in the daily prayers of Sikhs. During this period, Bhai Mani Singh also collected Guru Gobind Singhs writings, as well as his court poets, and included them in a secondary religious volume, today known as the Dasam Granth Sahib
5.
Guru Gobind Singh
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Guru Gobind Singh, born Gobind Rai, was the 10th Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. His four sons died during his lifetime in Mughal-Sikh wars – two in battle, two executed by the Mughal army. Among his notable contributions to Sikhism are founding the Sikh warrior community called Khalsa in 1699 and introducing the Five Ks, Guru Gobind Singh also continued the formalisation of the religion, wrote important Sikh texts, and enshrined the scripture the Guru Granth Sahib as Sikhisms eternal Guru. Gobind Singh was the son of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru. He was born in Patna, Bihar, while his father was visiting Bengal and his birth name was Gobind Rai, and a shrine named Takht Sri Patna Harimandar Sahib marks the site of the house where he was born and spent the first four years of his life. In 1670, his family returned to Punjab, and in March 1672 they moved to Chakk Nanaki in the Himalayan foothills of north India, called the Sivalik range, where he was schooled. Gobind Singhs father Tegh Bahadur founded the city of Chakk Nanaki, now known as Anandpur Sahib, in 1665 and his father Guru Tegh Bahadur was petitioned by Kashmiri Pandits in 1675 for protection from the fanatic persecution by Iftikar Khan, an Islamic satrap of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Tegh Bahadur considered a resolution by meeting Aurangzeb, but was cautioned by his advisors that his life may be at risk. The young Gobind Rai – to be known as Gobind Singh after 1699 – advised his father no one was more worthy to lead. After this martyrdom, the young Gobind Rai was installed by the Sikhs as the tenth Sikh Guru on Vaisakhi on March 29,1676. The education of Guru Gobind Singh continued after he became the 10th Guru and he stayed in Paonta, near the banks of river Yamuna, till 1685. Guru Gobind Singh had three wives, at age 10, he married Mata Jito on 21 June 1677 at Basantgaṛh,10 km north of Anandpur. The couple had three sons, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh. at age 17, he married Mata Sundari on 4 April 1684 at Anandpur. The couple had one son, Ajit Singh. at age 33 and they had no children, but she had an influential role in Sikhism. Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed her as the Mother of the Khalsa, the life example and leadership of Guru Gobind Singh has been of historic importance to the Sikhs. In 1699, the Guru requested the Sikhs to congregate at Anandpur on Vaisakhi, according to the Sikh tradition, he asked for a volunteer from those who gathered, someone willing to sacrifice his head. One came forward, whom he took inside a tent, the Guru returned to the crowd without the volunteer, but with a bloody sword. He asked for volunteer, and repeated the same process of returning from the tent without anyone
6.
History of Sikhism
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The history of Sikhism started with Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru in the fifteenth century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. The religious practices were formalised by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699, the latter baptised five persons from different social backgrounds to form Khalsa. The first five, Pure Ones, then baptised Gobind Singh into the Khalsa fold and this gives the order of Khalsa, a history of around 300 years. The history of Sikhism is closely associated with the history of Punjab, during the Mughal rule of India, Sikhism was in conflict with the Islamic administration, while it cherished saints from Hinduism and Islam. Prominent Sikh Gurus were killed by Islamic rulers for refusing to convert to Islam, subsequently, Sikhism militarised to oppose Mughal hegemony. The establishment of the Sikh Empire is commonly considered the zenith of Sikhism at political level, during this time the Sikh Empire came to include Kashmir, Ladakh, and Peshawar. Hari Singh Nalwa, the Commander-in-chief of the Sikh army along the North West Frontier, the Empires secular administration integrated innovative military, economic and governmental reforms. Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, was born to Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta, in a Hindu family in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore. His father, a Hindu named Mehta Kalu, was a Patwari, Nanaks mother was Mata Tripta, and he had one older sister, Bibi Nanki. From early childhood, Bibi Nanki saw in her brother the Light of God and she is known as the first disciple of Guru Nanak. Even as a boy, Nanak was fascinated by Hindu religion and it was during this period that Nanak was said to have met Kabir and Ravidass, saints revered by many. Nanak married Sulakhni, daughter of Moolchand Chona, a trader from Batala and his brother-in-law, Jai Ram, the husband of his sister Nanki, obtained a job for him in Sultanpur as the manager of the government granary. One morning, when he was twenty-eight, Guru Nanak Dev went as usual down to the river to bathe and it was said that he was gone for three days. When he reappeared, it is said he was filled with the spirit of God and his first words after his re-emergence were, There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim. With this secular principle he began his missionary work and he made four distinct major journeys, in the four different directions, which are called Udasis, spanning many thousands of kilometres, preaching the message of God. Guru Nanak spent the years of his life in Kartarpur where Langar free blessed food was available. The food would be partaken of by Hindus, rich, poor, Guru Nanak worked in the fields and earned his livelihood. After appointing Bhai Lehna as the new Sikh Guru, on 22 September 1539, aged 70, in 1538, Guru Nanak chose Lehna, his disciple, as a successor to the Guruship rather than one of his sons
7.
