Khalsa Panth is the theocracy that manages the affairs of the Khalsa. It refers to the entire nation of people who have taken the way of the Khalsa, and hence they are self-managed. ...

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Saint, scholar, soldier all rolled into one, Guru Gobind Singh was responsible for the evolution of the Khalsa Panth.

He was barely nine years old when the dismembered head of his father Guru Teg Bahadur was brought to him at Anandpur Saheb. This became the turning point in little Gobind Rai's life and paved the way for the concretisation of the Sikh tradition. The child held back his tears, embraced the faithful Jaita who had risked his life to bring the sacred trust in tact, and declared that henceforth all untouchables would be the Guru's own children.

(See also: Guru Gobind Singh, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

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Sikhism was established by ten Gurus, teachers or masters, over the period 1469 to 1708. These teachers, believed to be sent from God for the troubled people of the land, were enlightened souls whose main purpose in life was the spiritual and moral well-being of the masses, or the equivalent of Prophets & Messiahs of the other major respective monotheist religions. Each master added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting to the creation of the religion of Sikhism. Guru Nanak was the first Guru and Guru Gobind Singh the final Guru in human form. When Guru Gobind Singh left this world, he made th ...

Including:

The Sikh Gurus - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism

Read more here: » The Sikh Gurus: Encyclopedia - The Sikh Gurus

The traditional festivals of the Indian diaspora all reflect the ancient concept of the Utsav Mela, which encouraged everyone to congregate, meet and mix amid festivity and pageantry. In fact, the word mela (fair) is derived from the word mil , meaning 'to meet'.

Baisakhi epitomises the mela notion of convergence for it brings together people of all castes and communities on the first day of Vaisakha, the beginning of the traditional Indian New Year. Basically a harvest festival, Baisakhi marks the ripening of the Rabi harvest, especially in the Punjab. It is called the Naba Barsha celebrations in Bengal, Rongali Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pooram (Vishu) in Kerala.

(See also: Baisakhi, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

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A Sikh never cuts or trims any hair, to indicate the perfection of God's creation. The comb keeps the hair tidy, a symbol of not just accepting what God has given, but also an injunction to maintain it with grace. There are many theories regarding why Sikhs keep the Kesh. Some believe that Kesh have a practical function for accessing spiritual energy. Others believe that the reasons to keep hair come from socio-political reasons at the time of founding of Khalsa Panth. Still others believe that Sikhs keep hair in reverence and as an expression of love for their Guru much like ...

See also:

Five Ks, Five Ks - Kesh uncut hair, Five Ks - Kangha comb, Five Ks - Karra circular bracelet, Five Ks - Kachera shorts, Five Ks - Kirpan small sword

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Sikhism was established by ten Gurus, teachers or masters, over the period 1469 to 1708. These teachers, believed to be sent from God for the troubled people of the land, were enlightened souls whose main purpose in life was the spiritual and moral well-being of the masses, or the equivalent of Prophets & Messiahs of the other major respective monotheist religions. Each master added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting to the creation of the religion of Sikhism. Guru Nanak was the first Guru and Guru Gobind Singh the final Guru in human form. When Guru Gobind Singh left this world, he made th ...

Read more here: » The Sikh Gurus: Encyclopedia - The Sikh Gurus

Sikhism (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖੀ) is a religion based on the teachings of ten Gurus who lived primarily in 16th and 17th century India. It is one of the world's major religions with over 23 million followers. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from its Sanskrit root 'śiṣya' (शिष्य) which means "disciple" or "learner", or from the equivalent Pāli word 'sikkhā' (Including:

Sikhism - History of Sikhism Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism
Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib
Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy
Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles Sikhism - Underlying values Sikhism - Prohibited behavior Sikhism - Technique and methods Sikhism - Other observations
Sikhism - Observations
Sikhism - All welcomed
Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism Sikhism - The Five Ks Sikhism - Sikhs around the world Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis Sikhism - The Khalsa Sikhism - Khalistan

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The Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, was named after the place (Jallianwala Bagh, in Amritsar), where, on April 13, 1919, British and Gurkha soldiers opened fire on an unarmed forbidden gathering, killing approximately 400 men, women and children. 1919 saw mass protests instigated by the Indian National Congress across the subcontinent. The main antagonising factors were the Rowlatt Act, Indian service in Mesopotamia in the First World War, and the arrest of nationalist leaders of Amritsar ...

