Sikh rites

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The Sikhs engage in various rites and services. Sikh rites include activities they consider essential to the group practice of Sikhism or the expression of egalitarianism, such as kirtan or taking karah parshad. Many rites in Sikhism involve prayer (ardas) or reciting scripture (paath). Some Sikh rites are meant to be practiced in a gurdwara congregation, while others are practiced at home or in other contexts.

Contents

Ardas

Ardas is a formal prayer recited at the end of most Sikh rituals and at the end of morning and evening devotions. It consists of three parts: the first part invokes the ten Sikh gurus, the second part recalls trials and triumphs of the Sikh Panth, and the third part is a petition in which personal or panthic requests for intercession are often introduced. [1] It ends with "Naanak naam charhdi kala, tayray bhaanay sarbat da bhala." Charhdi kala indicates a blissful state of mind and the absence of negative emotions. Sarbat da bhala indicates the well-being of all. [2]

Dasvandh

Dasvandh is the giving of one tenth of one's income (10%) as a tithe to help those less fortunate in the name of one's guru. This practice is derived from vand chhako , one of the three pillars of Sikhism. [3] [4] Sandeep Sahni writes, "The principle of Dasvandh is that if you give to the Infinite; Infinity, in turn, will give back to you." [4]

Langar

A langar is a free community kitchen attached to a gurdwara where everyone sits on the floor and eats together regardless of differing backgrounds. This gathering is called a pangat. The langar was introduced by Guru Nanak to break the caste system that was prevalent in India during his life. [5] [6] The food served at a langar is always vegetarian and usually includes dal soup, vegetables, rice, and chapatis. [7]

Paath

Paath is the recitation of Gurbani, in various formats. [8]

Akhand Paath is the uninterrupted recitation of the entire Guru Granth Sahib over a certain period, usually forty-eight hours. A number of reciters (paathis) take turns reading in two-hour shifts to accomplish this. Often, Akhand Paath is performed to mark an important religious or family event. [7] [8] It may also be performed as part of a gurdwara's regular services, so that visitors can listen to Gurbani at any time. The paathi must pronounce every syllable correctly so that the Naad, the sound current, may be produced and affect the consciousness of the paathi and those listening. [8]

Sadharan Paath is similar to Akhand Paath, but it may be done intermittently over any time period, such as a month or two. It is commonly practiced at home, to be completed on the day of an anticipated family event or memorial. [7] [8]

Nitnem Paath is the thrice-daily recitation of certain compositions in the Sikh Rehat Maryada. [8]

Karah parshad

Karah parshad is a pudding-like sweet served in a gurdwara at the end of a worship service or act of worship. It is made from equal parts of flour, sugar, and ghee mixed in an iron bowl, and it is then heated before being taken to the diwan hall. Before being served, it is blessed by the recitation of Ardas and the first five and last stanzas of Anand Sahib, and as Ardas concludes, the karah parshad is pierced by a ceremonial sword called a kirpan to symbolically strengthen it. [7] [9]

Like the langar, the karah parshad is used to demonstrate belief in human equality. If someone does not accept the invitation to eat with them, Sikhs may interpret the refusal as a sign of disbelief in this principle. [7]

Kirtan

Kirtan means devotional singing. In Sikhism, kirtan is considered an essential element of religious practice and is often performed in a gurdwara congregation. [10] In a gurdwara, kirtan is usually performed by professional musicians in a trio called a rāgī jathā. A rāgī jathā includes a tabla player and two vocalists who also play harmoniums. [11] In shabad kirtan, sacred songs from Sikh scriptures are sung or listened to. [10] [11] In nagar kirtan, the Guru Granth Sahib is carried in an outdoor procession. [7]

Samskars

In Sikhism, there are four samskars (rites of passage). Each samskar is associated with a ceremony that facilitates a key event in a Sikh's life: [12]

  1. The naming ceremony, performed in a gurdwara, where someone opens the Granth to a random page and selects the first letter found on the left to be the first letter of the child's name. [12]
  2. The baptism ceremony, in which a person receives holy water (amrit or "nectar") and is initiated into the Khalsa. [12]
  3. The marriage ceremony, in which the bride and groom walk slowly around the Granth while a priest reads hymns. [13]
  4. The death ceremony. [12] Customarily, the body of the deceased is cremated during a funeral service defined by the Sikh Code of Conduct. [7]

Related Research Articles

A gurdwara or gurudwara is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as Gurdwara Sahib. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurdwaras. Each gurdwara has a Darbar Sahib where the Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a takhat in a prominent central position. Any congregant may recite, sing, and explain the verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, in the presence of the rest of the congregation.