Khalsa
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The word Khalsa translates to Sovereign/Free. Another interpretation is that of being Pure/Genuine, the Khalsa was inaugurated on 30 March 1699, by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. The Khalsa is also called the nation of the Sikhs, the Sikhs of the Khalsa can be identified with the given Five Ks and titles of Singh and Kaur, granted after the disciple has been baptized into the order of the Khalsa. The tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh at an event that coincided with the Vaisakhi day created the Khalsa in the year 1699 A, a Sikh male at being initiated into the Khalsa is titled Singh meaning Lion and a female is entitled Kaur meaning Princess. From then on they are referred to as Amritdhari. The Khalsa is considered the pinnacle of Sikhism, the Khalsa is expected to perform no ritual and to believe in no superstition of any kind but only believe in one God who is the Master and the Protector of all, the only Creator and Destroyer. The usual interpretation of the Ḳhālsā is made as Pure as in the statement, word ḳhāliṣa is the recognition of every Sikh that follows the discipline. There is also another word from Arabic خالسا which is pronounced as Khalsa and is adapted in Punjabi/English/Hindi, so, there are two different words in Arabic, خالسا and خالصة. Furthermore, there is a word in Persian خالص meaning pure, a reader of Urdu can testify the Ḫalis in the Persian script and language as described below. Khalsa is also used for a property which belongs to the emperor directly, the official language in the Mughal era was Persian and Persian language contains a word Khalis which directly translates to Pure in English. This may give a new meaning to the word Khalsa, in Sikh tradition, the word Khalsa first appears in a hukmanama by Guru Hargobind which refers to a sangat as Guru ka khalsa. It also appears in a letter by Guru Tegh Bahadur, in the same sense, although the early Mughal emperors had peaceful relations with the Sikh Gurus, the Sikhs started facing religious persecution during the reign of Jahangir. Persecution against the Sikhs continued until the creation of the Sikh Kingdom in 1799, Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru, was arrested and executed by Emperor Jahangir in 1606. The following Guru, Guru Hargobind formally militarized the Sikhs and emphasized the nature of the temporal power. In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs was executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for saving the religious rights of Hindus. In 1699, his son and the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh sent hukmanamas to his followers throughout the Indian sub-continent, asking them to gather at Anandpur Sahib on 30 March 1699, Guru Gobind Singh addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill. He drew his sword and asked for a volunteer who was willing to sacrifice his head, no one answered his first call, nor the second call, but on the third invitation, a person called Daya Ram came forward and offered his head to the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh took the volunteer inside the tent, and emerged shortly, one more volunteer came forward, and entered the tent with him
8.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
9.
Outline of Sikhism
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Only those who selflessly love everyone, they alone shall find God. It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing, the Khanda is the symbol of Sikhism. It is prepared by stirring it in a bowl with the double-edged sword. Anand Karaj – Sikh marriage ceremony, meaning Blissful Union or Joyful Union and it was introduced by Guru Amar Das. Amritsar – city of 1.5 million in the part of India. It is home to the Harmandir Sahib, known as the Golden Temple, Anandpur or Anandpur Sahib – Harmandir Sahib - Holy shrine of the Sikhs in the holy city of Amritsar. Kartapur - Seat of Guru Nanaks first school, according to Sikh Reht Maryada, any person who is initiated into the Khalsa is called Amrit Dhari. Nihang - Sikhs who consume Bhang, opium and other narcotics to assist in meditation. e. Bhai Daya Singh – Bhai Dharam Singh – Bhai Himmat Singh – Bhai Mohkam Singh – Bhai Sahib Singh – Sikh Gurus – Guru Nanak Dev – founder of the religion of Sikhism, the Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority. Guru Angad Dev – disciple of Guru Nanak Dev and second of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Amar Das – third of the ten Sikh Gurus, given the title on 26 March 1552. Guru Ram Das – fourth of the ten Sikh Gurus, given the title on 30 August 1574, Guru Arjan Dev – fifth of the ten Sikh Gurus, given the title on 1 September 1581. He was arrested and executed by Jahangir in 1606, Guru Har Gobind – son of Guru Arjan Dev and the sixth of the ten Sikh Gurus, given the title on 25 May 1606. Guru Har Rai – grandson of Guru Har Gobind and seventh of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Har Krishan – son of Guru Har Rai and eighth of the ten Sikh Gurus, given the title on 7 October 1661. Guru Tegh Bahadur – grand uncle of Guru Har Krishan and ninth of the ten Sikh Gurus and he was executed on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi. Guru Gobind Singh – son of Guru Tegh Bahadur and tenth of the ten Sikh Gurus and he named a book as his successor. Guru Granth Sahib – the religious text of Sikhism, said to be the sole and final successor of the line of gurus, Baba Buddha Ji - One of the most revered Sikh saints and anointer of several of the early Sikh Gurus. Baba Deep Singh – Baba Gurdit Singh – Baba Nand Singh ji – Banda Singh Bahadur – Bhagat Puran Singh – Bhai Bala – Bhai Gurdas - One of the most revered Sikh saints and writer of the Vars. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha – Bhai Lalo – Bhai Mardana – Guru Nanaks constant Muslim companion, musician, Bhai Taru Singh – Bhai Vir Singh – G. B
10.
Guru Angad
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Guru Angad was the second of the ten Sikh Gurus. He was born in a Hindu family, with the name as Lehna. Bhai Lehna grew up in a Khatri family, his father was a small scale trader, he worked as a pujari. He met Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and became a Sikh and he served and worked with Guru Nanak for many years. Guru Nanak gave Bhai Lehna the name Angad, chose Angad as the second Sikh Guru instead of his own sons, after the death of Guru Nanak in 1539, Guru Angad led the Sikh tradition. He is remembered in Sikhism for adopting and formalizing the Gurmukhi alphabet from pre-existing Indo-European scripts such as the Tankre of the Himalayan region and he began the process of collecting the hymns of Nanak, contributed 62 or 63 hymns of his own. Instead of his own son, he chose a Vaishnava Hindu Amar Das as his successor, Guru Angad was born in a village, with birth name of Lehna, to Hindu parents living in northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent called the Punjab region. He was the son of a small but successful trader named Pheru Mal and his mothers name was Mata Ramo. Like all the Sikh Gurus, Lehna came from Khatri caste, at age 16, Angad married a Khatri girl named Mata Khivi in January 1520. They had two sons and one or two daughters, depending on the primary sources, the entire family of his father had left their ancestral village in fear of the invasion of Babars armies. After this the family settled at Khadur Sahib, a village by the River Beas near what is now Tarn Taran, before becoming a Sikh and his renaming as Angad, Lehna was a religious teacher and priest who performed services focussed on Durga. Bhai Lehna in his late 20s sought out Guru Nanak, became his disciple, several stories in the Sikh tradition describe reasons why Bhai Lehna was chosen by Guru Nanak over his own sons as his successor. One of these stories is about a jug which fell into mud, Guru Nanaks sons would not pick it up because it was dirty or menial a task. Then he asked Bhai Lehna, who picked it out of the mud, washed it clean. Guru Nanak touched him and renamed him Angad and named him as his successor, after the death of Guru Nanak on 22 September 1539, Guru Angad left Kartarpur for the village of Khadur Sahib. This move may have suggested by Guru Nanak, as the succession to gurgaddi by Guru Angad was disputed and claimed by the two sons of Guru Nanak, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. Post succession, at one point, very few Sikhs accepted Guru Angad as their leader, Guru Angad focussed on the teachings of Nanak, and building the community through charitable works such as langar. The second Mughal Emperor of India Humayun visited Guru Angad around 1540 after Humayun lost the Battle of Khanua, according to Sikh hagiographies, when Humayun arrived in Khadur Sahib Guru Angad was sitting and listening to hymns of the sangat
11.
