Sikhism

Singh

Upon initiation into the Khalsa, Sikh men assume the name Singh, “Lion.”

rehras

In the Sikh tradition, the term rehras refers to evening prayers.

Khalsa

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, created the Khalsa, the “alliance of the pure” in 1699. When a Sikh comes of age or is ready for a greater level of commitment, he or she joins the Khalsa through the special initiation known as “taking amrit.” Initiated Sikhs wear five signs of their new identity and acquire a new name. Singh for men and Kaur for women.

Guru Ram Das

The fourth of the ten Sikh Gurus, Ram Das served as Guru from 1574 to 1581. He is primarily known for establishing the town of Ramdaspur, later known as Amritsar, in the Punjab.

granthi

The granthi is the custodian of the book (granth). In the Sikh tradition, the granthi cares for the Adi Granth by maintaining the gurdwara and seeing to the daily observances in the special room where the sacred book is housed. He may also lead the chanting and singing of its hymns during services. The term is also used by the Ravidas sect.

Amritsar

Amritsar is the city in the Punjab in northwest India that is the historical and spiritual center of the Sikh tradition. In 1574 the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, established the town and had the “Lake of Nectar,” Amritsar, dug at its center. The magnificent temple called the Darbar Sahib, popularly known as the “Golden Temple,” was built on an island in the middle of this Lake of Nectar.

sangat

Sangat is a Punjabi term for “community” and refers particularly to the religious community.

langar

Langar is the communal meal shared by Sikhs and all visitors to the gurdwara. For Sikhs, eating together in this way is expressive of the rejection of the Hindu caste system to reaffirm the equality and oneness of all humankind.

International Sikh Dharma

Soon after Yogi Bhajan came to the United States in 1968, he attracted a large following of young Americans. In 1969, the movement called 3HO, an acronym for the Happy, Healthy, and Holy Organization, was formed. This later became known as Sikh Dharma. Today, there are some seventy Sikh Dharma centers (typically called Guru Ram Das ashrams) throughout the United States. Members are readily identified by their distinctive dress in white cotton garments and white turbans.

Gurmukhi

Gurmukhi is the “script of the Gurmukhs,” an epithet for Sikhs that occurs in the Sikh scripture. Also, Gurmukhi is not a language, but rather a script that was institutionalized and improved by the Sikh Gurus and eventually became an important marker of Sikh identity. It contains 35 main characters.

Bhajan, Yogi

In 1968 Harbhajan Singh (1929-2004) popularly known as Yogi Bhajan, brought the message of the Guru Granth Sahib to the West. He soon attracted many young American followers with the universalism of the Sikh message, the practice of yoga and meditation, and the emphasis on a natural and healthy lifestyle. In 1969, he formed the movement called 3HO, (Happy, Healthy, and Holy Organization), which later became known as Sikh Dharma.

Adi Granth

(Also: Duru Granth Sahib) Adi Granth means literally the “First Book.” For Sikhs, the three thousand hymns (shabads) contained within its pages are the Word of God. Before the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, he invested the Guruship not in a human successor, but in the scripture itself. Hence, as the most reverend (Sahib) fully authoritative spiritual guide (Guru), the book is also known as the Guru Granth Sahib.

Sikhism

Sikhs call their tradition the “Sikh Panth,” meaning the “community (panth) of the disciples of the Guru.” The tradition reveres a lineage of ten Gurus, beginning with Guru Nanak in the 16th century and coming to a clos. with the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708. Thereafter, the Divine Word of scripture became authoritative as the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikh population currently numbers over fifteen million. While the Sikh heartland continues to be the Punjab in northwest India, Sikhs have now settled throughout the world, especially in Kenya, England, and North America.

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