Sikhism

 

Sikhism, a monotheistic religion founded by Gurū Nānak in the 15th century, is one of the world's youngest religions. This religious faith, established in the Punjab region of northwestern India with a limited number of followers in the beginning, is today, the fifth-largest organized religion in the world. Even today, though Sikh diaspora is quite visibly present in numerous parts of the world, Punjab remains the only region, where majority of the population is Sikh. A devoted Sikh is expected to be an amalgam of a saint and a soldier. That is to say, he must be both compassionate as well as aggressive, and should be able to distinguish between good and evil, and apply his traits accordingly.

The God of the Sikhs is called Wāhegurū. He is omnipresent and possesses infinite power to create, sustain, and destroy. But, at the same time, he is niraṅkār (shapeless), akāl (timeless), and alakh (sightless). The expression ēk ōaṅkār (the supreme reality) represents the universality of Godhead. It is believed that the entire universe was created by God, and will be destroyed by Him, and that everything that happens around, is according to His will. The main tenet of Sikhism is achievement of salvation through communion with God. There is no concept of 'heaven' or 'hell' in the religion; on the contrary, it is believed that being born a human is a great fortune, and hence one should live free of all oppressive bondages. Idol worship is absent in the faith. Sikhism essentially dwells on the principle of Gūrmat, meaning 'the teaching of the Gurū'. In all, there have been ten Sikh Gurūs including Gurū Nānak, and the Sikhs are supposed to follow the path laid out by them. Their religious scripture, the Gurū Granth Sāhib, which was composed over a period of time from 1469 to 1708 by various Sikh Gurūs, is regarded as the eleventh Gurū, and contains a compilation of teachings of the first five Sikh Gurūs, alongside other saints such as Kabir, Ravidas, and Baba Farid.

There are no priests in Sikhism. Gurū Gobind Singh had abolished the priestly class, and what we have now, are the Granthis who are responsible to look after the Gurū Granth Sāhib in the Gurduārās, the Sikh temples. Interestingly, any Sikh, irrespective of the gender, can become a Granthi. Moreover, Sikhism prohibits its members from cutting their hair, consuming intoxicants, following blind faith, having premarital/extramarital sexual relations, and so on. The members of the Khālsā, an order founded by Gurū Gobind Singh, consisting of a few baptized Sikh men and women, are expected to adhere to all the rules of Sikhism and to carry at all times, the five Ks viz., kēs (uncut hair), kaṅghā (wooden comb), kaṛā (an iron bracelet), kirpān (dagger), and kacchera (a loose undergarment). The Sikhs do not have many festivals, and the basic themes of all their events revolve around the lives of their Gurūs and martyrs. Ceremonies such as naming of the newborn or marriage, take place in the Gurduārā, in presence of the Gurū Granth Sāhib.

Apart from Punjab, where Sikhs continue to be a majority, a study of the migration patterns of the community show that the English-speaking countries are more favored than the others. About 90% of the total Sikh population resides in India, followed by 3.14% in the United Kingdom, 2% in Canada, and 1.05% in the United States.