Guru Amar Das
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Guru Amar Das was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73. Amar Das adhered to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism for much of his life, One day he heard his nephews wife, Bibi Amro, reciting a hymn by Guru Nanak, and was deeply moved by it. He persuaded her to him to her father, Guru Angad, and in 1539. In 1552, after the death of Guru Angad, he became Guru Amar Das and he wrote and compiled hymns into a Pothi that ultimately helped create the Adi Granth. He founded centres of Sikh pilgrimage, and picked the site for the Golden Temple, Guru Amar Das remained the leader of the Sikhs till age 95, and named his son-in-law Bhai Jetha later remembered by the name Guru Ram Das as his successor. Amar Das was born to mother Bakht Kaur and father Tej Bhan Bhalla on May 51479 in Basarke village in what is now called Amritsar district of Punjab and he married Mansa Devi and they had four children which they named as Mohri, Mohan, Dani and Bhani. Amar Das was a religious Hindu, reputed to have gone on some twenty pilgrimages into the Himalayas, about 1539, on one such Hindu pilgrimage, he met a Hindu monk who asked him why he did not have a guru and Amar Das decided to get one. On his return, he heard Bibi Amro, the daughter of the Sikh Guru Angad and he learnt from her about Guru Angad, and with her help met the second Guru of Sikhism and adopted him as his spiritual Guru who was much younger than his own age. Guru Angad named Amar Das his successor in 1552, instead of naming of his surviving son Shri Chand. After Amar Das became the third Guru, he continued his pilgrimages to religious sites and he died in 1574, and like other Sikh Gurus he was cremated, with the flowers immersed into harisar. The use of fire being most appropriate way was explained by Guru Nanak in religious terms of god Agni burning the trap of death, Guru Amar Das emphasised both spiritual pursuits as well an ethical daily life. He encouraged his followers to wake up before dawn, do their ablutions and he recommended holy devotion with Guru image in his followers heart. He was also a reformer, and discouraged veiling of womens faces as well as sati and he encouraged the Kshatriya people to fight in order to protect people and for the sake of justice, stating this is Dharma. He met the Mughal Emperor Akbar, Akbar, who sought to encourage tolerance and acceptance across religious lines, readily accepted the suggestion. The Sikh hagiographies called janam-sakhis mention that Guru Amar Das persuaded Akbar to repeal the tax on Hindu pilgrims going to Haridwar. Guru Amar Das composed the hymn called Anand and made it a part of the ritual of Sikh marriage called Anand Karaj. The Anand hymn is sung, in times, not only during Sikh weddings. Parts of the Anand hymn are recited in Sikh temples every evening, at the naming of a Sikh baby and it is a section of the Anand Sahib composition of Guru Amar Das, printed on pages 917 to 922 of the Adi Granth and set to the Ramkali raga
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Guru Ram Das
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Guru Ram Das was the fourth of the ten Gurus of Sikhism. He was born on 24 September 1534 in a poor Hindu family based in Lahore and his birth name was Jetha, he was orphaned at age 7, and thereafter grew up with his maternal grandmother in a village. At age 12, Bhai Jetha and his moved to Goindval. The boy thereafter accepted Guru Amar Das as mentor and served him, the daughter of Guru Amar Das married Bhai Jetha, and he thus became part of Guru Amar Dass family. As with the first two Gurus of Sikhism, Guru Amar Das instead of choosing his own sons, chose Bhai Jetha as his successor, Ram Das became the Guru of Sikhism in 1574 and served as the Sikh leader until his death in 1581. He faced hostilities from the sons of Guru Amar Das, shifted his base to lands identified by Guru Amar Das as Guru-ka-Chak. This newly founded town was eponymous Ramdaspur, later to evolve and he is also remembered in the Sikh tradition for expanding the manji organization for clerical appointments and donation collections to theologically and economically support the Sikh movement. He appointed his own son as his successor, and unlike the first four Gurus who were not related through descent and his father was Hari Das and his mother Anup Devi, a Sodhi Khatri caste family. He married Bibi Bhani, the daughter of Guru Amar Das. They had three sons, Prithi Chand, Mahadev and Guru Arjan, Guru Ram Das died on 1 September 1581, in the city of Amritsar, Punjab. Of his three sons, Guru Ram Das chose Arjan, the youngest, to succeed him as the fifth Sikh Guru, the choice of successor, as throughout most of the history of Sikh Guru successions, led to disputes and internal divisions among the Sikhs. Guru Ram Das is credited with founding the city of Amritsar in the Sikh tradition. Two versions of stories exist regarding the land where Guru Ram Das settled, in one based on a Gazetteer record, the land was purchased with Sikh donations, for 700 rupees from the owners of the village of Tung. In another version, Emperor Akbar is stated to have donated the land to the wife of Guru Ram Das. After his coronation in 1574, and the opposition he faced from the sons of Guru Amar Das. He started by completing the pool, and building his new official Guru centre and he invited merchants and artisans from other parts of India to settle into the new town with him. The town expanded during the time of Guru Arjan financed by donations, Guru Ram Das composed 638 hymns, or about ten percent of hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib. He was a poet, and composed his work in 30 ancient ragas of Indian classical music
13.