The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akhand Kirtani Jatha</span> Sikh group

The Akhand Kirtani Jatha, alternatively romanized as the Akhand Keertanee Jathaa and abbreviated as AKJ, is a jatha and sect of Sikhism dedicated to the Sikh lifestyle. The Jatha follows a strict discipline in keeping the Rehat of Guru Gobind Singh. They also enjoy an active style of Keertan recited by Sikhs in a collective manner in front of Guru Granth Sahib. This style of Keertan is relatively simple, and the entire congregation devotionally participates in singing along.

Sarbat da bhala is the final term in the Sikh prayer called the Ardas. The term outlines one of the most important of Sikh principles and is a point that is repeated in the Sikh Scriptures. The Sikh concept of sarbat da bhala which means "blessings for everyone" or literally "may everyone prosper". This statement is repeated by all practising Sikhs at least twice daily as part of their Nitnem. This concept is central to Sikhism and forms a very important and essential role in the religious philosophy of the Sikh Gurus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh music</span>

Sikh music, also known as Gurbani Sangeet , and as Gurmat Sangeet, or even as Shabad Kirtan, is the classical music style that is practised within Sikhism. It exists in institutional, popular, and folk traditions, forms, and varieties. Three types of Sikh musicians are rababis, ragis, and dhadhis. Sikh music exists in various melodic modes, musical forms, styles, musicians, and performance contexts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granthi</span> A person who read Sikhism holy book to worshipers

A Granthi is a person, female or male, of the Sikh religion who is a ceremonial reader of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the holy book in Sikhism, often read to worshipers at Sikh temples called a Gurdwara.

Paath or Path, from the Sanskrit patha which means reading or recitation, is, in the religious context, reading or recitation of the holy texts. In Sikhism, comprehension of what is being read is considered more important than ritual recitation Guru Granth Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karah Parshad</span>

In Sikhism, Karah Parshad, alternatively known as Deg or Degh, is a type of whole wheat flour halva made with equal portions of whole-wheat flour, clarified butter, and sugar and double quantity of water. It is offered to all visitors to the Darbar Sahib in a Gurdwara. It is regarded as a treat for attendees of gurmat seminars. As a sign of humanity and respect, visitors accept the Prashad sitting, with hands raised and cupped. The offering and receiving of this food is a vital part of hospitality protocols. It has the same amount of whole-wheat flour, clarified butter and sugar, to emphasize the equality of men and women. The Sewadar serves it out of the same bowl to everyone in equal portions. The Karah prasad is a sacred food; if it is not accepted, it may be interpreted by some Sikhs as an insult. Prashad is also taken at the initiation ceremony of Amrit Sanchar at the very end where it is shared out equally among all. It is a symbol showing that everyone is equal. The sacred food is also distributed during Naam Karan and Antam Sanskar ceremonies.

The principles of Sikhism state that women have the same souls as men and thus possess an equal right to cultivate their spirituality with equal chances of achieving salvation. Women in Sikhism participate in all religious, cultural, social, and secular activities including lead religious congregations, take part in the Akhand Path, perform Kirtan, perform Gatka and work as a Granthis.

Akhand Path The continuous and uninterrupted recitation of Sri Guru Guru Granth Sahib Ji is known as Akhand Path Sahib.

Rehat refers to the rules and traditions which govern the unique Sikh lifestyle and determines correct Sikh orthodoxy and orthopraxy. The Sikh Rehit Maryada is a code of conduct and conventions for Sikhism. The final version of the Rehat Maryada was approved by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar in 1945. The Rehat Maryada was created to provide guidance to Sikhs on practical and functional aspects of daily life, including the operations of Sikh Gurdwaras, and religious practices to foster cohesion throughout the community. Rehitnāma is a Punjabi term that refers to a genre of Sikh religious literature which expounds upon specifiying an approved way of life for a Sikh.

Gurpurab, alternatively spelt as Gurpurb or Gurpurub, in Sikh tradition is a celebration of an anniversary of a Guru's birth marked by the holding of a festival.

Sahej Paath or Sadharan Paath or even Khula Paath, literally means easy or simple recitation. It is a paath (recitation) which may be started and ended at any time; with as many or as few people participating as desired. The recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib is started at the beginning of the Granth Sahib and the whole of the 1430 pages of the Guru Granth is read in a slow fashion over from seven days to, in some cases, over several months. It is a slow, intermittent, non-regular, and non-urgent reading of the whole of the Guru Granth Sahib. Any paath which exceeds a week's length is referred to as a Sahej Paath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Cove Gurdwara</span> Sikh Temple in Glen Cove, New York

Glen Cove's Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur is a Sikh Gurdwara or temple in Glen Cove, New York in Nassau County on Long Island. It has an area of 15 acres near Long Island Sound.

