Festivals

The main festivals and special times of Sikhism relate to the following:

Gurpurb is a common name for the religious celebrations of the Sikhs. It is generally a celebration of the birth or death annivarsary of a Guru. Gurpurb means the Guru's Remembrance Day. The actual date of these events is based on the lunar calendar. The following Gurpurbs are regarded as very important:

Guru Nanak's Birthday

(usually in November)

Guru Gobind Singh's Birthday

(end of December or early January)

Baisakhi - The Birth of the Khalsa

(mid April)

Guru Arjan's Martyrdom

(usually in June)

Guru Tegh Bahadur's Martyrdom

(usually in October)

These Gurpurbs are universally celebrated. Other Gurpurbs remain largely local affairs.

This festive day or the Gurpurb celebrating the birth of the 'Khalsa' usually falls on the 13th April ( it may vary as it based upon the lunar calendar). Originally it was celebrated to mark the beginning of the New Year. It is also the traditional harvest festival in Panjab (in Nortern India) and existed even before the days of Guru Nanak Dev.

Guru Amardas started the practice of Sikhs assembling on the occasion of Baisakhi. It was on this day in 1699 AD that Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth at Anandpur. Sikhs were given a new name (Singh) and a new identity of being a nation. It was then that Guru Gobind Singh made Sikhs distinctively different in physical appearance by the wearing of the 5 K`s.

Baisakhi is a Gurpurb and so is celebrated in a similar way to the other Gurpurbs. However one special event which occurs on this particular day. A triangular Nishan Sahib which bears the Khanda emblem on it (the Khalsa flag) flys above a public Gurdwara to signal its presence. The mast that bears the 'Nishan' is also clad in most often saffron coloured cloth although it can also be dark blue cloth. On Baisakhi Day every year this cladding is removed and is replaced by a new one. Many Sikhs will attend the Gurdwara on this particular day to be able to take part in this ceremony.

Sikhs celebrate Diwali in October. It was on this day in 1619 AD that Guru Hargobind was released from imprisonment (by the Moghal Emperor, Johangar) at Gwalior Fort. On his arrival to Amritsar, the Golden Temple was illuminated. The tradition has been continued by Sikhs having firework displays and lighting candles and deevas (oil lamps made of clay) on Diwali. Although there is no special worship on this day, Sikhs will visit the Gurdwara as well as visiting friends and relations to exchange greeting and sweets, as well as enjoying a family feasts.

Diwali is also a major Hindu festival celebrated for different reasons.

 

Holi is a Hindu festival which is not celebrated by Sikhs. Hola Mohalla is celebrated by Sikhs and was started by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib. Hola is derived from the word halla which means attack. The festival consists of mock battles, archery and wrestling contests. There are also music and poetry competitions.

Maghi celebrations among the Sikhs coincide with those of Makar Sankranti among the Hindus. Maghi is always preceded by Lohri a day earlier.

Maghi is celebrated in memory of the, Chalis Mukte (the 40 Immortals) who sacrificed themselves fighting for Guru Gobind Singh at Muktsar.

The Sikhs visit Gurdwaras on this day and listen to shabad kirtan. The largest congregation is generally at Muktsar. A big fair is also held there.

As in most religions and cultures, the birth of a child into a family is a major event and an occasion for joy and celebration.

When a Sikh woman comes to know of her pregnancy, she must go to the Gurdwara and offer thanks to God. A mother's womb is the only way of coming into this world. During nine months of pregnancy a mother must be treated with extra care. Her husband should give her more consideration and attention. As she is carrying God's ultimate gift in her womb, she should be given maximum love and affection in this difficult period. Listening to 'Gurbani' and recitation of daily prayers should become a norm of an expectant mother. There are ceremonies associated with the third month and seventh month of pregnancy. Kirtan and prayers are offered in these months either in a Gurdwara or at home to thank God for the gift.

On the day of birth of the child, the hymns from Guru Granth Sahib must be recited by the father and/or other relatives who are with the mother at the time of the birth of the child. The first sound, which must go in the ears of the child, must be the name of God. According to the Sikh tradition the 'Mool Mantar' is recited at this historic moment and with a fingertip and a drop of honey the word 'Ik Onkaar' is written on the child's tongue. The birth of a child is proof that God has not yet forsaken His creation and has not lost hope in the usefulness of this world.