Guru Arjan
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Guru Arjan was the first martyr of the Sikh faith and the fifth of the ten Sikh Gurus, who compiled writings to create the eleventh, the living Guru, Guru Granth Sahib. He was born in Goindval, Punjab the youngest son of Guru Ram Das and Mata Bhani and he was the first Guru in Sikhism who was born in a Sikh family. Guru Arjan led Sikhism for a quarter of a century and he completed the construction of Harimandir Sahib at Amritsar, after the fourth Sikh Guru founded the town and built a pool. Guru Arjan compiled the hymns of previous Gurus and of saints into Adi Granth, the first edition of the Sikh scripture. Guru Arjan reorganized the Masands system initiated by Guru Ram Das, by suggesting that the Sikhs donate, if possible, one tenth of their income, the Masand not only collected these funds but also taught tenets of Sikhism and settled civil disputes in their region. The dasvand financed the building of gurdwaras and langars, Guru Arjan was arrested under the orders of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and asked to convert to Islam. He refused, was tortured and executed in 1606 CE, historical records and the Sikh tradition are unclear whether Guru Arjan was executed by drowning or died during torture. His martyrdom is considered an event in the history of Sikhism. It is remembered as Shaheedi Divas of Guru Arjan every year on 16 June, Arjan was the son of Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru in Sikhism. Arjan had two brothers, Prithi Chand and Mahadev. Guru Ram Das chose Arjan, the youngest, to succeed him as the fifth Sikh Guru, Mahadev, the middle brother chose the life of an ascetic. His choice of Arjan as successor, as throughout most of the history of Sikh Guru successions, led to disputes, the stories in the Sikh tradition about the succession dispute around Guru Arjan are inconsistent. In one version, Prithi Chand is remembered in the Sikh tradition as vehemently opposing Guru Arjan, the Sikhs following Guru Arjan called the Prithi Chand faction as Minas, who are alleged to have attempted to assassinate young Hargobind, and befriended Mughal agents. However, the version, found in alternate competing texts written by the Prithi Chand led Sikh faction contradict this version. They offer a different explanation for the attempt on Hargobinds life, the mainstream Sikh tradition recognised Guru Arjan as the fifth Guru, and Hargobind as the sixth Guru. Arjan, at age 18, became the fifth Guru in 1581 inheriting the title from his father, Guru Arjans martyrdom in Mughal custody has been a controversial issue in Sikh history, and has been variously interpreted. A similar theory floated in early 20th-century, asserts that this was just a single execution. Jahangir was jealous and outraged, and therefore he ordered the Gurus execution, in 1606 CE, the Guru was imprisoned in Lahore Fort, where by some accounts he was tortured and executed, and by other accounts the method of his death remains unresolved
14.
Guru Hargobind
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Guru Hargobind was the sixth of the Sikh gurus. He was barely eleven years old when he became Guru on 11 June 1606, after the execution of his father, Guru Arjan and he initiated a military tradition within Sikhism to resist Islamic persecution and protect the freedom of religion. He had the longest tenure as Guru, lasting 37 years,9 months and 3 days, Hargobind was born in 1595 in Vadali Guru, a village 7 km west of Amritsar, the only son of Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru. He suffered from smallpox as a child and survived an attempt by an uncle, as well as another attempt on his life. He studied religious texts with Bhai Gurdas and trained in swordsmanship, shortly afterwards, Guru Arjan was arrested, tortured and killed by order of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Guru Hargobinds succession ceremony took place on 24 June 1606. He put on two swords, one indicated his spiritual authority and the other, his temporal authority and he followed his martyred fathers advice and always kept himself surrounded by armed Sikhs for protection. The number fifty two was special in his life, and his retinue consisted of fifty two armed men and he thus founded the military tradition in the Sikh faith. Guru Hargobind had three wives, Mata Damodari, Mata Nanaki and Mata Maha Devi and he had children from all three wives. Two of his eldest sons from the first wife died during his lifetime and his youngest son by his third wife was Tegh Bahadur, who became the influential ninth Sikh Guru. The Guru was a martial artist, a hunter and, according to Persian records, unlike earlier Gurus, he. Guru Hargobind encouraged people to physical fitness and keep their bodies ready for physical combat. The arming and training of some of his followers began. The Guru came to possess seven hundred horses and his Risaldari grew to three hundred horsemen and sixty musketeers and he nominated his grandson to succeed him as the seventh Guru Har Rai. He died in 1644, and was cremated on the banks of River Sutlej, because of the execution of Guru Arjan by Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Guru Hargobind from the very start was a dedicated enemy of the Mughal rule. He advised Sikhs to arm and fight the mughals, the death of his father at the hands of Jahangir prompted him to emphasise the military dimension of the Sikh community. He symbolically wore two swords, which represented miri and piri and he built a fort to defend Ramdaspur and created a formal court, Akal Takht. Jahangir responded by jailing the 14 year old Guru Hargobind at Gwalior Fort in 1609, on the pretext that the fine imposed on Guru Arjan had not been paid by the Sikhs and it is not clear as to how much time he spent as a prisoner. The year of his release appears to have been either 1611 or 1612 and it is unclear why he was released
15.
