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Sikh
17 Apr 2021

Sri Harmandir Sahib The Golden Temple Amritsar

pThe Golden Temple Amritsar India (Sri Harimandir Sahib Amritsar) is not only a central religious place of the Sikhs but also a symbol of human brotherhood and equality. Everybody, irrespective of caste, creed, or race can seek spiritual solace and religious fulfillment without any hindrance. It also represents the distinct identity, glory, and heritage of the Sikhs./p p /p

Sikh
17 Apr 2021

Guru Gobind Singh Ji

pbr / Gobind Singh, original name Gobind Rāi, (born 1666, Patna, Bihār, India—died October 7, 1708, Nānded, Mahārāshtra), 10th and last of the personal Sikh Gurūs, known chiefly for his creation of the Khālsā (Punjabi: “the Pure”), the military brotherhood of the Sikhs. He was the son of the ninth Gurū, Tegh Bahādur, who suffered martyrdom at the hands of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb./p pGobind Singh was a man of great intellectual attainments. He was a linguist familiar with Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit as well as his native Punjabi. He further codified Sikh law, wrote martial poetry and music, and was the reputed author of the Sikh work called the Dasam Granth (“Tenth Volume”)./p

Sikh
17 Apr 2021

बैसाखी फेस्टिवल हिन्दुओं, बौद्ध और सिखों के लिए बड़ा महत्वपूर्ण मन जाता है।

pबैसाखी फेस्टिवल पारम्परिक रूप से प्रत्येक वर्ष 13 या 14 अप्रैल को मनाया जाता है।/p

Sikh
17 Apr 2021

मकर संक्रांति से एक दिन पहले लोहड़ी का त्योहार उत्तर भारत में, खासकर पंजाब में मनाया जाता है।

pकिसी न किसी नाम से मकर संक्रांति के दिन या उसके आसपास, भारत के विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में कोई न कोई त्योहार मनाया जाता है।/p

Sikh
17 Apr 2021

Gurpurab Celebrations: How Sikhs Honor Their Gurus Worldwide

pIn the early hours before dawn, the sound of sacred hymns drifts through the air. Golden light illuminates temples adorned with thousands of flowers and flickering candles. Processions wind through streets carrying the holy scripture under ornate canopies, accompanied by singing, drumming, and the martial display of traditional warriors. In community kitchens, volunteers prepare meals for thousands, ensuring no one goes hungry regardless of religion, caste, or social status. This is Gurpurab—the Sikh way of celebrating the birth or martyrdom anniversaries of their Gurus./p pThe word "Gurpurab" or "Gurupurab" combines "Guru" (teacher or enlightener) and "purab" (day or occasion), literally meaning "the Guru's day." While Sikhs observe multiple Gurpurabs throughout the year, these celebrations represent far more than birthdays or death anniversaries. They're occasions for spiritual renewal, community gathering, charitable service, and the reaffirmation of values that define Sikh identity—equality, service, devotion, and remembrance of the Gurus who shaped their faith./p Understanding Gurpurabs: More Than Festivals pSikhism emerged in 15th-century Punjab under Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who rejected the caste system, ritualism, and religious hypocrisy of his time. Over the next two centuries, nine successive Gurus developed and institutionalized the faith, each contributing unique teachings and facing distinct challenges. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, declared that after him, the Guru would be the Granth (the holy scripture, now known as Guru Granth Sahib) and the Panth (the collective Sikh community)./p pGurpurabs commemorate pivotal moments in these Gurus' lives—their births, their martyrdoms, their significant spiritual or historical contributions. Unlike many religious festivals that celebrate mythological events or seasonal changes, Gurpurabs honor historical figures whose lives, teachings, and sacrifices are documented and whose impact on Sikh identity remains profound./p pThe celebration of Gurpurabs serves multiple purposes: it keeps the Gurus' teachings alive in contemporary practice, it transmits history and values to younger generations, it strengthens community bonds, it provides opportunities for service (seva) and devotion, and it makes visible the Sikh presence and values in multicultural societies./p The Major Gurpurabs pWhile Sikhs observe Gurpurabs for all ten Gurus and other significant figures, several stand out in their importance and scale of celebration./p pGuru Nanak Jayanti (Guru Nanak's birth anniversary), also known as Prakash Utsav, typically falls in November and is the most widely celebrated Gurpurab. As the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak holds special significance. The festival coincides with the full moon (Pooranmashi) of the lunar month of Kartik and happens to fall on the same day as the Hindu festival of Kartik Pooranmashi, creating a shared festive atmosphere in regions where both communities coexist./p p /p

