301
The “five Ks” of the Sikh religion
here surround the Sikh symbol of
crossed swords. The sword or
kirpan is one of the “Ks,” or
articles of faith. The others
are uncut hair and beard,
comb, bracelet, and
cotton shorts.
inevitably been drawn into.
There was even a short-lived
Sikh Empire formed in 1799 but
dissolved by the British in 1849.
After the formation of the Akali,
a Sikh reform movement, in the
1920s, and the Akali Dal political
party in 1966, there were calls for
an autonomous Sikh state in the
Punjab, where violent incidents
between Sikhs and Hindus, along
with tensions between Muslim
Pakistan and Hindu India, have
continued into modern times.
Outside the Punjab, however,
the Sikh diaspora has generally
integrated into society.
An updated code of conduct for
contemporary Sikhism is offered in
the Sikh Rehat Maryada, published
in 1950, which gives guidance on
personal and public life, including
ceremonies and worship. However,
as Guru Nanak originally preached,
devotion to God and a socially
responsible lifestyle are more
important in Sikhism than rituals
and reverence. This is reflected
in the institution of the gurdwara,
which, as well as being a temple
for worship, is also the hub of the
Sikh community. Sikh worship
is generally not prescribed by the
gurus, other than the early morning
prayer, which uses the Mul Mantra
composed by Guru Nanak as a
meditation on God’s Name. This
can be practiced anywhere, not
just in the gurdwara, and because
there is no priesthood in Sikhism,
this, alongside readings and hymns
from the Guru Granth Sahib, can,
in the spirit of Sikh egalitarianism,
be performed by anyone. ■MODERN RELIGIONS
Guru Nanak
The founder of the Sikh
religion, Guru Nanak, was
born in 1469 into a Hindu
family in Talwandi, in the
Punjab region of India (now
known as Nankana Sahib,
Pakistan). Tension was
running high between
the Hindus and Muslims
there as the Mughal Empire
spread south into the Indian
subcontinent. As a young
man, Nanak worked as an
accountant, but was always
fascinated by spiritual
matters. According to Sikh
tradition, after receiving
a revelation, in which God
gave him a cup of nectar
and told him of his vocation
to spread the message of his
Name, Nanak embarked on a
25-year mission, traveling and
preaching with his companion,
the Muslim minstrel Bhai
Mardana. In five long trips,
he visited the major cities
and religious centers of
India and Arabia, where he
set up dharamshalas, centers
of worship. He was given
the title guru, or teacher,
by his followers. After his
final journey, to Baghdad
and Mecca, he returned to
Punjab, where he remained
until his death in 1539.kirpan kanghakachera karakesh