What is Sikhism? Sikhism is practised by about 26 million people in the world and is the fifth-largest religion globally. It is one of the oldest religions globally as it was founded around 15th century by Guru Nanak (the first guru of Sikhism), a religious teacher in the Punjab region in northern India and Pakistan. The word Sikh in Punjabi means a disciple of God. A follower of Sikhism worships one God and desires to live a peaceful life of honesty, charity, equality and faith. The language used in this religion is called Gurmukhi. Men who are baptised as Khalsa carry the title of Singh, which means lion, while women adopt the name of Kaur, which means princess. 

Guru Granth Sahib

One such scripture of Sikhism is written in Gurmukhi Punjabi. Remembering the name of such a God is a heap of many words, meaning Bani, which describes the attributes of God and the reasons for chanting His name. Bowing down, he conveyed to the Sikhs that these Granths are your Guru today. Guru Gobind Singh made the final compilation of the holy book of Sikhism. He added 115 hymns of martyr Guru Tegh Bahadur to Adi Granth, as well as texts of gurus and saints of Hindu and Muslim religions. This last Sikh holy book is called Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh announced that Guru Granth Sahib was to be the 11th and last Guru, the Eternal Guru. The Holy Book is truly a living master and is revered and honoured. Guru Granth Sahib is placed under an umbrella on a high platform in every Gurdwara. Sikhs take off their shoes in its presence and never turn away from it. It is common to have the entire Guru Granth Sahib recited in every big festival of Sikhs. Wherever Guru Granth Sahib is kept, it becomes a place of Sikh worship. Therefore, it could be a room in someone’s house or a separate building or temple.

• Guru Gobind Singh also created 5K, which are physical examples of Khalsa Diksha and devotion to Guru and God:
• Hair (uncut hair as a symbol of devotion to God)
• Kara (a steel bracelet symbolising unity with God and Khalsa)
• Kanga (a comb that symbolises cleanliness)
• Sword (a sword that symbolises protection against religious persecution)
• Shorts (cotton panties that symbolise self-esteem and self-control)

The ten Guru’s of sikhism

• Guru nanak dev 
• Guru angad dev 
• Guru amar das
• Guru ram das
• Guru arjan dev
• Guru hargobind
• Guru har rai
• Guru harkrishan
• Guru tegh bahadur
• Guru gobind singh 

Eternity guru : guru Granth sahib

Teachings of Sikhism 

• Sikh religion teaches equality for men and women. Guru Nanak dev gave the message of love and knowledge and condemned the cursors in Hindu and Muslim religions
• We should do actual work, work hard, and not take away anyone’s rights
• A man should do actual work and meditate in the name of God
• We should always be in harmony and share food with all people
• They have given us the message to stay away from the caste system
• Respecting the female caste, Guru Nanak dev preached to respect women in the society
• A woman should never be disrespected but should be respected in society. Because the women gave birth to the king maharaja

Effect

The emergence and dissemination of the Sikh religion were influenced by devotional movement and Vaishnava’ vote for Hinduism. However, the Sikh religion was not the only expansion of the devotion movement. The spread of the Sikh religion happened when the Mughal Empire ruled in this area. Two Sikh Gurus – Arjun Dev and Guru Tej Bahadur, refused to disseminate Islamic conversion and were recovered by Mughal rulers and martyred. The harassment of the Sikhs in Islamic rangers inspired the establishment of Khalsa. The final guru, Guru Govind Singh, has found the statistics of Khalsa (which means ‘pure’) which was a specific group of soldiers-saints. Khalsa is a male and woman who have participated in Sikh Baptism Celebrations and strictly follow the Sikh Code of Conditions and traditions and hold five specified physical items of cult, hairstyle, conjust, briefs, and bridges. Sikh religion does not have a priest or priest class; Guru Gobind Singh terminated this practice. 

Conclusion

Guru Nanak Dev  was the founder of Sikhism. The language used in this religion is called Gurmukhi. The word Sikh in Punjabi means a disciple of God. A follower of Sikhism worships one God and desires to live a peaceful life of honesty, charity, equality and faith. The true Sikh always believes in the teachings of eternity guru, guru Granth sahib.