MantraOnNet.com:
elements of Hinduism and Islam. It was founded by Guru Nanak (1469-1539), a
mystic who believed that God transcends religious distinctions.
Beliefs and Practices
of bhakti Hinduism and Sufi Islam, Sikhism stresses the unity, truth, and
creativity of a personal God and urges union with him through meditation
on his title, the Name (Nam), and surrender to his will. It also advocates
active service rather than the Hindu ideal of ascetic withdrawal. Loyalty
and justice are admired, smoking and intoxicants forbidden. Sikhism also
rejects the Hindu caste system, priesthood, image worship, and pilgrimage,
although it retains the Hindu doctrines of transmigration and karma. The
ultimate spiritual authority is the Adi Granth, consisting of hymns by
the ten Sikh gurus (Hindi for “teachers”) and Hindu and Muslim devotional
poetry in several languages. All Sikhs may read the Adi Granth, which is
the focus of devotion at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Sikh religious
center.
Sikhs are expected to join the Khalsa (Punjabi for “pure”), a religious
and military order. Initiates are “baptized” by drinking sweetened water
stirred with a sword, after which Sikh men take the surname Singh (“lion”)
and women take the surname Kaur (“prince,” or here, “princess”). Members
of the Khalsa are instructed to observe the five k’s: They must wear four
symbols of the Sikh faith-soldiers’ shorts (kaccha), an iron bangle (kara),
a steel sword (kirpan), and a comb (khanga)-and they must not cut their
hair (kes).
History
Nanak, the saintly first guru, wandered over India seeking converts.
He was succeeded by nine gurus whose office became hereditary. The fourth,
Ram Das, founded the Golden Temple. The fifth, Arjun compiled the Adi Granth
in 1604. As the Sikhs became a distinct religious community, they took
up arms against persecution by Hindus and by Muslim rulers of the Mughal
Empire. Oppo Mughal tyranny, the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, formed the Khalsa
in 1699. During the decline of the Mughals, the Sikhs, led by the warrior
Ranjit Singh, created a powerful state in the Punjab about 1800 that eventually
threatened British-controlled India. After internal dissension and two
wars the Punjab was annexed by the British in 1849.
The British governed the Sikhs fairly and, in return for their loyalty
during the Sepoy Mutiny of (1857-1859), gave them preferential land grants.
The Sikhs gained wealth and a great reputation as soldiers and policemen.
Upon independence in 1947, they lost their privileges and found their state
divided between India and Pakistan.
Golden Temple
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Located in Amritsar, a city in the
Punjab state of northwestern India, the Golden Temple serves as the most important house of worship for the Sikhs. Originally built in 1604, the temple sustained repeated damage from attacks by Afghan invaders. During the early 19th-century reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple was rebuilt using marble, copper, and an overlay of gold foil. The temple sits on a small island and connects with land on the west by way of a marble causeway. |
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