Learm More About Sikhs | The Sikh Next Door | Multicultural Curriculum for Students and Teachers about Diversity and Sikh Culture

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Introduction
- The word Sikh means "student" in the Punjabi language. Sikhs are students and followers of Guru Nanak (b. 1469), the founder of the Sikh tradition. Guru Nanak was succeeded by nine Gurus or holy teachers. Since 1708, the Sikh Guru has been their religious scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Sikhism teaches that there is one God and all people are equal. Sikhs also believe in honesty, charity, and the constant remembrance of God. There are over 20 million Sikhs worldwide, making Sikhism the fifth largest organized religion in the world. There are about 500,000 Sikhs in the United States.
Sikh Values
- Equality. Sikhs believe that all people are equal – no matter what your gender or skin color is, or how much money you have, or what you believe, or where you were born.
- Pluralism. Sikhs believe in pluralism – respecting diversity and other religious beliefs.
- Social Responsibility. Sikhs believe in social responsibility through honest and truthful living. What does this mean? Whether you're at your school or temple or home, you must do honest and hard work, called kirat karni. If you earn money or other things, you must share with others, called vand chakna. And most importantly, you must try to do seva, or serve your community every way you can.
Sikh Articles of Faith
- Sikhs have a way to show their commitment to their religion: they wear five articles of faith, called kakkars or "5 K's." Many Sikhs who have not taken amrit (similar to baptism) do not keep all five. Almost all Sikhs wear the kara, or silver bangle.
- These are the 5 K's:
- Kachhera: The kachhera, a cotton undergarment, reminds Sikhs of their modesty.
- Kanga: The kanga, a small wooden comb, represents cleanliness and taking care of yourself.
- Kara: The kara, a steel bangle, is worn on the wrist. Since we use our hands for almost everything we do, the bracelet reminds is a constant reminder of good deeds.
- Kes: The kes, long uncut hair, has become the most visible way to identify Sikhs. Sikhs do not cut their hair in order to maintain the way their bodies were given to them. Most men and some women wrap their long hair in a turban. Almost all people you see wearing turbans in the United States are Sikhs.
- Kirpan: The kirpan, generally a small religious sword, represents a commitment to justice.
Sikh Places of Worship
- The Sikh place of worship is called a gurdwara, which means house of God. Wherever Sikhs go, they build a gurdwara as a place to worship and meet each other.
- The first gurdwara in the U.S. was built in Stockton, California. in 1912, by the first Sikhs pioneers who came to the West from Punjab, and now there are hundreds of gurdwaras throughout the country. All gurdwaras around the world are open to all visitors.
- What you See. When you walk into a gurdwara, you see a place where you remove your shoes and can obtain a head-covering to cover your head. When you enter the prayer hall, you see a long carpet that leads to the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib, which sits beneath a canopy, draped in fine cloth.
- What You Hear. Next to the Guru Granth Sahib, you see raagis, or hymn-singers. They recite hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib called kirtan, while playing drums called a tabla and a harmonium, or vaja. The music fills the room, and the congregation, or sangat, sings along and meditates on the meanings.
- What You Do. You walk down the carpet and when you get to the Holy Book, you donate some coins, close your eyes, fold your hands, and kneel down, touching your forehead to the floor out of respect. You look for a place to sit on the carpet. Women and men traditionally sit on different sides of the room. So, there is a sea of colorful turbans on one side and a rainbow of women's chunnis on the other. Children sit everywhere. You can sit and listen for as long as you'd like. Sometimes they offer translations in English to help you understand.
- After Prayers. After the service, everyone goes into the langar hall, or community kitchen, attached to the prayer hall. Here, men, women, and children of the congregation serve free meals, usually Indian food, as a form of seva, or community service. Anyone is welcome to the gurdwara for meditation and to the langar hall for a meal.
- To learn more about gurdwaras click here.
The "Golden Temple"
- Sri Harimandir Sahib, commonly referred to as the "Golden Temple," is the world's most famous gurdwara. It is a temple with a long history. It is located in Amritsar, Punjab (India). The gurdwara is surrounded by a sarovar, or holy water, and encased by a rectangular court with a gate on each side. In the morning, still glassy waters reflect the golden facades and domes of the temple, and at night, it looks like a golden palace shining in the dark. It is a temple open to all people. Click here to learn more about what it's like.
Origin of Sikhism
- How did Sikhism begin? Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak almost five hundred years ago in Punjab, present-day Northwest India and Pakistan.
- Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in Northern India in 1469, around the same time Columbus landed in America. During that time in India, there were many inequalities between men and women, the rich and poor, and people of different castes. Guru Nanak opposed these divisions. He spread the message of ek ong kaar, one God. Guru Nanak preached equality, pluralism, and social responsibility.
- Over the next 200 years, nine more gurus, or holy teachers, followed him. The tenth one, Guru Gobind Singh, said that the Guru after him would be the Sikh Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib, which contains the sacred writings of all the gurus and other saints.
Punjabi Culture
- Sikhism was founded in Punjab, a land of fields and rivers in present-day Northwest India and Pakistan. Many Sikhs can trace their roots to Punjab. Most Sikh children who grow up in America still have strong ties to their Punjabi culture – the food and clothes and music and dance. Since most of Punjab is farmland, farming culture is a big part of Punjabi heritage.