Including:

Amritsar massacre - The gathering Amritsar massacre - The massacre Amritsar massacre - Reaction Amritsar massacre - Monument and legacy

Read more here: » Amritsar massacre: Encyclopedia - Amritsar massacre

Sikhism (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖੀ) is a religion based on the teachings of ten Gurus who lived primarily in 16th and 17th century India. It is one of the world's major religions with over 23 million followers. Sikhism comes from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from its Sanskrit root 'śiṣya' (शिष्य) which means "disciple" or "learner", or from the equivalent Pāli word 'sikkhā' (Including:

Sikhism - History of Sikhism Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism
Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib
Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy
Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles Sikhism - Underlying values Sikhism - Prohibited behavior Sikhism - Technique and methods Sikhism - Other observations
Sikhism - Observations
Sikhism - All welcomed
Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism Sikhism - The Five Ks Sikhism - Sikhs around the world Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis Sikhism - The Khalsa Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia - Sikhism

The British and Gurkha troops marched to the park accompanied by an armoured car on which a machine gun was mounted. The vehicle was unable to enter the park compound due to the narrow entrance. The troops were commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer who ordered his men to open fire, concentrating on the areas where the crowd was thickest. The firing started at 17:50 and lasted for about six minutes. Since there was no exit except for the one already manned by the troops, people desperately tried to climb the walls of the park. S ...

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Amritsar massacre, Amritsar massacre - The gathering, Amritsar massacre - The massacre, Amritsar massacre - Reaction, Amritsar massacre - Monument and legacy

Read more here: » Amritsar massacre: Encyclopedia II - Amritsar massacre - The massacre

The Sikh religious philosophy can be divided into the following five sections: Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles. Main article: Sikhism primary beliefs and principles Sikhism advocates the belief in (Ek Onkar) who is omnipresent and has infinite qualities. This aspect has been repeated on numerous occasions in the Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhs do not have a gender for God nor do they believe God takes a human form. All human bein ...

See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia II - Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy

A band of 90 soldiers armed with rifles and Khukhris marched to the park accompanied by two armoured cars on which machine guns were mounted. The vehicles were unable to enter the Bagh owing to the narrow entrance. The troops were commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer who, immediately upon entering the Bagh and without even a slightest warning to the crowd to disperse, ordered his troops to open fire, concentrating especially on the areas where the crowd was thickest. The firing started at 17:15 and lasted for about ten ...

See also:

Amritsar massacre, Amritsar massacre - The gathering, Amritsar massacre - The massacre, Amritsar massacre - Reaction, Amritsar massacre - Retaliation of Jallianwala, Amritsar massacre - Monument and legacy

Read more here: » Amritsar massacre: Encyclopedia II - Amritsar massacre - The massacre

The Sikh religious philosophy can be divided into the following five sections: Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles. Main articles: Sikhism primary beliefs and principles, and [[]], and [[]], See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia II - Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy

A baptised Sikh becomes a member of the Khalsa or the "Pure Ones". When a Sikh joins the Khalsa, he/she is supposed to have devoted their life to the Guru, and is expected not to desist from sacrificing anything and everything in a struggle for a just and righteous cause. The word "Khalsa" has two literal meanings. It comes from Persian. One literal meaning is "Pure" and the other meaning is "belonging to the king". When the word "Khalsa" is used for a Sikh, it implies belonging to the King, where the King is God himself. To become a ...