Forty days after the birth of a child, the parents take the child to a Gurdwara and in the presence of the congregation the child is entered in the Sikh faith. A promise is made with God, in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib that the child will grow to be a Sikh, will follow the Sikh traditions and will protect the Sikh faith. Whosoever can afford, also offers food and clothes to the poor. Service of humanity and helping the poor is an integral part of a Sikh's life.

An important ceremony of a newly born baby is the name giving ceremony. When the child is taken to the Gurdwara, after forty days of his/her birth, the priest of the Gurdwara is informed about the ceremony. The priest then prepares 'Amrit' (nectar made by water and mixing sugar and stirring it with a double edged sword while the first five hymns of the Japji are recited). The tip of 'the ceremonial sword is then dipped in the 'Amrit' and the baby's tongue is touched with it. The mother drinks the rest of the Amrit . Guru Granth Sahib is then opened at random and the first hymn of the left-hand page is read to the parents. The parents then decide on a name beginning with the initial letter of the first word of the hymn read. The name is either finalised then and there or is finalised at a later date. In the Punjab villages it is normally finalised in the Gurdwara and the priest then announces the name to the congregation, and the congregation utters the traditional Sikh cry 'Bole so Nihal, Sat Sri Akal', thus giving their acceptance for the chosen name. The rest of the Sikh service is then completed. These days, especially in the towns and in foreign countries the name is chosen at home, after returning from the Gurdwara, where all family members give their suggestions and leave the final choice to the parents. The names of Sikh children must end with 'Kaur' if a girl and 'Singh' if a boy. The word Kaur means a princess or lioness and the word Singh means a lion.

Choosing a Name

Most Sikhs have three names: a personal name, a name to show Sikh identity (Singh, 'lion' for a male) and a clan or sub-sect name. Women often just use Kaur (female) as a third name but can also use 'Singh' as many families have taken this as a surname. Compound names are common, especially those ending in 'inder' (from the Vedic god of battle, Indra) which can be male or female, and beginning with bal- (Sanskrit 'bala', strength). The Name of God is stressed as in Islam and priests are often consulted about naming children. The Granth, a compilation of teachings of the first five gurus, and the holy book of Sikhism, is opened and the name begins with the first syllable on the page. Men are often addressed as 'Sardarji' (abbreviated S.) which is an honorific similar the English 'Mister' (abbreviated Mr.).

Many Sikh names are the same as, or similar to, Hindu ones. For example, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, has two Hindu names (Nanak, Dev) and 'Ji', an optional suffix to show respect which is sometimes used as the end of a last name (Devji or Deviji).

Most Punjabi names can be used for males or females and women sometimes take their husband's name as a middle or last name. This means that women sometimes have names meanings warrior, brother or strength that are more traditionally male. English spellings for these names can vary as Hindi and Punjabi use written accent marks to define pronunciation and not everyone follows the same system when converting from one language to another. For instance, the name Avinash ('indestructible'), a modernization of Abnash, also occurs as Avinasa, Abinash and Abhinash.

A Sikh marriage ceremony is called Anand Karaj. The Anand form of marriage (Anand Sanskar) that was given statutory recognition in 1909, under the Anand Marriage Act, has been observed since the early days of Sikhism. Sikh boys and girls are married according to this form when they are grown-up and fit to undertake matrimonial responsibilities. Marriages are generally arranged and assisted by parents though there is no bar to the boy and the girl fixing it on their own.

The marriage ceremony is simple but impressive. The bride and the bridegroom along with their relatives and friends form a congregation with the Granth Sahib in their midst. The couple and their parents stand up and an Ardas is offered seeking God's blessings. The person in charge of the function addresses the bride and the bridegroom individually and explains to them their duties in the new life they are about to enter.

Anand marriage is a sacrament. The Guru is a witness to the marriage. No writing or document is necessary. The bridegroom is to vow fidelity to the wife - Istribrat Dharam, while the bride is to vow fidelity to her husband - Patibrat Dharam. The husband is to protect the life and honour of his wife while she to remain content with the lot of her husband and the treatment in the husband's house. The couple signify their consent by bowing before Guru Granth Sahib. Then the scarf of the bridegroom is placed in the hands of the bride. The Granthi or the officiating person reads the lavan - the epithalamium of Guru Ramdas . Each stanza explains in detail a stage in the development of a life of love.

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