Interesting facts about Sikhism - the fifth most popular religion

​"Work hard, share the fruits of your labor, meditate on the Name," is the motto of the Sikhs, whose highest goal is to become a "Sachiar," that is, "self-realized." Sikh teachings emerged in the 16th century in northwest India as part of the Hindu movement of "bahkti" (Sanskrit for "devotion"). Its inspirer, Guru Nanak (1469-1539), was born near Lahore (present-day Pakistan) into a Hindu family of merchant caste and at an early age was exposed to the teachings of the Muslim poet Kabir, who strongly influenced the young man's views.

After a spiritual journey that took him from Tibet to Mecca, Guru Nanak founded Kartarpur ("City of the Creator") and began preaching the convergence of Hinduism and Islam. Faced with the religious divisions of the time, he believed that there were no Hindus or Muslims and that all people were disciples, "Sikhs" in Sanskrit. He also rejected the caste system, which was the basis of Hindu society at the time.

Development and rituals

Until 1708, a total of ten gurus (the title of the head of a religious community) were replaced, each appointed by a previous guru. Each brought new rules to the spiritual teachings. The fifth, Arjun Dev (1581-1606), compiled the Adi Granth, the holy book of the Sikhs, and built the Golden Temple at Amritsar, which has since become the spiritual center of Sikhism. It was the last Guru, Gobind Singh (1666-1708), who introduced the distinctive marks of Sikhism. According to this doctrine, Sikhs are required to carry five objects known as the "five K's". Among these are the kangha (a wooden comb), the kara (a steel bracelet), and the kachcha (special knee-length underpants). The kesha is represented by long hair wrapped in a pagri, a dark blue, saffron-orange or white turban that must be worn at all times and in all situations.

As a traditional article of clothing, the pagri has no religious significance, but it has a strong symbolic meaning. It is used by all Sikhs who observe the "purity" rule, which forbids them to cut their hair and beard, as a sign of resistance to persecution by Islam and Hinduism in the 17th century. The kirpan is another sacred object, which is a double-edged dagger that is also carried at all times. It is not an offensive weapon, but a reminder of duty and self-sacrifice that reminds believers of the need to protect the weak, the poor and the oppressed. Moreover, every believer knows that another Sikh also carries a dagger, which engenders mutual respect. Women, on the other hand, wear a chuni (a veil that leaves the beginning of the hair visible). Unlike Hinduism, Sikhs do not worship deities. They believe in one God, Sat Nam, the "True Name," eternal and creative, both immanent and transcendent. For Sikhs, there is also no heaven or hell: to attain mukti (liberation), one must succeed in ending the cycle of reincarnations and turn one's existence towards God.

​​Sikh state

In the eighteenth century, the Sikhs managed to acquire their own state, which covered wide areas of the Punjab and lasted for about a century. The emergence of the Sikh state became possible due to the decline of the Mughal Empire, which at that time ruled the territories of modern India. Already in 1801 Ranjit Singh was crowned as maharaja, i.e. "king", and after he united the disparate lands in the region, the state became known as the Sikh Empire. In its political organization, the Sikh state relied heavily on spiritual communities and the authority of gurus, but after a series of clashes with Muslims, the Sikhs became militarized. They proved themselves as skillful warriors and were defeated only by the British in 1849, after which the Sikh state ceased to exist.

Fraternity, purity and generosity

Sikhs believe in one eternal and creative God on the principle of "Ik-On-Kar", which can be translated as "one manifested creative consciousness". The religion renounces gambling and the use of meat, alcohol, and tobacco in order to achieve "mukti," or "liberation." Combining Hindu theories of karma and the transmigration of souls, Sikhism preaches honest living and encourages brotherhood and generosity. Given that God is both transcendent of all things and abides in all things, seeking oneness with God is imperative for its followers.

Sikhs today

With around 22 million followers worldwide, Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world. Most of them live in Punjab, the Sikh homeland, which has been one of India's highest per capita income states since 1966. Most Sikhs live in rural areas and often hold positions of responsibility in areas such as transportation, food processing and the army. And India's former prime minister until 2014, Manmohan Singh, became the first Sikh to hold the post. The Sikh diaspora has about two million followers who live in North America (about 1 million), the UK (about 500,000) and France (about 10,000). Almost all of the latter live in Seine-Saint-Denis, where a Gurdwara Singh Sabha temple was built in Bobigny.