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![]() A Sikh Soldier of the Azad Hind Fauj at a function in Berlin (1944) | |
Total population | |
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25,000 estimate | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Berlin · Frankfurt · Munich · Hamburg · Cologne · | |
Religions | |
Sikhism | |
Languages | |
Punjabi · German |
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Sikhism |
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German Sikhs are a growing religious minority in Germany. The majority of German Sikhs have their roots from the Punjab, India with the remaining coming from the Afghan Sikh community or through conversion. The number of Sikhs is estimated to be between 25,000. [1] Germany had the fifth highest Sikh population in Europe after United Kingdom (524,000), Italy (220,000), Portugal (35,000) and Spain (26,000).
The majority of Sikhs can be found in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt or Munich.
Here are a list of some of the Gurdwaras in Germany. [2]
In April 2016, two 16-year-old Muslims bombed a gurdwara in the German city of Essen using fire extinguishers that were converted into an explosive device. The devices detonated after a wedding party had left for the reception. A gurdwara priest was injured seriously, while two others were treated for minor injuries. The building itself was damaged severely. One of the teens was in deradicalization program. The two denied that it was religiously motivated, saying it was “just for the kick of building fireworks!” However, before setting off the blast, the two tried to break into another gurdwara in North Rhine Westphalia. [3]
A gurdwara or gurudwara is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs but its normal meaning is place of guru or "Home of guru". 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 takht 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.
Tarn Taran Sahib is a city in the Majha region of the state of Punjab, in northern India. It is the district headquarters and hosts the municipal council of Tarn Taran district. Gurdwara Sri Tarn Taran Sahib, a prominent Sikh shrine, is located in the central part of the city.
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.
Dera Baba Nanak is a town and a municipal council in Gurdaspur district, in the state of Punjab, India. It is the sub-district headquarters of Dera Baba Nanak tehsil. It is 36 km away from Gurdaspur city, the capital of the district. Since November 2019, a corridor between India and Pakistan has been established at its shrine.
The town of Mullanpur Dakha,' also known as Mandi Mullanpur, is located in the Ludhiana district in the Indian state of Punjab. It is a nagar panchayat, a settlement in transition from rural to urban. Due to the availability of transport routes to other villages, the town serves as a marketplace of grain and other goods to the surrounding area.
Sultanpur Lodhi is a city and a Municipal Council, just 17 miles Kapurthala city in the Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab. The town is named after its founder, Bahlol Lodhi, the future Sultan of Delhi who renamed the town in 1443 C.E. during his time as governor of Punjab, and has also been mentioned in the Ain-e-Akbari. Sultanpur Lodhi is located on the south bank of a seasonal rivulet called Kali Bein, which runs 6 miles (9.7 km) north of the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers of Punjab.
Sikh architecture is a style of architecture that was developed under the Sikh Confederacy and Sikh Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries in the Punjab region. Due to its progressive style, it is constantly evolving into many newly developing branches with new contemporary styles. Although Sikh architecture was initially developed within Sikhism its style has been used in many non-religious buildings due to its beauty. 300 years ago, Sikh architecture was distinguished for its many curves and straight lines; Keshgarh Sahib and the Harmandir Sahib are prime examples.
Gurdwara Nanak Shahi is the principal Sikh Gurdwara in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is located at the campus of the University of Dhaka and considered to be the biggest of the 9 to 10 Gurdwaras in the country. The Gurudwara commemorates the visit of Guru Nanak (1506–1507). It is said to have been built in 1830. The present building of the Gurdwara was renovated in 1988–1989. The parkarma verandah had been constructed on all four sides of the original building to provide protection.
Italian Sikhs are a growing religious minority in Italy, which has the second biggest Sikh population in Europe after the United Kingdom (525,000) and sixth largest number of Sikhs in the world. It is estimated that there are 220,000 Sikhs in Italy, constituting 0.3% of the total Italian population.
Dutch Sikhs form a religious minority in the Netherlands. They number around 15,000 and most of them live in or around Amsterdam. There are nine gurudwaras in the Netherlands.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, also called Kartarpur Sahib, is a gurdwara in Kartarpur, located in Shakargarh, Narowal District, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is built on the historic site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, settled and assembled the Sikh community after his missionary travels and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.
Gurū Nānak, also known as Bābā Nānak, was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Katak Pooranmashi, i.e. October–November.
Hazur Sahib, also known as Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib, is one of the five takhts in Sikhism. The gurdwara was built between 1832 and 1837 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It is located on the banks of the Godavari River at the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra, India.
Chabhal Kalan is a town in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab, India and is located 13 miles (21 km) away from Amritsar city.
Gurdwara Nagiana Sahib is a Gurudwara, or holy Sikh shrine, located in Udoke, a small village near Batala in Punjab, India. The shrine was built by the Sikh saint Sant Baba Chuggat Singh Ji, who served as the first official Sewadar (volunteer) of the shrine.
Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa was a Sikh Hazoori Ragi of Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Balbir Singh was a Sikh Hazuri Ragi who sang and performed at the Golden Temple in Amritsar for 36 years. He was one of the last masters of traditional Sikh gurbani kirtan of the Golden Temple.
Sikhs, 25,000 (2020)....The "German Information Center for Sikh Religion, Sikh History, Culture and Science (DISR)" estimates the number of Sikhs in Germany at 18,000 for 2017