Shabads sikh hymns are sung and the boy and the girl sit side by side facing guru. Anand karaj is the prescribed form of sikh marriage, the words literally translate as blissful union. Sikhism was founded in the punjab region in india in the 15th century by guru nanak dev. The hymns included range from the omnipresence of nature and basic day to day lessons. The mystic branches, bhakti hindu and sufi islamic, holy men influenced him. The sikh marriage ceremony is known as anand karaj, which has been recognized by indian government since 1909. The 10th guru, gobind singh, declared that he would have no living successor, and this collection of teachings would become the ultimate guru for the sikh. Sikhism, the religion of a warlike sect of india, having its origin in the punjab and its center in the holy city of amritsar, where their sacred books are preserved and worshipped. Sikhs follow the teachings of guru nanak ahd the ten gurus of sikhism that lived among the people during his time. The word sikh means a follower in sanskrit origins. A guide to sikh wedding rituals, customs and traditions.
Sikhism ontario consultants on religious tolerance. Guru nanak dev, the founder of the sikh religion, was its first guru. Compared to other religions, sikhism is a religion of recent origin, founded in the 15th century ad by its founder sri guru nanak. A guru granth sahib, the holy book of the sikhs is brought out and the priest at the gurudwara then recites ardas a set of prayers while the bride and groom are seated. The families go into the gurudwara to attend the kirtan which is a set of religious songs that are sung. What is the holy book of sikhism and why is it not so. It contains the works of its own religious founders and also the writings of people from other faiths.
Both religions are monotheistic but their rituals and practices are very different. The trend in sikh interfaith marriages is mainly being undertaken by third generation sikhs that use sikh weddings as a tactic to appease parents and or relatives that would not otherwise saction western relationships. The marriage ceremony takes place at a congregational gathering in the holy presence of guru granth sahib. The most important holidays in sikhism are gurpurbs, festivals marking the birthday or martyrdom of a guru. Sikhism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Sikhism in light of the bible faithful word baptist church. While christianity is about 2,000 years old, sikhism is a relatively newer religion that originated in the indian subcontinent in the fifteenth century. The main holy book of sikhism is the guru granth sahib, and is difficult to translate as it was written in numerous languages. After him there were nine more gurus who were the highest religious authority of the sikhs. Marriages can be assisted arranged byparentsguardians but it is not seen as necessary. You look at their holy book of sikhism and over and over again they talk about the name, the name, the name, the name, over and over again. The bride and groom will both bow to the guru granth sahib at the beginning and end of each phera read from the holy book.
Differences similarities christianity versus sikhism comparison chart. The first nine gurus were men, and the tenth and final guru is the sikh holy book, granth sahib. The term which originates from byblos an ancient phoenician city which traded in papyrus used in producing a paper like substance for writing upon. Compared to other religions, sikhism is a religion of recent origin, founded in the 15th century ad by its founder sri guru. It is treated with great reverance and strict procedures. Guru granth sahib is a collection of devotional hymns and poetry which proclaims god, lays stress on meditation on the true. There are two granths, or volumes, that stand out above all others in the sikh religion. Sikhs trace the genesis of their religious rites, prayers, dress codes, and names to guru gobind singhs creation of the khalsa in 1699. Guru nanak dev believed in a supreme being and determined that all religions used different names. The name sikh signifies disciple, and in later times the strict observants or elect were called the khalsa. The guru granth sahib ji is our holy book, but we tend to not refer to as a book but a living guru. Other important religious items include the chauri a a ritual whisk used with the scriptures, the five ks wearable items representing ones membership in the sikh community, and the nishan sahib the. Sikhism is one of the worlds youngest religions being founded just over 500 years ago. I have studied the scriptures of the great religions, but i did not find anywhere else the same power or appeal to the heart and mind, as i find in these.
Eleven sikhism matrimonial dos these eleven sikhism matrimonial dos for a successful marriage and matchmaking include prospective spouses, engagement and wedding ceremonies, and apply to the bride, groom, parents, and families seeking to. Buck, after reading the the sikh holy book guru granth sahib, said. Sikhs believe in the oneness of life and god and in living a pure life, as per the religion s teachings recorded in the holy. Though one of the worlds youngest religions, sikhism too has a holy book of scripture. The famous american writer and novelist, miss pearl s.
