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FIND OUT MORE. Hinduism 286 • Southern Asia 266–267

Society and Beliefs^291

Sikhism was founded over 500 years ago in the

Punjab region of India, by a man who became known

as. GURU Nanak. He taught that all religions share

the same essential truth and that holiness is to be

found within. Sikh literally means “disciple”.

WHERE IS THE CENTRE OF SIKHISM?

The Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, has

become the symbol of the Sikh religion and their most

important pilgrimage site. The fourth Guru, Ram Das,

built a city and sacred lakes at Amritsar, in the

Punjab, where Guru Nanak once meditated. The fifth

Guru, Arjan, built the Golden Temple and collected

the teachings of the Gurus into a sacred book, the

Guru Granth Sahib.

HOW DO SIKHS WORSHIP?

Guru Nanak taught that “the only temple that matters

is inside oneself”. Sikhs pray at home, and also

worship together, with hymns read from the sacred

book. The focus of worship is on Nam, the divine

name which lives within everyone. Sikh gurdwaras

(temples) have a langar, or eating space, where Sikhs

can share a communal meal, with anyone who comes.

WHO WAS GURU GOBIND SINGH?

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru (1666–1708),

founded the Khalsa, or community of Sikhs, in 1699

to protect them against religious persecution. He

called for volunteers who were prepared to die for

their faith. All Sikhs wear five symbols, known as the

five “Ks”, as a sign of their allegiance to the Khalsa.

These include the kirpan (dagger) and kangha (comb).

As with Hindu traditions, guru means wise teacher, or more

literally, “revealer of light and darkness”. Sikhism regards its Ten

Gurus as a single living spiritual flame, passed down from God,

through Guru Nanak onwards, and eventually reaching all Sikhs.

WHERE IS THE SACRED BOOK KEPT?

The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, appointed the sacred

Adi Granth (“First Book”) as his successor, so that

after him there would be no more human gurus. It

became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and copies

are kept with great care at temples and treated with

the respect a human guru would be given.

4 THE KHANDA

The khanda symbol represents many

of the Sikh core beliefs. The khanda

(two-edged sword) symbolizes belief in

the power of the truth. The circle is a

chakram (a flat, sharp-edged weapon) that

also represents unity and eternity. The curved

swords stand for warrior spirit.

1 GOLDEN TEMPLE, AMRITSAR

The Golden Temple, or Harmandir

Sahib (House of God), has been

rebuilt many times since its

completion in 1601. “Sahib” is a

title of respect that Sikhs use for

places as well as people.

GURU

THE TEN GURUS 3

This picture honours the Ten

Gurus, and shows Guru Nanak

(top), Guru Gobind Singh (top

right), and Guru Granth Sahib

(centre). The boy guru is Har

Krishnan, who died after defying

the orders of a Mughal emperor

who objected to Sikhism.

Sikhism

The Causeway

connects the temple

to the pavement

surrounding the lake

The Harmandir Sahib

(Golden Temple) houses

the sacred book, the

Guru Granth Sahib

The Lake of Immortality

was built by Guru

Ram Das

The Darshani Deorhi

is the gateway to the

temple complex

The Akal Takht

stores the sacred

book overnight

Sikhism