Guru Har Rai
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Guru Har Rai was the seventh of ten Gurus of Sikhism. He became the Sikh leader at age 14, on 8 March 1644, after the death of his grandfather and he guided the Sikhs for about seventeen years, till his death at age 31. Guru Har Rai is notable for maintaining the army of Sikh soldiers that the sixth Sikh Guru had amassed. He supported the moderate Sufi influenced Dara Shikoh instead of conservative Sunni influenced Aurangzeb as the two entered into a war of succession to the Mughal Empire throne. After Aurangzeb won the war in 1658, he summoned Guru Har Rai in 1660 to explain his support for the executed Dara Shikoh. Har Rai sent his elder son Ram Rai to represent him, Aurangzeb kept Ram Rai as hostage, questioned Ram Rai about a verse in the Adi Granth – the holy text of Sikhs at that time. Aurangzeb claimed that it disparaged the Muslims, Har Krishan became the eighth Guru at age 5 after Guru Har Rais death in 1661. Some Sikh literature spell his name as Hari Rai, Har Rai was born to Nihal Kaur and Baba Gurditta. His father died while he was 8 years old, at age 10, in 1640, Guru Har Rai was married to Mata Kishan Kaur the daughter of Daya Ram. They had two children, Ram Rai and Har Krishan, the latter of whom became the eighth Guru and his elder brother Dhir Mal had gained encouragement and support from Shah Jahan, with free land grants and Mughal sponsorship. Dhir Mal attempted to form a parallel Sikh tradition and criticized his grand father, the sixth Guru disagreed with Dhir Mal, and designated the younger Har Rai as the successor. Authentic literature about Guru Har Rai life and times are scarce, he left no texts of his own, some of the biographies of Guru Har Rai written in the 18th century such as by Kesar Singh Chhibber, and the 19th century Sikh literature are highly inconsistent. Guru Har Rai provided medical care to Dara Shikoh, possibly when he had been poisoned by Mughal operatives, according to Mughal records, Har Rai provided other forms of support to Dara Shikoh as he and his brother Aurangzeb battled for rights to succession. Ultimately, Aurangzeb won, arrested Dara Shikoh and executed him on charges of apostasy from Islam, in 1660, Aurangzeb summoned Har Rai to appear before him to explain his relationship with Dara Shikoh. In the Sikh tradition, Guru Har Rai was asked why he was helping the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh whose forefathers had persecuted Sikhs and Sikh Gurus. Har Rai is believed to have replied that if a man plucks flowers with one hand and gives it away using his other hand, Guru Har Rai died of natural causes. He appointed his 5 year old younger son Har Krishan as the guru before his death. Guru Har Rai traveled to Malwa region of the Indian subcontinent and he started several public singing and scripture recital traditions in Sikhism
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Guru Har Krishan
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Template, Sikhi sidebar Guru Har Krishan was the eighth of the ten Sikh Gurus. At the age of 5, he became the youngest Guru in Sikhi on 7 October 1661, succeeding his father and he contracted smallpox and died of the disease in 1664 before reaching his 8th birthday. He is also known as Bal Guru, and sometimes spelled in Sikh literature as Hari Krishan and he is remembered in the Sikh tradition for saying Baba Bakale before he died, which Sikhs interpreted to identify his granduncle Guru Tegh Bahadur as the next successor. Guru Har Krishan had the shortest tenure as Guru, lasting only 2 years,5 months and 24 days, Guru Har Krishan ji was born in Kiratpur in northwest Indian subcontinent to Krishen Devi and Guru Har Rai ji. After Aurangzeb won the war in 1658, he summoned Guru Har Rai in 1660 to explain his support for the executed Dara Shikoh. Guru Har Rai sent his elder son Ram Rai to represent him, Aurangzeb kept the 13 year old Ram Rai as hostage, questioned Ram Rai about a verse in the Adi Granth – the holy text of Sikhs. Aurangzeb claimed that it disparaged the Muslims, Aurangzeb meanwhile rewarded Ram Rai, patronizing him with land grants in Dehra Dun region of the Himalayas. However, Guru Harkrishan Rai contracted smallpox when he arrived in Delhi, on his deathbed, Guru Har Krishan said, Baba Bakale, and died in 1664. The devout Sikhs interpreted those words to mean that the next Guru is to be found in Bakala village, which identified as Guru Tegh Bahadur. Authentic literature with more details about Guru Har Krishans life and times are scarce, when they reached Delhi, Guru Har Krishan and his party were the guests of Raja Jai Singh II. Every day, large numbers of Sikh devotees flocked to see the Guru, one of the historic gurdwaras in India, the Bangla Sahib in Delhi, was built on the site where Guru Har Krishan helped the sick. Guru Har Krishan died at Gurudwara Bala Sahib, Delhi
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Guru Tegh Bahadur
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Guru Tegh Bahadur, revered as the ninth Nanak, was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. Tegh Bahadur continued in the spirit of the first guru, Nanak, gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of the Gurus body. Guru Tegh Bahadur was born in a Sodhi Family, the Sixth guru, Guru Hargobind had one daughter Bibi Viro and five sons, Baba Gurditta, Suraj Mal, Ani Rai, Atal Rai and Tyaga Mal. Amritsar at that time was the centre of Sikh faith, Guru Tegh Bahadur was brought up in Sikh culture and trained in archery and horsemanship. He was also taught the old classics and he underwent prolonged spells of seclusion and contemplation. Tegh Bahadur was married on 3 February 1633, to Mata Gujri, in the 1640s, nearing his death, Guru Hargobind and his wife Nanaki moved to his ancestral village of Bakala in Amritsar district, together with Tegh Bahadur and Mata Gujri. Bakala, as described in Gurbilas Dasvin Patishahi, was then a town with many beautiful pools, wells. After Guru Hargobinds death, Tegh Bahadur continued to live in Bakala with his wife and he spent most of his time in meditation, but was not a recluse, and attended to family responsibilities. He made visits outside Bakala, and visited the eighth Sikh guru Guru Har Krishan, in March 1664 Guru Har Krishan contracted smallpox. When asked by his followers who would lead them after him, he replied Baba Bakala, taking the advantage of the ambiguity in the words of the dying Guru, many installed themselves in Bakala, claiming themselves as the new Guru. Sikhs were puzzled to see so many claimants, the Sikh tradition has a legend on how Tegh Bahadur was selected the ninth guru. A wealthy trader, Baba Makhan Shah Labana, had prayed for his life and had promised to gift 500 gold coins to the Sikh guru if he survived. He arrived in search of the ninth Guru, every guru he met accepted the 2 gold coins and bid him farewell. Then he discovered that Tegh Bahadur also lived at Bakala, Labana gifted Tegh Bahadur the usual offering of two gold coins. Tegh Bahadur gave him his blessings and remarked that his offering was considerably short of the five hundred. Makhan Shah Labana forthwith made good the difference and ran upstairs and he began shouting from the rooftop, Guru ladho re, Guru ladho re meaning I have found the Guru, I have found the Guru. In August 1664 a Sikh Sangat arrived in Bakala and anointed Tegh Bahadur as the guru of Sikhs. The Sangat was led by Diwan Durga Mal, and a formal Tikka ceremony was performed by Bhai Gurditta on Tegh Bahadur conferring Guruship on him
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Guru Maneyo Granth
