Eternal India Encyclopedia

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Eternal India
encyclopedia
RELIGIONS
* Obsequies concludes with a completed reading of Guru Granth
and prayers are offered in its presence at the end for the
departed soul.
* Marriage Rituals
The bridegroom and his party called Barat go to the house of the bride.
Milini, a ceremony where parents and relatives from both sides meet and
embrace each other and token gifts are offered. Later all other friends
and relatives enter specially arranged pandal or Gurdwara where Anand
Kara], the marriage ceremony, is performed by the priest with Sikh mu-
sicians singing relevant hymns from the Guru Granth and the couple
circumambulating the Holy Book four times in a clock wise direction.
The Lavan, hymns of marriage, convey highest moral and spiritual
ideals to the couple:
"Bride and groom are not they who pose together.
Bride and groom are they who are two bodies and one soul"
Guru Granth p. 788.
* Amrit-pan (Sikh baptism) is the rite by which a Sikh becomes a mem-
ber of the panth khalsa (brotherhood). The ritual is the same as
performed by Guru Gobind Singh while creating the Khalsa.
* The candidate, wearing the 5 Ks, stands reverentially with folded palms
before the congregation of five (representing the panj pyare ), one of
whom explains the principles and disciplines to be observed. On accep-
tance of the code of conduct {rehat), the amrit is sprinkled on the
candidate's head and face and part of it is given to him to drink.
* Karah Prasad is distributed and all those baptised in the batch eat out
of the same dish.
* Recital of compositions of the Gurus as daily prayer at fixed ti mes of the
day-theJa/yz of Guru Nanak and Jap Sahib and Sudha Swayyei ofGuru
Gobind Singh in the morning, Rehras in the evening and KirtanSohila
at night.
* All gurdwaras must have a copy of the Guru Granth inside and all must
fly the nishan sahib (yellow triangular flag of Sikhism).
* The naming of a child is done at a special ceremony when the Granth is
opened at random and the child is given a name beginning with the first
letter of the first word on the left-hand page. Boys are given the surname
of Singh and girls Kaur (princess).
* Although Sikhism is opposed to the caste system, caste distinctions have
not been totally abolished. The largest caste is that of the Jats (farmers).
The upper classes are the Kshatriyas and Auroras.
FESTIVALS
* Baishakhi marks the birth of the Khalsa.
* Two Gur Purbs commemorate the birthdays of Guru Nanak and Guru
Gobind Singh and two others - the martyrdom of Guru Arjun and Guru
Tegh Bahadur.
* Diwali and Holi.
HOLY PLACES
* The Golden Temple at Amritsar is the holiest, Gurdwaras
(Sikh temples) at Patna, Anandpur, Nanded, Sis-Ganj, Rikab-
Ganj in Delhi. Shrines at Kartarpur and Dera Baba Nanak in
Pakistan. Nankana Sahib (birthplace of Guru Nanak) near La-
hore, Dehra Sahib (place of martyrdom of Guru Arjun) in
Lahore and Panja Sahib near Taxila (Rawalpindi), Gurdwara
Bangla Sahib, Delhi, where Sri Guru Harikishan Sahib had
stayed and served patients of small-pox disease.
* Apart from the over 200 historic gurdwaras associated with the
birth and other activities of the ten gurus there are five Takhats
(thrones) which symbolise Sikh temporal power : The first of
these, the Akal Takhat, (The Throne of the Immortal) was built
by the sixth Guru Hargobind adjacent to the Golden Temple
thus
symbolising the mixture of spiritual and temporal power of
Sikhism. The other Takhats are Sri Patna Sahib where Guru
Gobind Singh was bom, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur where
Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, Sri Dandama Sahib
where Guru Gobind Singh wrote most of his literary work and
got the Guru Granth Sahib recompiled and the Sri Huzur Sahib,
Nanded where the Tenth Guru breathed his last.
GREETINGS
* Salutational: Initially Kartar Kartar (creator - we bow to
thee) Sat kartar (creator of truth) “Pairi Pauna Shah ji, razi
ho” (I bow to your feet Sir, are you well”). After creation of
Khalsa, Pairi Pauna was substituted by “Waheguru-ji-ka
Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh.” During warfare: “Jo Bole so
Nihal’ (blessed is he who takes the name of God) and “Sat Sri
Akal” (God is truth) which is also prevalent now.
* Ardas (Prayer), after paying respect to ten gurus, five Piaras,
four Sahibzadas (Sons of Guru Gobind Singh) and other martyrs
who laid their lives to defend dharma and to carry on fight
against oppression, remembering all historic Gurdwaras, ends
on this noble thought:
''Nanak Nam Charddi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbatt Da Bhala”
(Thy Name, Thy Glory, be forever triumphant, Nanak, and in
Thy Will may peace and prosperity come to one and all.)
SECTS
* Many sects such as Akalis, Dhirmalias, Nirankaris, Nanak Pan-
this, Nisanjanis, Nirmals, Nihangs, Namdharis, Suthrashahis,
Sanwal Shahis, Sevapanthis, Sat Kartaris, Singh Sabha and
Udhasis.
* Important sects are Nihangs, Namdharis, Udhasis and Akalis.
* The Nihangs regard themsel ves as the soldiers of Guru Gobind
Singh. They wear a dark blue dress and peaked turban often
surmounted with a steel disc. Some of them wear a yellow turban
under the blue one leaving a yellow band across the forehead.
They always carry a sword in the belt, a matchlock at the back
and two or three steel rings fastened round the turban.
* The Namdharis (or Kukas) have distinctive headgear, pure
white dress and flat pugree. While chanting the sacred hymns
they go into an ecstatic frenzy and emit kooks (cries). Hence
called Kukas. They believe that the line of Gurus did not die out
with Guru Gobind Singh.
* The Udhasis are ascetics (order founded by Sri Chand a son of
Guru Nanak). The Udhasis were divided into four duans (hearths)
or orders - almast, phul, gobind and baba hamsa. Some of the
Udhasis have matted hair. Their dress is of a saffron colour but
many wear only the waist cloth. The psalms and prayers of Guru
Nanak are preserved.
.* The Akalis, (established 1921) by a group to reform their
shrines. Participated in non-co-operation movement against
British. *
POSITION OF WOMEN
* A woman is considered ardhangi in Sikhism, in other words
there is complete equality between male and female. The Sikh
Gurus restored the respect and glory which was due to women.
"Why condemn a woman. It is she who gave birth to kings," said
Gum Nanak.
(* refer Vol-II, K-Polity) (B.S.S. & N.K.S.)