The Sikhs engage in various rites and services. Sikh rites include activities they consider essential to the group practice of Sikhism or the expression of egalitarianism, such as kirtan or taking karah parshad. Many rites in Sikhism involve prayer (ardas) or reciting scripture (paath). Some Sikh rites are meant to be practiced in a gurdwara congregation, while others are practiced at home or in other contexts.

Ardas

Ardas is a formal prayer recited at the end of most Sikh rituals and at the end of morning and evening devotions. It consists of three parts: the first part invokes the ten Sikh gurus, the second part recalls trials and triumphs of the Sikh Panth, and the third part is a petition in which personal or panthic requests for intercession are often introduced.[1] It ends with "Naanak naam charhdi kala, tayray bhaanay sarbat da bhala." Charhdi kala indicates a blissful state of mind and the absence of negative emotions. Sarbat da bhala indicates the well-being of all.[2]

Dasvandh

Dasvandh is the giving of one tenth of one's income (10%) as a tithe to help those less fortunate in the name of one's guru. This practice is derived from vand chhako, one of the three pillars of Sikhism.[3][4] Sandeep Sahni writes, "The principle of Dasvandh is that if you give to the Infinite; Infinity, in turn, will give back to you."[4]

Langar

A langar is a free community kitchen attached to a gurdwara where everyone sits on the floor and eats together regardless of differing backgrounds. This gathering is called a pangat. The langar was introduced by Guru Nanak to break the caste system that was prevalent in India during his life.[5][6] The food served at a langar is always vegetarian and usually includes dal soup, vegetables, rice, and chapatis.[7]

Paath

Paath is the recitation of Gurbani, in various formats.[8]

Akhand Paath is the uninterrupted recitation of the entire Guru Granth Sahib over a certain period, usually forty-eight hours. A number of reciters (paathis) take turns reading in two-hour shifts to accomplish this. Often, Akhand Paath is performed to mark an important religious or family event.[7][8] It may also be performed as part of a gurdwara's regular services, so that visitors can listen to Gurbani at any time. The paathi must pronounce every syllable correctly so that the Naad, the sound current, may be produced and affect the consciousness of the paathi and those listening.[8]

Sadharan Paath is similar to Akhand Paath, but it may be done intermittently over any time period, such as a month or two. It is commonly practiced at home, to be completed on the day of an anticipated family event or memorial.[7][8]

Nitnem Paath is the thrice-daily recitation of certain compositions in the Sikh Rehat Maryada.[8]

Karah parshad

Karah parshad is a pudding-like sweet served in a gurdwara at the end of a worship service or act of worship. It is made from equal parts of flour, sugar, and ghee mixed in an iron bowl, and it is then heated before being taken to the diwan hall. Before being served, it is blessed by the recitation of Ardas and the first five and last stanzas of Anand Sahib, and as Ardas concludes, the karah parshad is pierced by a ceremonial sword called a kirpan to symbolically strengthen it.[7][9]

Like the langar, the karah parshad is used to demonstrate belief in human equality. If someone does not accept the invitation to eat with them, Sikhs may interpret the refusal as a sign of disbelief in this principle.[7]

Kirtan

Kirtan means devotional singing. In Sikhism, kirtan is considered an essential element of religious practice and is often performed in a gurdwara congregation.[10] In a gurdwara, kirtan is usually performed by professional musicians in a trio called a rāgī jathā. A rāgī jathā includes a tabla player and two vocalists who also play harmoniums.[11] In shabad kirtan, sacred songs from Sikh scriptures are sung or listened to.[10][11] In nagar kirtan, the Guru Granth Sahib is carried in an outdoor procession.[7]

Samskars

In Sikhism, there are four samskars (rites of passage). Each samskar is associated with a ceremony that facilitates a key event in a Sikh's life:[12]

  1. The naming ceremony, performed in a gurdwara, where someone opens the Granth to a random page and selects the first letter found on the left to be the first letter of the child's name.[12]
  2. The baptism ceremony, in which a person receives holy water (amrit or "nectar") and is initiated into the Khalsa.[12]
  3. The marriage ceremony, in which the bride and groom walk slowly around the Granth while a priest reads hymns.[13]
  4. The death ceremony.[12] Customarily, the body of the deceased is cremated during a funeral service defined by the Sikh Code of Conduct.[7]

References

  1. ↑ W.H. McLeod (1990). Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism. University of Chicago Press. pp. 103–105. ISBN 978-0-226-56085-4.
  2. ↑ Kaur, Jagroop (2005). "The Concept of Peace and the Guru Granth Sahib". The Indian Journal of Political Science. 66 (3): 649–660. ISSN 0019-5510. JSTOR 41856155.
  3. ↑ Takhar, Opinderjit Kaur (2016). Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 9781351900102. The giving of a tenth of one's earnings, dasvandh, to help those less fortunate, is an ideal of the Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere, and is also an important feature of general Sikh practice. The principle of dasvandh is based on one of the three pillars of Sikhism, that is, vand chakna. A true Sikh is one who practises all three pillars with a sincere heart.
  4. 1 2 Sahni, Sandeep (2021). Dear Son: Life Lessons from a Father. Notion Press. ISBN 9781637815281. 'Dasvandh', which literally means "tenth part", is the tithing practice of contributing a portion of your earnings in the name of your Guru or spiritual source. The principle of Dasvandh is that if you give to the Infinite; Infinity, in turn, will give back to you.
  5. ↑ Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair (2013). Sikhism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-4411-1708-3.
  6. ↑ Bhatia, H.S.; Bakshi, S.R. (2000). The Sikh Gurus and Sikhism. India: Deep and Deep Publications. p. 118.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cole, Owen W. (1994). Sikhism (2nd ed.). Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group. pp. 3–4, 67, 86, 114–115. ISBN 978-0-8442-3747-3. OL 1126037M.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Bakhshi, Surinder (2008). Sikhs in the diaspora: a modern guide to practice of the Sikh faith (Special ed.). Birmingham, UK: Sikh Publishing House. pp. 127–132. ISBN 9780956072801. OCLC 1311132507.
  9. ↑ Khalsa, Sukhmandir (20 February 2019). "What Is Prashad in Sikhism". Learn Religions. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  10. 1 2 Knut A. Jacobsen; Kristina Myrvold (2012). Sikhs Across Borders: Transnational Practices of European Sikhs. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-1-4411-7087-3.
  11. 1 2 Kaur, Inderjit N. (2011). "Sikh Shabad Kīrtan and Gurmat Sangīt: What's in the Name?" (PDF). Journal of Punjab Studies. University of California, Santa Cruz. 18 (1&2): 251, 257 – via ebscohost.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Nayar, Kamala Elizabeth (2004-01-01). The Sikh Diaspora in Vancouver: Three Generations Amid Tradition, Modernity, and Multiculturalism. University of Toronto Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-8020-8631-0.
  13. ↑ Dogra, R. C. (1995). Encyclopaedia of Sikh religion and culture. Internet Archive. New Delhi : Vikas Pub. House. pp. 27–29. ISBN 978-0-7069-8368-5.
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