Sikhism Is Sikhism a Religion

Sikhism

Is Sikhism a religion that began separately, as adherents claim, with Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the 17th century? or, is it a faith that arose as a new sect from Hinduism and Islam as a number of scholars report? Regardless of the origin, Sikhism clearly developed with its unique religious philosophy as seen by today's sizeable Sikh community and the numerous elaborate sacred temples that still remain from Sikhism's earliest years.

In a History of the Sikhs, Cunningham noted that although some believe the Sikhs to be essentially Hindu, in religious faith and "worldly aspiration, they are wholly different from other Indians...(15)" and related by an objective not known anywhere else. Sikhism does include numerous of its own principles that are differ significantly from Hinduism and Islam. They also have their own religious founder, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who lived in the Punjab area of today's Pakistan. The Sikhs believe that God revealed himself to the founding Guru Nanakji, who said in return, "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." This is now one of the main Sikhism pillars. He abolished any idol worship for monotheism and preached the humanity of brotherhood (Cole).

The first community of Sikhs grew up around the Amristar or Golden Temple in India. This sacred building is said to be sanctified by Guru Nanakji, who placed a blessing on a young sheep herder to preach the Sikhism principles. The Golden Temple is now considered the journey's end or beginning of the spiritual vision. Ranjit Singh, the first Sikh maharaja, made the original building much more elaborate with embossed plates, floral designs and mirrored ceilings and it became one of the most exquisite of all shrines worldwide. There are four large entrances called deoris, each facing a different direction to symbolize that the religion welcomes people from all castes and creeds. People could pray in any desired direction (Cole).

Dissimilar to other temples, the main spiritual center is one level beneath the surrounding area. It has a very beautiful sanctuary that glimmers in the water of a sacred tank that is surrounded by marble walkways. The central piece, Sri Harmandir Sahib, rises from the middle of the pool on a 67-foot square platform, and is about 60-feet high. On the ground floor under a jeweled canopy is the Guru Granth Sahib, or holy book (Cole).

Another of the most holy Sikh temples is the Patna Sahib, where the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666. This area is also special, because it was visited by Guru Nankji and has become a sacred pilgrimage location. It is recognized as one of the holiest of five areas of Sikh leadership in the old city of Patna City outside Punjab. The history of this temple reflects the continued strength of the Sikh religion. When the ancient shrine was destroyed by fire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh built the present one from white marble in 1839. Then, this was destroyed by an earthquake in 1934 and built once again in 1954 (Sinha).

Another revered temple, which is more out of the way than these two previous holy shrines is Hemkund Sahib, which lies in the high altitudes of the Lokpal Lake, with a heavenly view of the mountains. It takes about a four- to six-hour steep hike from Ghangharia, India, to Hemkund. This, too, has become a major pilgrimage for both Sikhs and Hindus, as well as people of other religions. Surrounded by seven mountains capped with snow and glaciers, the temple is reflected on the lake's waters. As noted in the holy Granth Sahib, Guru Govind meditated on the shores of the lake in one of his first births and started the pure "Khalsa" inner core of the faithful, who are anointed by baptism or "amrit" (Sinha)

It is also believed that here is where what the Sikhs call the "5 Ks" originated, which is a major tenet of the Sikh religion and has influenced the Sikh's appearance that differs from other religions with the long hair, beard and turban (Duggal). As the Guru Granth stated, "Let living in his presence,//With mind rid of impurities,//Be your discipline.//Keep the God-given form intact,//With a turban donned on your head" (Singh 225).

The "5 K's" are: 1) Kesh, or hair, needs to be recognized as a gift from God. Thus, it is a primary duty by Sikhs to keep their hair in best condition and long, as a symbol of faith of God's will and importance of humility and acceptance; 2) Khanga, or wooden comb, is used, because it can be easily worn easily in the hair at all time. Besides its practicality, the comb stands for cleanliness. As the comb eliminates the tangles, so too do the Sikhs comb their lives to eliminate impure thoughts by repeating God's name, NAAM in the mind; 3) Karra, which means a link or bondage, is signified by wearing a steel bracelet o the right wrist as if it were a wedding ring or connection between a pair of people. This symbolizes the Guru's ring to Sikh and the never-ending bond with the Guru and among each other who belong to the Khalsa brotherhood. Similarly, the circle represents personal restraint and continually reminds the Sikh of ideal behavior even when facing weakness; 4) Kaccha represents a pair of boxer shorts and symbolizes continence and a high ethical character. The kacccha can be worn like regular shorts without any embarrassment, especially when the weather turns hot; and 5) Kirpan or sword, stands for power and spiritual freedom. Every baptized Sikh is supposed to wear a shortened version of the Kirpan (Duggal).

The Sikhs also have fairs and festivals that are based on their rich and long history. For example, the Hola Mohalla at the Anandpur temple welcomes in the spring season. This festival has considerable import, because it celebrates how the Sikh followers became more militant and expanded into the warriors, Nihang, with Guru Gobind. On the day after Holi, the crowds are enthralled by the martial arts, which include archery, fencing, horse-riding tricks and tent-pegging (Leaf).

Holi is one of the Sikh's better known holidays. For days prior to the festival day, the residents begin to gather wood to light the huge bonfire named Holika. Then on the night before Holi, the Holika effigy, the devilish sister of the demon king Hiranyakashyap, is placed on the fire. She is being punished for trying to murder Hiranyakashyap's son, Prahlad, who was a major supporter of Lord Naaryana (Leaf). The celebration represents the victory of good over evil and the importance of the sincere devotee. During the event, young children are told to yell abusive comments at Holika and play pranks, pretending that they are able to drive away Dhundh who at one time was cruel to the little ones in the Kingdom of Prithu (Leaf). Some families also take some of the wood's embers to keep their home fires burning.