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Installed as the Guru Granth Sahib, it is now the central text of Sikhism, and the eternal Guru of all Sikhs. It is central to Sikh worship as it is said to imbibe a living spirit of Ten Sikh Gurus, the composition of the sacred Granth contains renderings of the Hymns of six Gurus of the Sikh faith and some Bhaktas and saints. It was composed in this form in the year 1604 with the addition of Guru Tegh Bahadurs Bani. Its blessings are sought by the seeker with a devout heart. The Sikh religion sincerely believes that in each of the succeeding Gurus the spirit of Guru Nanak was operating, the sacred Granth is installed in all Sikh holy places of worship and treated as the presiding presence of the Guru, an apostle of Divine Truth. The devotees of the Sangat or congregation gather in assembly to pray. This comes through in the mystical wisdom contained within the words of Gurbani, the Gurus word, known as sabad is taken as the mystic experience of the Guru. In the words of Bhai Gurdas, a scholar of the Gurus time, In the word is the Guru. In other words, the body was not the Guru. When the human mind dives deeper and deeper into the Gurus word, all mental impurities depart, thereby the devotee attains the divine light and wisdom which leads him to contemplate and meditate on Gods name. In the light of the realities, the Sikh religion makes the holy Granth the living master of the Sikh Panth. Before he died, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru and he then delivered a self-composed hymn, Agya bhai Akal ki tabhi chalayo Panth. Sabh Sikhan ko hukam hai Guru manyo Granth, Guru Granth Ji manyo pargat Guran ki deh. Jo Prabhu ko milbo chahe khoj shabad mein le, raj karega Khalsa aqi rahei na koe, Khwar hoe sabh milange bache sharan jo hoe. Translation, Under orders of the Immortal Being, the Panth was created, all Sikhs are enjoined to accept the Granth as their Guru. Consider the Guru Granth as an embodiment of the Gurus. Those who want to meet God, the pure Khalsa shall rule, and the impures will be left no more, Those separated will unite and all the devotees of the Guru shall be saved. He also offered his obeisance to the sacred Granth thus conveying his Light to it and this historic development took place in Oct.1708 which ensured that the order of the Khalsa brotherhood always remained an abiding force for Sikh Panth unity. Hai bhī sachu nānaka hosī bhī sachu Simplified transliteration, Ik ōaṅkār sat nām kartā purkh nirbhau nirvair akāl mūrat ajūnī saibhaṅ gur prasād, chant And Meditate, True In The Primal Beginning
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Kirtan
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It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts, connoting a musical form of narration or shared recitation, particularly of spiritual or religious ideas. It may include dancing or direct expression of bhavas by the singer, many Kirtana performances are structured to engage the audience where they either repeat the chant, or reply to the call of the singer. A person performing kirtana is known as a kirtankara and it is a major practice in Vaisnava devotionalism, Sikhism, the Sant traditions and some forms of Buddhism, as well as other religious groups. Kirtana is sometimes accompanied by story-telling and acting, texts typically cover religious, mythological or social subjects. Kirtana has Vedic roots and it means telling, narrating, describing, enumerating, reporting, the term is found as Anukirtana in the context of Yajna, wherein team recitations of dialogue-style and question-answer riddle hymns were part of the ritual or celebratory dramatic performance. The Sanskrit verses in chapter 13.2 of Shatapatha Brahmana, the Vedic sacrifice is presented as a kind of drama, with its actors, its dialogues, its portion to be set to music, its interludes, and its climaxes. The root of Kirtana is kirt, the root is found in the Samhitas, the Brahmanas and other Vedic literature, as well as the Vedanga and Sutras literature. Kirt, according to Monier-Williams contextually means, to mention, make mention of, tell, name, call, recite, repeat, relate, declare, communicate, commemorate, celebrate, praise, glorify. Kirtana, sometimes referred to as sankirtana, is a call-and-response chanting or musical conversation, Kirtan is locally known as Abhang, Samaj Gayan, Haveli Sangeet, Vishnupad, Harikatha. In regional languages, Kirtana is scripted as Bengali, কীর্তন, Nepali & Hindi, कीर्तन, Kannada, ಕೀರ್ತನೆ, Marathi, कीर्तन, Punjabi, ਕੀਰਤਨ, Tamil, கீர்த்தனை, Telugu, కీర్తన. Musical recitation of hymns, mantras and the praise of deities has ancient roots in Hinduism, as evidenced by the Samaveda, Kirtana relates to the bhakti marga tradition of Hinduism. References to Kirtana as a musical recitation are also found in the Bhagavata Purana, Kirtana is often practiced as a kind of theatrical folk song with call-and-response chanting or antiphon. The ancient sage Narada revered as a genius, is called a kirtankar in the Padma Purana. The so-called Naradiya Kirtana divides kirtana into five parts, naman, purvaranga, chanting, katha or akhyan and a final prayer for universal welfare. Kirtan as a genre of music has been a major part of the Vaishnavism tradition. The Varkari saint Namdev used the form of singing to praise the glory of god Vithoba. Marathi kirtana is typically performed by one or two performers, called kirtankar, accompanied by harmonium and tabla. It involves singing, acting, dancing, and story-telling and it is usually based on poetry of the seven famous saints of Maharashtra, Nivruttinath, Dnyaneshwar, Sopandev, Muktabai, Eknath, Namdev and Tukaram
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Langar (Sikhism)
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Langar is the term used in the Sikh religion for the common kitchen/canteen where food is served in a Gurdwara to all the visitors, without distinction of faith, religion or background, for free. At the langar, mostly vegetarian food is served, to ensure that all people, regardless of their dietary restrictions. The exception to vegetarian langar is when Nihangs serve meat on the occasion of Holla Mohalla, there are also variations on langar, for example at Hazur Sahib, where meat is included. Langar was first started by Baba Farid, a Muslim of the Chishti Sufi order and it became a common practice amongst Sufi Muslims in South Asia and it was later adopted by Sikhs. In Sikhism the practice of the langar, or free kitchen, is believed to have adopted by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community, after the Second Sikh Guru, the institution of langar seems to have changed, somewhat, and meat seems to have been excluded from this institution. The reason cited for this by historians is the accommodation of Vaishnavite members of the community, the institution of Guru ka langar has served the community in many ways. It has ensured the participation of Sikhs in a task of service for mankind, even Sikh children help in serving food to the people. People from all classes of society are welcome at the Gurudwara, food is normally served twice a day, on every day of the year. Recent reports say some of the largest Sikh community dining halls in Delhi prepare between 50,000 and 70,000 meals per day, at Golden temple nearly 100,000 people dine everyday and the kitchen works almost 20 hours daily. Each week one or more families volunteer to provide and prepare the langar and this is very generous, as there may be several hundred people to feed, and caterers are not allowed. All the preparation, the cooking and the washing-up is also done by voluntary helpers, besides the langars attachment to gurdwaras, there are improvised open-air langars during festivals and gurpurbs. These langars are among the best attended community meals anywhere in the world, wherever Sikhs are, they have established the langars for everyone. In their prayers, the Sikhs seek from the Almighty the favour, “Loh langar tapde rahin—may the hot plates of the langars remain ever in service. ”Langarwali Daal Recipe Holy Kitchens - Documentary on Langars
21.
