Sikhism is the name of the religion, and its followers are known as Sikhs.
Sikhs believe in one God called Waheguru which means ‘Wonderful Lord’ or ‘Wonderful Teacher’. Sikhism has approximately 27 million followers worldwide, with about 83% of Sikhs living in India. Over 430,000 Sikhs live in the UK.
Five key facts
Watch to find out how Nirvair lives her life according to Sikh teachings, including how she worships and what she eats.
My name is Nirvair Kaur and I'm a Sikh. My religion is often called Sikhism, but I usually call it Sikhi. I believe in one God called Waheguru which means wonderful Lord or wonderful teacher. Waheguru gives life to everything, and all life is a part of Waheguru. I follow the teachings of the Ten Gurus, who were special religious teachers who led the Sikh people - one after the other - for about 200 years.
We say five prayers in the morning, another one in the evening, and a final prayer before we go to bed.
Our holy building is called a Gurdwara, which means doorway to the guru" and it's open every day. Inside the Gurdwara, everyone takes off their shoes, covers their heads and sits on the floor to show that we're all equal and part of the same sangat - the same community. We pray together and sing hymns, which we call kirtan, but mainly we come to listen to the words of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
For us, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not a book, but a living Guru because it contains Waheguru's words. We give the Guru Granth Sahib Ji all the respect that would have been given to a human Guru, and it's read aloud by a man or woman, called a granthi.Sikhs who have been baptized during the amrit ceremony wear five symbols to show that they are Sikhs.
They're called the Five Ks because in the Punjabi language, they all begin with a K: kara - a steel bangle; kesh - uncut hair; kangha - a comb; kaacha - undershorts; and kirpan - a short sword. Some Sikhs, especially men, also wear a turban.
All Gurdwaras have a dining area called a langar where everyone eats together as a sign of equality. No meat is allowed here, so it's always vegetarian food, and a lot of Sikhs choose to be vegetarian all the time.
Everyone's welcome to enjoy a meal here, and even to join in preparing the food and washing up afterwards.
What do Sikhs believe and how do they worship?
Click the image below to discover more about Sikhism.
Religious symbol
The Khanda is the symbol of the Sikh faith. It consists of three different types of weapons:
- A double edged sword or khanda in the centre.
- A round throwing weapon known as a chakkar.
- Two single-edged swords called kirpans, crossed either side of the other weapons.
The Khalsa
The amrit ceremony is one of the most important ceremonies in Sikhism. It was started by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, who called for Sikhs to defend their faith against the persecution that was happening to them at the time. Guru Gobind Singh asked for volunteers who were prepared to die for their faith. Five men volunteered, but instead of being killed, they were spared and became known as the panj piare – which means ‘the five beloved ones’. They were the first members of the Sikh community known as the Khalsa.
When Sikhs undergo the amrit ceremony today and join the Khalsa, they must promise to keep all the rules of the Sikh faith, and also to wear the 5 Ks. Click the picture below to find out more about the 5Ks.
Denominations
Over the years, Sikhs who believe in different gurus or different interpretations of Sikh teachings have broken away from Sikhism and formed a number of different sects. These sects are not usually considered part of orthodox Sikhism.
The Three Pillars of Sikhism
The Three Pillars of Sikhism are duties which all Sikhs must carry out. They were formalised by Guru Nanak, and can be summed up in three words: pray, work, give. Click on the picture below to find out more.
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