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Sikhism
is Britain’s third most popular religion, with about half a million
Sikhs living in the UK.
Sikhs
focus their lives around their relationship with God, and being
a part of the Sikh community. Sikhs
believe that human beings spend their time in a cycle of birth,
life, and rebirth. They share this belief with followers of other
Indian religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
| Basic
Beliefs of the Sikh Faith |
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| Men
wearing traditional Sikh costume, |
The
essence of being a Sikh is that one lives one's life according to
the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, devotes time to meditating on God
and the scriptures, and does things to benefit other people.
Sikhs
believe that there is a single, all-powerful God, who created the
universe and everything in it. Sikhism
emphasis's social and gender equality, and stresses the importance
of behaving altruistically.
 Equality:
Everyone is equal in God's eyes; whatever their caste, creed, or
gender.
God
is accessible without priests:
Everyone can be directly in touch with God. There are no clergy
in Sikhism.
Accept
other faiths:
Sikhs do not believe that any religion has a monopoly on the truth.
They do not regard Sikhism as the only way to God.
Live
in the world: One should live a responsible life as part
of the community. Withdrawing from the world or becoming an ascetic
are not as worthwhile.
No
ritual for its own sake:
Empty ritual is meaningless and should be avoided.
Devotion
can take the form of action as well as prayer:
Personal devotion includes Nam simran (meditation on and awareness
of God) and Sewa (community service).
A
good world is just and fair to all: Social justice is
to be supported. The use of force as a last resort is justified
to uphold it.
Death
is not the end:
Death is seen as the transition to a life where the joy of being
in the presence of God can be fully realised.
| Living
a good life in this world |
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| Sikh
community |
Sikhism
doesn’t ask people to turn away from ordinary life to get closer
to God. In fact it demands that they use ordinary life as a way
to get closer to God.
Serving
God by
serving other people every day. By devoting their lives to service
they get rid of their own ego and pride.
Many
Sikhs carry out chores in the Gurdwara as their service to the community.
These range from working in the kitchen to cleaning the floor. Sikhs
also regard caring for the poor or sick as an important duty of
service.
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| Langar
at a Gurdwara |
A Gurdwara
is the place used by Sikhs for worship. Gurdwaras also serve as
community centres, ffering langar (free kitchen), shelter and companionship
to those who need it.
They
are also used for performing the birth, marriage and death ceremonies
of the Sikhs. Children go there to learn the Sikh faith, ethics,
customs, traditions and texts.
Gurdwaras
are managed by a committee of their community.
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| Sikh
women in worship |
Sikh
together for congregational worship at the Gurdwara. There are about
200 Gurdwaras in Britain.
Sikh
public worship can be led by any Sikh, male or female, whoever is
competent to do so.
- No Priests in the Gurdwara
Sikhs do not have ordained priests, any Sikh can lead the prayers,
and recite the scriptures to the congregation. Each Gurdwara has
a Granthi who organises the daily services and reads from the Guru
Granth Sahib.
- No Pictures
or Statues
There are no idols, statues, or religious pictures in a Gurdwara,
because Sikhs worship only God, and they regard God as having no
physical form. Nor are there candles, incense, or bells, or any
other ritualistic devices.
| Worship,
festivals and holy days |
The
main day for Sikhs to go to the Gurdwara or temple for worship in
Britain is Sunday. This is not for any religious reason, but because
Sunday is the day most people in Britain do not work.
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| Men
wearing traditional Sikh costume, |
 Vaisakhi
(Baisakhi)
Vaisakhi is the Sikh New Year festival. It's also the anniversary
of the founding of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi 1699 by the 10th Guru,
Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Gurpurbs
Gurpurbs are festivals that are associated with the lives of the
Gurus. They are happy occasions which are celebrated most enthusiastically
by Sikhs.
Divali
/ Bandi Chor
Divali, the Festival of Light. It's a festival that Sikhs and Hindus
both celebrate.
Sikhs give the festival a special meaning by celebrating the release
of Guru Hargobind from imprisonment at Gwalior.
Hola
Mahalla
This is a festival of martial arts that follows the Hindu festival
of Holi.
The festival was originally created to distract Sikhs from the Hindu
festival.
Festivals
and holy days Sikh calendar
Places
of Sikh worship in Birmingham
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What are your personal experiences of living with your
faith in Birmingham? 
