Worships

Diwali

The Festival of Light, or Diwali, is at the end of October or the beginning of November. It is a festival that is celebrated by Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains.

Diwali for Sikhs

For Sikhs, Diwali is especially important because it marks the day in 1619 when Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru, and 52 other princes were let out of prison.

According to Sikh tradition, Emperor Jahangir put Guru Hargobind and 52 princes in jail. Guru Hargobind was asked to be set free, which the Emperor agreed to do. Guru Hargobind, on the other hand, asked that the princes also be set free. The Emperor agreed, but said that people could only leave the prison if they could hold onto the tail of his cloak. This was done so that only a small number of prisoners could get out.

Guru Hargobind, however, had a cloak made with 52 pieces of string, so each prince could hold onto one string and get out of prison.

Guru Hargobind came back, and the Sikhs lit up the Golden Temple to celebrate. This is still done today.


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Festival of Lights

The festival's name comes from the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which means "a row of lights."

Diwali is called the "festival of lights" because small oil lamps called Diyas are used to decorate homes, shops, and public spaces. These lamps, which are usually lit with mustard oil, are put in rows to decorate windows, doors, and the outside of buildings.

In cities in India and Britain, Diwali decorations often include electric lights.

People in India often float oil lamps across the Ganges. It is thought to be a good sign if the lamp makes it all the way across.

Fireworks are also a big part of the Diwali celebrations, but some Sikhs don't like to use them because they are loud, pollute the air, and could cause accidents that kill or hurt people.

Diwali is also a time when people usually buy new clothes and decorate their homes. People also celebrate a good harvest during Diwali.


Hola Mahalla

Hola Mahalla starts on the first day of the lunar month of Chet in the Nanakshahi calendar. It comes after Holi, the Hindu festival of colours.

Guru Gobind Singh started this festival as a time for Sikhs to practise their military skills and have to pretend battles.

Sikhs celebrate today by watching and taking part in martial arts parades led by the Nishan sahibs of the Gurdwaras. Then there are readings of poetry and music.

It happens around March 17.

Gurpurbs

Gurpurbs are celebrations that have to do with the Gurus. Sikhs celebrate them with great joy because they are happy times.

Here are the most important Gurpurbs:

  • The birthday of Guru Nanak, who started the Sikhism religion (April or November).s
  • The day Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of the Khalsa, was born (January) Guru Arjan's death as a martyr (June)
  • Guru Tegh Bahadur's death (November/December)
  • The entire Guru Granth Sahib is read out loud.

On Gurpurbs, Sikhs do an Akhand path. This is a complete and continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, which takes 48 hours and ends on the day of the festival. This is also done when people are born, die, get married, or move into a new home.

A group of readers, who may be professionals or family members, does the reading (in the case of family rites). Each one reads for two to three hours.

In the middle of the 18th century, when there were few copies of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Akhand Path began in India. During a war, Sikhs hid in the jungle. They gathered around to hear readings from the holy text, which was then passed on to other groups of Sikhs to be read.

Gurdwaras are decorated with flowers, flags, and lights, and Sikhs dress up in new or nice clothes and get together for special services. Hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib are sung, poems about the Gurus are read aloud, and there are lectures about Sikhism.

In India and some parts of Britain, the Sikh Scripture is carried around in a procession. The procession carrying the Sikh flag is led by the Panj Piaras, or Five Beloved Ones, who are the first five members of the Khalsa. After that come musicians, singers, and martial artists. Outside of some Gudwaras, anyone, regardless of religion, can get free sweets.

Food is a big part of this celebration. Sikhs get together to eat special foods like Karah Parasaad, which has a sweet taste and is served warm after being blessed. Langars, which are free meals, are served at Gudwaras.

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The Khalsa and the Vaisakhi

Use the multifaith calendar to find the date for this year.

Vaisakhi, which can also be written as Baisakhi, is one of the most important days on the Sikh calendar. It is the Sikh New Year festival and is held on April 13 or 14. It also remembers the year 1699, when Sikhism was born as a group religion

History

Vaisakhi is a long-established harvest festival in Punjab. It had been celebrated for a long time before Sikhs added to it.

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, chose Vaisakhi in 1699 as the time to turn the Sikhs into the Khalsa Panth, a family of soldier saints.

At Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh started the Khalsa in front of many people.

Guru Gobind Singh came out of a tent with a sword during the Vaisakhi festival. He told every Sikh who was willing to die to come into the tent. The Guru came back by himself with a sword that was covered in blood. Then he asked for another volunteer. He did this four more times until five men went into the tent. The crowd was very worried until the Guru and five men in turbans came back.

These five men were called the "Beloved Five" or "Panj Piare."

The Guru then baptised the men into the Khalsa. He sprayed them with Amrit, which is the Sikh word for holy water and means "immortalizing nectar." This is what the Sikh baptism ceremony is based on.

Celebrations

The way Vaisakhi is celebrated is similar to how Gurpurbs are. People decorate and go to Gurdwaras. All day long, there are parades, dances, and songs. On this day, a lot of Sikhs decide to join the Khalsa brotherhood.

Nagar Kirtans

The festival is marked by Nagar kirtan processions, which are important parts of Sikh culture and religious celebrations and take place in the streets (Nagar means "town").

Kirtan means singing hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the Sikh holy book. Music, singing, and chanting scriptures and hymns are always a part of celebrations.

The Panj Piaras are the people who lead the processions.

The Guru Granth Sahib will be held in a place of honor during the procession.