It is usually regarded as the premier holy scripture of the sikhs though there are some other supplementary scriptures of importance as well. Why is a sikh wedding carried out in front of the guru. Sikh matrimonial conventions and ceremony article xviii a a sikh man and woman should enter wedlock without giving thought to the prospective spouses caste and descent. Many sources call sikhism a monotheistic religion, however that understanding comes from viewing the faith through christian belief system. Weddings by dr nawal k prinja last updated 20090824 hindu sacraments are called sanskars and the sacraments performed at the. Sikhism places a strong emphasis on equality and service. Christianity vs sikhism difference and comparison diffen. The dasam granth is a composition primarily of the tenth guru, guru gobind singh. According to sikh tradition, sikhism was established by guru nanak 14691539 and subsequently led by a succession of nine other gurus. The book is held in great reverence by sikhs and is treated as the living guru of thesikhs. I was just leafing through it just looking for mentions of different things. The last guru of the sikhs, guru gobind singh, declared that after him the guru of the sikhs would be the holy book of sikhism, guru granth sahib. Why is a sikh wedding carried out in front of the guru granth sahib. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century by guru nanak, who broke away from hinduism, indias dominant religion.
Sikhism the history the history of sikhism begins with nanak, a son of the rulerwarrior caste, who lived from 14691538 and was born in northern india. Sikhism is a faith whose followers are called sikhs. Guru granth sahib is the holy scripture of the sikh religion. The first four pheras represent the warding off of evil by purifying the holy book. The holy scripture, guru granth sahib, likens the state of matrimony as two beings sharing one light. The founder of the sect, nanak now called sri guru nanak deva, a hindu belonging to the. An indian sikh devotee takes a holy bath in the sacred pond of the golden temple, sikh s holiest temple, during the birth anniversary of guru nanak, in amritsar, india, wednesday, nov. Sikhism, religion and philosophy founded in the punjab region of the indian subcontinent in the late 15th century. Scriptures and scrolls were among the earliest of hand written books. Holy scriptures of sikhism are primarily compiled in the guru granth sahib.
Originally, the religion relied on the teaching of living gurus. The holy book of the sikh religion is the guru granth sahib. Most sikh holidays are celebrated with a ritual 48hour reading of the entire guru granth sahib, processions see above, preaching, prayer, and. Sikhism is a monotheistic religion, and the basic sikh belief is represented in the phrase ik onkar meaning one god. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. Through the holy union of marriage one is brought closer to the divine love. It can be performed in conjunction with weddings, obsequies, anniversaries, funeral services and other occasions when a family or a worshipping community. Like the bible of christianity, the vedas of hinduism or the koran of islam, the guru granth sahib, also known as the adi granth, is the main scripture of sikhism. What is the holy book of sikhism and why is it not so popular like gita, bible, and quran. A feminist rememory of sikh identity nikkyguninder kaur singh. This encourages a spirit of cooperation and an equal sharing of resources. The most important ritual object in sikhism is the guru granth sahib, the holy book. Hinduism is considered the worlds oldest organized religion.
Although these gurus were not incarnations of god, sikhs believe they were without sin. The major differences between hinduism and other major religions are the lack of a single holy book, and a single concept of a god or deity. Despite being so young, it is the fifth largest religion in the world with over 20 million followers. The word sikh in the punjabi language means disciple, sikhs are the disciples of god who follow the. It is common for neither partner to believe in the sikh faith, its teachings or the principles of sikhism.
For example, the langar, or community kitchen, is maintained by the voluntary services of the community. The ceremony represents a commitment to the sikh moral code. The sikh holy book, the guru granth sahib, details what behaviour is expected of all sikhs. The sikh place of worshipa gurdwarahas a copy of the granth sahib. After the reading, the bride and groom walk around the guru granth sahib, joined together by the tied cloth. People not of the sikh faith cannot marry a sikh and child marriage is strictly forbidden. Sikh weddings are a major past of sikh religion because it is the unity of two people in front of the holy guru granth sahib. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. Ten gurus have revealed all there is to know about god, humankind, and salvation. The sri guru granth sahib also known as adi granth is more than a holy book for the sikhs. In sikhism, it is used for observances that are fulfilled along with the reading of the concluding part of the guru granth sahib. Celebration of installation of sikhisms holy book at.
The holy scriptures of sikhism came to be regarded as the medium through which the deceased sikh gurus could communicate with their followers imbibing the word of. A sikh wedding ceremony, often held at a sikh place of worship, is less than an hour. Authority for the following article is the code of sikh conduct and conventions sikh reht mayada issued by the shromani gurdwara parbandhak committee, the supreme. Prime minister singh was presented a robe of honour by. Sikhism sikh religion sikhism religion sikh religion. The sikhs holy book is called guru granth sahib because the 10th gurumastarprophet made the holy book 11th guru forever. The most significant spiritual event in sikhism involves taking amrit, a holy nectar drink. The word bible is derived from the greek word biblia meaning books. Sikhism is strictly against the practice of dowry at the time of marriage, and grants equal rights to men and women during the process of the wedding.