- Food
- What is Punjabi food like? Imagine a table of steel plates and saucers full of rich spicy dishes – vegetables and meats and yogurts and breads. Punjabi main dishes use rich masalas, or spices, cooked with ghee, or butter. The main masala consists of onion, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes fried in pure butter. Punjabis cook vegetables and meat and lentils in the spices and serve them with rice or a flatbread called roti, similar to tortillas. To help ease the spices, they serve a side dish of yogurt or a glass of buttermilk. Punjabis usually drink hot milky chai, or tea, with every meal. If you like spicy food, you can try Punjabi cooking at Indian shops and restaurants in America.
- Clothing
- What do girls and boys wear in Punjab?
- Punjabi Girls. Punjabi girls traditionally wear salwar kameez with bright colored chunnis. The salwar kameez has two pieces: the kameez, or long shirt, and salwar, or pants. Most pants for salwar kameez have a draw string and fit like baggy pajamas. A chunni is a long colorful cloth that women wear around their necks. Some clothes are simple and made out of cotton, and some are elaborate made out of silk. Though some women wear turbans, most use a chunni, a long thin scarf, to cover their heads. Women in India wear chunnis most of the time, while many Americans choose to wear it only to the gurdwara.
- Punjabi Boys. Punjabi men and boys wear loose pants or slacks with a collared shirt or t-shirt. Some also wear a kurta pajama, a shirt and pant outfit which is very popular amongst Punjabi farmers. On their heads, many Sikh men wear turbans, called pagris. Sikh boys wear a patka, or a small cloth that wraps around their bun, and then choose to wear the turban when they get older.
Sikh Holidays and Celebrations
- In India and around the world, festivals are a time for Punjabis to gather, celebrate, and take pride in their heritage. During Punjabi melas, or fairs, people sing folk songs, dance bhangra and ghidda, eat Punjabi specialties, and share traditions. Sikhs celebrate Punjabi festivals and Sikh holidays year-round. For example:
- January. In January, during Basant, Punjabis welcome the spring, when the mustard fields turn golden and winter is almost over. They also celebrate the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh's birthday.
- April. In April, they celebrate Vaisakhi, the most famous Punjabi festival that welcomes the harvest season. Vaisakhi means something special for Sikhs, because in April 1699, Guru Gobind Singh gathered thousands at Anandpur Sahib and founded the khalsa by baptizing five brave Sikhs who were willing to give their life for the Guru. Every April, Sikhs gather to remember this event and pass the story from generation to generation.
- November. In November, Sikhs celebrate Guru Nanak's birthday, the first Sikh guru.
Sikhs in America
- Sikh values are very similar to American ideals: equality, freedom, and pluralism. America was founded as a place that promised freedom and opportunity for all people. Sikhs too believe that all people should be treated equally. America is a single nation made up of many different kinds of people and cultures, like a gigantic mosaic where each colorful piece is essential for total brilliance. Sikhs make up one piece of that mosaic, different from all the rest, yet they fit into and complete the entire picture.
- There are many different kinds of Sikhs. Sikhs in America have all types of professions: from doctors to lawyers to teachers to cab drivers to store owners. Some Sikhs do not trace their roots to Punjab. For example, thousands of non-Punjabis born in America have chosen to convert to Sikhism.
- Through preserving their identities, Sikhs bring new color to the American landscape just as they share American traditions with their neighbors.
Understanding Turbans
- How long does it take to tie a turban? It usually takes 10-15 minutes to tie a full turban, or pagri. It takes about five minutes to tie a patka, or the small under-turban. The cloth for a pagri is anywhere from 10 to 15 feet long. There are hundreds of colors of turban material and you can wear any color you want. Most Sikhs in America get their cloth for turbans from India; their relatives pick it up for them on trips or mail it. Boys in India usually start tying turbans at a younger age than American boys do.
- Sikh Turbans are Distinct. Almost every person you see in America who wears a turban is a Sikh. How are Sikh turbans different from other turbans?
- Sikh men commonly wear a peaked turban that covers their long hair. Devout Sikhs also do not cut their beard, so many Sikh men comb their beards, then twist and tuck them up under their chins. Other turbans worn by people around the world have different styles. Afghan men wear a variety of turbans, including a long turban with one end hanging loose over his shoulder. Iranians wear black or white turbans wrapped in the flat, circular style. But very few non-Sikhs wear turbans in America. Click here to see the difference.
Sikh Names
- Most Sikhs have three names: a personal first name, a middle name to show their Sikh identity ("Singh" for men and "Kaur" for women), and a family last name. How are newborn Sikhs given their first names? On the day the baby is born, the family goes to the gurdwara and opens the Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib. The name of the baby begins with the first syllable on that page.
- First Name
- Nearly all sounds that make up first names are associated with God. Compound names are common, and many names begin or end in -preet (love), -deep (light), and -jit (victory). For example, aman (peace) joined with deep (light), makes Amandeep, which means "light of peace." Some common names for both girls and boys are Jaspreet (glory of love), Harjit (victory of God), Mandeep (light of the heart), and Simran (remembrance of God). Click here for a full list of first names.
- Middle Name
- Where did the middle name come from? On April 13, 1699, Vaisakhi day, when Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, he wanted to promote equality and unity between all Sikhs. So he gave all Sikh women the name "Kaur," meaning daughter of kings and all Sikh men the name, "Singh," meaning lion.
- Last Name
- The last name usually signifies a family tradition. Many Sikhs, especially in the U.S., choose not to use their family names and instead use "Singh" or "Kaur" as their last name.

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