Anand Karaj
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Anand Karaj is the Sikh marriage ceremony, meaning Blissful Union or Joyful Union, that was introduced by Guru Amar Das. The four Lavan were composed by his successor, Guru Ram Das, in a recent verdict of the Sri Akaal Takht Sahib, i. e. a Hukumnama, Anand Karaj can only take place in a Gurudwara. Any Amritdhari Sikh may perform the marriage ceremony, Pakistan passed the Sikh Anand Marriage Act in 2007. There had been instances when Sikhs from various countries had their marriages registered in Pakistan, the following are other important points that must be adhered to by the Sikh couple and their families, Marriage is a partnership of equals. No consideration is to be given to caste, social status, no day is considered holier above any other, hence no astrological considerations are to be made and no superstitions are to be observed in fixing the date of the wedding. The religious ceremony is to place only in a gurdwara. The cost of the wedding is to be shared between the two sides as equally as possible, the Anand Karaj ceremony is a joyous and festive event in which families and friends from both sides are heavily involved. Most Sikh weddings take place in the morning and are completed before noon, following the ceremony is a langar or a formal lunch. The wedding event can last for the day and may spill into the next day. Most families combine the wedding ceremony with the engagement ceremony called the kurmai, the engagement ceremony can also be held as a separate event on a different day. It is usually conducted in the gurdwara or at the home of the groom-to-be and it involves ardas, kirtan, sagun and langar. In the sagaan ceremony, the groom is presented with a kara, kirpan, Indian sweets, fresh fruits, the bride-to-bes family in turn are presented with garments and sweets. Anand Karaj, literally, joyful ceremonial occasion or proceedings is the given to the Sikh marriage ceremony. Sikhism does not repudiate vows of celibacy, renunciation or the sannyasin state, historically, most marriages among Sikhs, as also in India and Pakistan as a whole, have been arranged. It is regarded as a duty for the parents to arrange for, and actively contribute towards, the marriage of their offspring. Prem Sumarag, a work on the Sikh social code, lays down, When a girl attains maturity. It is neither desirable nor proper to marry a girl at tender age, the daughter of a Sikh should be given in marriage to a Sikh. If a man is a believer in Sikhism, is humble by nature, today, it is accepted that Sikhs marry someone they choose themselves
22.
The Five Ks
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In Sikhism, the Five Ks are five items that Guru Gobind Singh commanded Khalsa Sikhs to wear at all times in 1699. They are, Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kachera and Kirpan, the Five K are not just symbols, but articles of faith that collectively form the external identity and the Khalsa devotees commitment to the Sikh rehni Sikh way of life. The Kesh, or unshorn long hair, is considered by Sikhs as an part of the human body. Long known as a sign of devotion, it also emulates the appearance of Guru Gobind Singh and is one of the primary signs by which a Sikh can be clearly and quickly identified. A Sikh never cuts or trims any hair as a symbol of respect for the perfection of Gods creation, the uncut long hair and the beard, in the case of men, form the main kakār for Sikhs. The turban is a crown, which is a constant reminder to the Sikh that he or she is sitting on the throne of consciousness and is committed to living according to Sikh principles. Guru Gobind Singh told his Sikhs, Khaalsa mero roop hai khaas, wearing a turban declares sovereignty, dedication, self-respect, courage and piety. A noted figure in Sikh history is Bhai Taru Singh, who was martyred, a Kangha is a small wooden comb that Sikhs use twice a day. It is supposed to be only in the hair and at all times. Combs help to clean and remove tangles from the hair, and is a symbol of cleanliness, combing their hair reminds Sikhs that their lives should be tidy and organized. The Sikhs were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh to wear a small comb called a Kangha at all times, the comb keeps the hair tidy, a symbol of not just accepting what God has given, but also an injunction to maintain it with grace. The Guru said hair should be allowed to grow naturally, for men, this includes not shaving. At the time of Guru Gobind Singh ji, some holy men let their hair become tangled, the Guru said that this was not right. Hair should be allowed to grow but it should be kept clean, the Sikhs were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699 to wear an iron bangle called a Kara at all times. The Kara is a constant reminder to always remember that whatever a person does with their hands has to be in keeping with the advice given by the Guru, the Kara is an iron/steel circle to symbolise God as never ending. It is a symbol of permanent bonding to the community, of being a link in the chain of Khalsa Sikhs. Originally, the Kachera was made part of the five Ks as a symbol of a Sikh soldiers willingness to be ready at a moments notice for battle or for defense, the confirmed Sikh wears a Kachera every day. Some go to the extent of wearing a Kachera while bathing, to be ready to at a moments notice, changing into the new one a single leg at a time, so as to have no moment where they are unprepared
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Jhatka