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Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia II - Sikhism - The Khalsa

Practicing Sikhs are bound to wear five Kakaars, or articles of faith, known as The Five Ks, at all times. It is done either out of respect for the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, or out of sense of duty or from understanding of their function and purpose and relevance in daily life. It is important to note that The Five Ks are not merely present for symbolic purposes. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh could actively use them to make a difference to their own spirituality and to others' sp ...

See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia II - Sikhism - The Five Ks

In the storm of outrage which followed the release of the Hunter Report in 1920, Dyer was placed on the inactive list, and his rank reverted to Colonel, since he was no longer officiating the command of a Brigade. The then Commander-in-Chief stated that Dyer would no longer be offered employment in India. He was in a very unhealthy condition, and so was sent home to England on a hospital ship. Senior British officers and many civilians in India applauded his suppression of 'another Indian Mutiny'. The House of Lords passed a measure c ...

See also:

Amritsar massacre, Amritsar massacre - The gathering, Amritsar massacre - The massacre, Amritsar massacre - Reaction, Amritsar massacre - Retaliation of Jallianwala, Amritsar massacre - Monument and legacy

Read more here: » Amritsar massacre: Encyclopedia II - Amritsar massacre - Reaction

On 13 March 1940 a Sikh revolutionary from Sunam, named Udham Singh, who had witnessed the events in Amritsar and was himself wounded, shot dead Sir Michael O'Dwyer, believed to be the chief actor of the massacre-plan (General Dyer, the executer of the massacre-plan, having, however, already died years earlier) at the Caxton Hall in London. O'Dwyer had been the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab at w ...

See also:

Amritsar massacre, Amritsar massacre - The gathering, Amritsar massacre - The massacre, Amritsar massacre - Reaction, Amritsar massacre - Retaliation of Jallianwala, Amritsar massacre - Monument and legacy

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Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538), considered to be the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore (in what is present day Pakistan). His father, Mehta Kalu was a Patwari- an accountant of land revenue in the government. Nanak's mother was Mata Tripta and he had one older sister, Bibi Nanki. His parents, Kalu Mehta and Matta Tripat, were Hindus of the Khatri caste. From the very childhood, Bibi Nanki saw in him the Light of God but she did not reveal this secret to anyone. She is known as the firs ...

See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia II - Sikhism - History of Sikhism

Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism. Sikhism was established by ten Gurus — teachers or masters — over the period 1469 to 1708. Each master added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting to the creation of the religion of Sikhism. Guru Nanak was the first Guru and Guru Gobind Singh the final Guru in human form. When Guru Gobind Singh left this world, he made the Guru Granth Sahib the ultimate and final Sikh Guru. The Gurus are believed to have the same spiri ...

See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia II - Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism

A Sikh known as Yogi Bhajan brought the Sikh way of life to many young people in the Western hemisphere. In addition to Indian-born Sikhs, there are now thousands of individuals of Western origin who were not born as Sikhs, but have embraced the Sikh way of life and live and teach all over the world. Currently, there are about 23 million Sikhs in the world, making it the fifth largest religion in the world. Approximately 19 million Sikhs live in India with the majority living in the state of Punjab. Large populations of Sikhs can be found in the United Kingdom, Canada, and United States. They also comprise ...

See also:

Sikhism, Sikhism - History of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhism - Sikh religious philosophy, Sikhism - Primary beliefs and principles, Sikhism - Underlying values, Sikhism - Prohibited behavior, Sikhism - Technique and methods, Sikhism - Other observations, Sikhism - Observations, Sikhism - All welcomed, Sikhism - Followers of Sikhism, Sikhism - The Five Ks, Sikhism - Sikhs around the world, Sikhism - Sikhs and Punjabis, Sikhism - The Khalsa, Sikhism - Khalistan

Read more here: » Sikhism: Encyclopedia II - Sikhism - Sikhs around the world