Sikh
17 Apr 2021

Hola Mohalla: The Sikh Festival of Martial Arts and Valor

pWhile most of India celebrates Holi with colored powders and water balloons, a different kind of celebration unfolds in the town of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. Here, instead of gentle revelry, you'll witness something far more dramatic—warriors in blue and orange displaying breathtaking martial arts skills, mock battles with traditional weapons, daring horseback riding feats, and demonstrations of strength and courage that would seem at home in an action film. This is Hola Mohalla, Sikhism's festival of martial spirit and valor, and it represents one of the most unique and spectacular celebrations in the Indian religious calendar./p pThe festival, falling in March on the day after Holi, transforms the small Punjabi town into a gathering place for hundreds of thousands of Sikhs and visitors from around the world. It's a celebration that honors the warrior-saint ideal at the heart of Sikh identity, a reminder that spiritual devotion and martial readiness are not contradictions but complementary aspects of the Sikh path./p The Tenth Guru's Vision pTo understand Hola Mohalla, you must first understand the man who created it—Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and final living Guru of the Sikhs. Born in 1666, Guru Gobind Singh inherited the guruship at age nine after his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to convert to Islam and defending the right of Hindus to practice their religion freely./p pThis traumatic beginning shaped Guru Gobind Singh's vision for the Sikh community. He believed that in times of oppression and injustice, spiritual devotion alone wasn't enough—Sikhs needed to be prepared to defend themselves and others, to be saint-soldiers capable of both meditation and martial prowess. This philosophy, known as Miri-Piri (temporal and spiritual power), became central to Sikh identity./p pIn 1699, Guru Gobind Singh took the revolutionary step of creating the Khalsa—a baptized order of Sikhs committed to maintaining the faith and defending the oppressed. The initiation ceremony, first performed on Vaisakhi (another major Sikh festival), established the Five K's—Kesh (uncut hair), Kangha (wooden comb), Kara (iron bracelet), Kachera (cotton undergarments), and Kirpan (sword)—as articles of faith that initiated Sikhs would maintain./p pBut creating a warrior community required more than symbols. It required training, discipline, and a culture that valued martial skills alongside spiritual devotion. This is where Hola Mohalla enters the picture./p The First Hola Mohalla: 1701 pIn 1701, Guru Gobind Singh initiated the first Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib, the "City of Bliss" he had established as a center of Sikh power and learning in the Shivalik Hills of Punjab. The timing was deliberate—while Hindus celebrated Holi with its themes of divine love and the triumph of good over evil, Sikhs would use the next day to demonstrate military preparedness and martial valor./p pThe name itself is significant. "Hola" derives from "halla" (military charge), while "Mohalla" can mean organized procession or attack. Together, they suggest organized military exercises—a far cry from Holi's playful atmosphere. Some scholars also see wordplay in the name, with "Hola Mohalla" being a masculine, martial counterpoint to the more feminine, playful "Holi."/p

Sikh
17 Apr 2021

सिख धर्म के संस्थापक गुरु गोबिंद सिंह के शहादत दिवस और उनके अंतिम संस्कार में चमत्कार की कहानी।

pगुरु गोबिंद सिंह ने महाराष्ट्र के नांदेड़ स्थित श्री हुजूर साहिब में अपने प्राणों की आहुति दे दी थी।/p