Sikh practices are guidelines laid out by the Gurus for the practice of the "Sikh way of life". The Gurus emphasise that a Sikh should lead a disciplined life engaged in Naam Simran, meditation on God's name, Kirat Karo, living an honest life of a house-holder, and Vand Chaako, sharing what one has with the community. This translates into hard work, honest living, love of fellow humans and through them service of the God, the primal power. This way of life is said to have been stripped of complications, myths, jargon, rituals and exploitation of man by man in the name of religion. No benefits are gained by where and to which family the person is born to – All have to undertake the rigours of Simran (meditation) and Sevā to progress spiritually. The Guru Granth Sahib asks the Sikh to "Practice truth, contentment and kindness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Nanak Nishkam Sevak Jatha</span>

The Gurdwara Sahib is a Sikh place of worship or Gurdwara in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. It was built in the late 1970s under the spiritual guidance of Sant Baba Puran Singh ji and the leadership of Norang Singh. The Spiritual leadership of the jatha is now continued through the vision of Mohinder Singh.

Antam Sanskar refers to the funeral rites in Sikhism. Antam means "final", while sanskar means "rite".

Followers of Sikhism do not have a preference for meat or vegetarian consumption. There are two views on initiated or "Amritdhari Sikhs" and meat consumption. "Amritdhari" Sikhs can eat meat. "Amritdharis" that belong to some Sikh sects are vehemently against the consumption of meat and eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ragi (Sikhism)</span> Sikh musician who plays hymns in different ragas

A Ragi is a Sikh musician who plays hymns (shabads) in different ragas as prescribed in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 52 Hukams of Guru Gobind Singh</span> Commands of Guru Gobind Singh Ji

The 52 Hukams are a set of instruction in Sikhism set by Guru Gobind Singh in Nanded, Maharashtra, India in 1708. These edicts sum up the ideal way of life of the Khalsa and serve as a code of conduct for the Khalsa Panth. Members of the Khalsa aim to follow all the 52 edicts.

References

  1. ↑ W.H. McLeod (1990). Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism. University of Chicago Press. pp. 103–105. ISBN   978-0-226-56085-4.
  2. ↑ Kaur, Jagroop (2005). "The Concept of Peace and the Guru Granth Sahib". The Indian Journal of Political Science. 66 (3): 649–660. ISSN   0019-5510. JSTOR   41856155.
  3. ↑ Takhar, Opinderjit Kaur (2016). Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN   9781351900102. The giving of a tenth of one's earnings, dasvandh, to help those less fortunate, is an ideal of the Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere, and is also an important feature of general Sikh practice. The principle of dasvandh is based on one of the three pillars of Sikhism, that is, vand chakna. A true Sikh is one who practises all three pillars with a sincere heart.
  4. 1 2 Sahni, Sandeep (2021). Dear Son: Life Lessons from a Father. Notion Press. ISBN   9781637815281. 'Dasvandh', which literally means "tenth part", is the tithing practice of contributing a portion of your earnings in the name of your Guru or spiritual source. The principle of Dasvandh is that if you give to the Infinite; Infinity, in turn, will give back to you.
  5. ↑ Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair (2013). Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 25. ISBN   978-1-4411-1708-3.
  6. ↑ Bhatia, H.S.; Bakshi, S.R. (2000). The Sikh Gurus and Sikhism. India: Deep and Deep Publications. p. 118.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cole, Owen W. (1994). Sikhism (2nd ed.). Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group. pp. 3–4, 67, 86, 114–115. ISBN   978-0-8442-3747-3. OL   1126037M.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Bakhshi, Surinder (2008). Sikhs in the diaspora: a modern guide to practice of the Sikh faith (Special ed.). Birmingham, UK: Sikh Publishing House. pp. 127–132. ISBN   9780956072801. OCLC   1311132507.
  9. ↑ Khalsa, Sukhmandir (20 February 2019). "What Is Prashad in Sikhism". Learn Religions. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  10. 1 2 Knut A. Jacobsen; Kristina Myrvold (2012). Sikhs Across Borders: Transnational Practices of European Sikhs. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 112–113. ISBN   978-1-4411-7087-3.
  11. 1 2 Kaur, Inderjit N. (2011). "Sikh Shabad Kīrtan and Gurmat Sangīt: What's in the Name?" (PDF). Journal of Punjab Studies. University of California, Santa Cruz. 18 (1&2): 251, 257 – via ebscohost.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Nayar, Kamala Elizabeth (2004-01-01). The Sikh Diaspora in Vancouver: Three Generations Amid Tradition, Modernity, and Multiculturalism. University of Toronto Press. p. 88. ISBN   978-0-8020-8631-0.
  13. ↑ Dogra, R. C. (1995). Encyclopaedia of Sikh religion and culture. Internet Archive. New Delhi : Vikas Pub. House. pp. 27–29. ISBN   978-0-7069-8368-5.
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