The gurdwara is a meeting place for Sikhs that houses the Sikh sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib and serves as a place of worship, community, and education for Sikhs. In the last three decades, Sikhs have built many new, grand gurdwaras for growing communities.... Read more about The Gurdwara

The Guru Granth Sahib is the authoritative sacred text for Sikhs. It contains 3,000 hymns in various languages, with authors from multiple religious traditions. These hymns are sung during worship services held at the gurdwara, where the Guru Granth Sahib is displayed. The Guru Granth Sahib is itself considered the living Sikh guru, the final central authority over the Sikh community.... Read more about The Guru Granth Sahib

Kirtan means “singing the praises of God.” Most of the kirtans sung by Sikhs are shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib. The shabads are set to traditional musical scales called ragas. During kirtan services, the granthi, the appointed reader of the Guru Granth Sahib, leads the community in the shabad.... Read more about Kirtan: Singing God’s Praise

Langar is the communal meal shared by all who come to the gurdwara, and it has been a part of Sikh community since the time of Guru Nanak. Attendees all sit at an equal level on the floor and eat the same food, prepared in the same pots. In this way, langar serves as a ritualistic expression of the equality of all humans.... Read more about Langar: The Communal Meal

Established by the tenth guru, taking amrit is the initiation ceremony that allows Sikhs to become members of the Khalsa. Amrit means immortal nectar and refers to the bowl of sugar water that is prayed over and stirred throughout the ceremony by five members of the Khalsa. At the end, the initiate drinks the amrit, which is then sprinkled on the initiate’s hair and face. Upon completion of the ceremony, the initiate becomes a member of the Khalsa.... Read more about Taking Amrit: Initiation

The Five K’s are the markers of Sikh identity, and they consist of: uncut hair, a short sword or knife, a steel wristband, a wooden comb, and shorts worn as an undergarment. The observance of the Five K’s was originally the mark of the Khalsa. However, many Sikhs keep these distinctive emblems of Sikh identity without having been initiated into the Khalsa. The Five K’s continually remind Sikhs of the ethical and spiritual implications of aligning one’s life with truth.... Read more about The Five K’s

Baisakhi is a joyous festival that takes place at the time of the traditional spring harvest in Punjab. In addition to the usual rites that take place at the gurdwara, Baisakhi is also the time of year when Sikhs raise the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh flag. In the United States, the festival is usually the best attended event of the year, so events such as “taking amrit” (electing gurdwara officials) often coincide with Baisakhi.... Read more about The Festival of Baisakhi