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Jhatka is the method of meat production demanded by many Hindus, Sikhs, and denominational Christians, while Zabiha is demanded by the Muslims, and Shechita by the Jews. Hence, in Christian faith the halal/shechita way of slaughter is lawful, the Sikh Rahit Maryada forbids hair-cutting, adultery, the use of intoxicants, and the consumption of meat. Jhatka is derived from Sanskrit word Jhatiti which means instantly, quickly, historically and currently, those Hindus who eat meat seek jhatka meat. Many Shaivite and Shakta Hindus, for example, offer meat and liquor as part of ritual worship. During Durga Puja and Kali Puja among some Shaivite Hindus in Punjab, Mithila, Bengal and it is done to make slaughter a sacrifice to God and to expiate the sins of the slaughter. Guru Gobind Singh took a serious view of this aspect of the whole matter. He, therefore, while permitting flesh to be taken as food repudiated the whole theory of this expiatory sacrifice, accordingly, he made jhatka meat obligatory for those Sikhs who may be interested in taking meat as a part of their food. As stated in the official Khalsa Code of Conduct, Kutha meat is forbidden, during the British Raj, jhatka meat was not allowed in jails, and Sikh detainees during the Akali movement and beyond had to resort to violence and agitations to secure this right. Among the terms in the settlement between the Akalis and the Muslim Unionist government in Punjab in 1942 was that meat be continued as a Sikh Martial Heritage. This is regarded as blessed by the Guru and should not be refused. Some Sikh Organizations, such as the Damdami Taksal and Akhand Kirtani Jatha, have their own codes of conduct and these organizations define kutha meat as any type of slaughtered meat, and eating meat of any type is forbidden. All three methods use sharp knives, in the Jhatka method, a swift uninterrupted cut severs the head and the spine. In India, there are many shops, with various bylaws requiring shops to display clearly that they sell jhatka meat
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Dasam Granth
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The Dasam Padishah ke Granth, commonly known as Dasam Granth, is a religious text containing many of the texts traditionally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. The Dasam Granth is a religious text from the Guru Granth Sahib. Some compositions of the Dasam Granth such as Jaap Sahib, Tav-Prasad Savaiye and Benti Chaupai are part of the Nitnem or daily prayers and also part of the Amrit Sanchar or baptism ceremony. Although the compositions of the Dasam Granth are widely accepted to be penned by Guru Gobind Singh there are some that still question the authenticity of the Dasam Granth. There are three views on the authorship of the Dasam Granth, The historical and traditional view is that the entire work was composed by Guru Gobind Singh himself. The entire collection was composed by the poets in the Gurus entourage, only a part of the work was composed by the Guru, while the rest was composed by the other poets. In his religious court at Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh had employed 52 poets, most of the writing compiled at Anandpur Sahib was lost while the Gurus camp was crossing the Sirsa river before the Battle of Chamkaur. There were copiers available at Gurus place who made copies of writings. Later, Bhai Mani Singh compiled all the works under the title Dasam Granth. Any one even moderately acquainted with Hindi can tell from the evidence of style that Chandi Charitar. Some others dispute the claim of the authorship, saying some of the compositions included in Dasam Granth are out of tune with other Sikh scriptures. The names of poets Raam, Shyam and Kaal appear repeatedly in the granth, references to Kavi Shyam can be seen in Mahan Kosh of Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, under the entry Bawanja Kavi and also in Kavi Santokh Singhs magnum opus Suraj Prakash Granth. Rehitnama Chaupa Singh Chibber quotes various lines from Bachitar Natak,33 Swiayey, Chopai Sahib, Jaap Sahib. In 1711, Sri Gur Sobha was written by the poet Senapat and mentioned a conversation of Guru Gobind Singh and Akal Purakh and this is first Granth mentioned Guruship of Guru Granth Shahib. In 1797, Gurbilas Patshahi 10 – Sukkha Singh, mentioned compositions of Guru Gobind Singh, malcolm, in SKetch of Sikhs mentioned about Dasam Granth as Bani of Guru Gobind Singh. The length of the printed version of Dasam Granth is 1428 pages. Next come three abridged compositions of the wars of Durga, called Chandi, with demons, Tav-Prasad Savaiye, again a bani of Nitnem, is part of Akal Ustat composition, which is recited daily in morning along with above. Benti Chaupai, is part of Sri Charitropakhyan, which is recited in morning as well as evening prayers, Jaap, Tav Prasad Savaiye and Chaupai are read while preparing Khande Batey Ki Pahul
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Gurbani
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Gurbani is a Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib. In general, hymns in the text of the Sikhs. Among Amritdhari Sikhs, a few texts from Dasam Granth which are read as Nitnem, like Tav-Prasad Savaiye, in Adi Granth, Gurbani is a sound which comes directly from the Supreme and the text is a written form of the same in worldly language and scripts. It is also called Gun Bani, Gurbani are explanations of qualities of the Primal Lord and Soul which a Sikh should comprehend and with which he can attain the supreme state. Gurbani is composed of two words, Gur and Bani, Gur has multiple meanings depending on context. In Guru Granth Sahib, Gur is used for multiple meanings, the common use of Gur is either for wisdom and internal conscious mind. Thereby Gurbani either means the speech of wisdom or the speech of conscious mind, Gurbani is directly received from inside after attaining a Supreme state, whereas the Granth or textual form is worldly language of the same. Gurbani is also referred to as Dhur Ki Bani, in Adi Granth, it is considered a source of spiritual knowledge which illuminates the mind and gives internal bliss. The one who comprehends Gurbani is also described as an Amritdhari, Gurbani is a source of truth with which the internal filth and sins get eradicated and one who find Gurbani sweet is in supreme state. Extracts from Guru Granth Sahib are called Gutkas containing sections of Gurbani and these Gutkas can vary from just a few pages to hundreds of pages and are used by the Sikhs to read these Banis on a daily basis. The hymns of the Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib, Tav-Prasad Savaiye, Chaupai Sahib and these are recited by initiated Sikhs at Amritvela. Rehras is read in the evening around sunset or after a days work, doing Nitnem is also commonly referred as doing paath. Japji Sahib, Anand Sahib, and Kirtan Sohila are a part of Guru Granth Sahib, Jaap Sahib, Tav-Prasad Savaiye, and Chaupai Sahib were all compiled by Guru Gobind Singh and found in the Dasam Granth. Rehras is a mix with hymns from both Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth, a Sikh may add more Gurbani to their Nitnem and if done frequently that Gurbani becomes a part of their Nitnem
