1. Have you ever been struck by an unfamiliar religious symbol, whether it be an emblem or
a piece of clothing, and wanted to know more? Especially when faced with symbols from
Eastern religions that are little understood in the United States, it is easy for stereotypes
and misunderstandings to form based on symbols. However, instead of being a point of
ignorance, symbols can be a jumping off point for education and learning about foreign
cultures and belief systems.
Using only the system of symbols of one particular Eastern religion, Sikhism, I will show
how one can gain insight into the religion as a whole.

2. The Khanda is the main emblem of Sikhism and is to Sikhs as the cross is to Christians. The
khanda gets its name from the double edged sword depicted in the middle of the emblem.
The sword is a symbol for God. It is the center of the emblem to show God’s supreme
power within the universe. The two edges of the sword symbolize Divine knowledge and
justice. It is also said that the khanda is the weapon that God used to shape the universe
with. Around the blade of the Khanda is a circle that represents the eternity of God; just
as the circle has no end, Sikh’s believe that God is eternal. The two curved swords around
the circle are known as kirpans. The twin kirpans are a symbol of balance. They represent
the dual commitment of the Sikh to his spiritual and temporal allegiances.

3. Ik Onkar, meaning “one God”, represents the central belief of Sikhism. The idea that
there is one God, one Supreme Reality uniting the universe is the driving belief
system behind Sikhism. The oneness of God is perhaps the largest way in which
Sikhism separates itself from Hinduism, which was a great influencer to Sikhism. Ik
Onkar is also significant in that it is the first phrase in the Guru Granth Sahib, the
Sikh holy scripture.
Mool Mantra (the opening to the Guru Granth Sahib containing Ik Onkar):
There is but one God. Truth by name, the creator, all-pervading spirit, without
fear, without enmity. Whose existence is unaffected by time, who does not
take birth, self-existent, who is to be realized through his grace

4. Waheguru literally translates to “the wonderful teacher”. Sikhism is unique to many other
religions in that it does not believe in an anthropomorphic interpretation of God. Thus to
please God, Sikhs must live in a way that benefits the universe. For a Sikh to achieve the
ultimate goal of merging with God, he is really trying to become one with the universe as
taught by the ten Sikh gurus.

5. The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of the Sikhs. Also called the Adi Granth, Sikh’s
believe that it contains the spirit of the ten Sikh gurus the last and eternal guru after Guru
Gobind Singh. The Adi Granth was first compiled by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604. In 1678 Guru
Gobind Singh created a final version of Guru Arjan’s work. The complete Guru Granth Sahib
contains teachings from the first five gurus through Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Teg Bahadur, and
one scripture from Guru Gobind Singh. It also contains some Hindu and Sufi hymns. The
presence of the Guru Granth Sahib is required in all official Sikh ceremonies.

6. At the turn of the 18th century, Guru Gobind Singh
performed the first Sikh baptism called Amrit. At
that time he declared that all baptized Sikhs wear 5
“articles of faith” at all times, which have come to be
known as “the 5 Ks” of Sikhism.
Wearing the 5 Ks are an outward display of a Sikh’s
commitment to the teachings of the gurus and to
becoming a Khalsa, a Sikh who has been baptized
and completely devoted himself to Sikhim in thought
and in action as defined by Guru Gobind Singh.

7. Kesh is the most important of the “5 Ks”.
Kesh, or uncut hair, is a symbol of spirituality.
Sikhs consider it a sin to cut their hair. Hair is a
natural part of the human body and to alter it
would be disrespectful to God’s perfection as
the Creator.
Sikh men are obligated to wear a turban to
protect their hair and keep it clean. Turbans
are optional for women. Maintaining kesh and
wearing the turban also remind Sikhs of living
according to the teaching of the gurus. The
significance of kesh is recorded in the Adi
Granth:
quot;Let living in his presence,
With mind rid of impurities,
Be your discipline.
Keep the God-given form intact,
With a turban donned on your head.quot;
Adi Granth, P. 1084- Line 12

8. Kangha is a wooden comb that can easily be
worn at all times. It is a symbol of cleanliness
and self-discipline. Sikhs are required to comb
their hair twice a day (morning and night).
Sikhs must never let their hair become unkempt
and matted. Just as the comb detangles and
cleans the hair, Sikhs are reminded of cleansing
their mind of impurities.

9. The kirpan is a ceremonial daggar. The word kirpan comes from two words, “kirpa”
meaning an act of kindness, and “aan” meaning honor or respect. The Sikhs are
non-violent people who believe in self-defense only when all other means have
failed, thus the kirpan was originally meant for Sikhs to use for self-defense against
their enemies. However, it is no longer used as a weapon. The kirpan is meant to
symbolize Sikh dignity and their struggle against injustice.

10. The kara is a steel band that is meant
to remind Sikhs of God’s presence at
all times. It is also a symbol of self
restrain, reminiscent of wearing
shackles in slavery.
The Guru Granth Sahib explains the
importance of kara, stating:
“With your hands and feet, do all
your work, but let your consciousness
remain with the Immaculate Lord”
(SGGS page 1376)

11. Kachera is a pair of shorts worn as underwear. They
symbolize self control and chastity. The kachera
remind baptized Sikhs of their high moral character.
Sikhs are taught the importance of sexual self control
in the Guru Granth Sahib, which states:
Through the Kind and Compassionate True Guru, I
have met the Lord; I have conquered sexual
desire, anger and greed. (SGGS page 81).
Sexual desire is considered one of the 5 evils in
Sikhism, so the kachera are symbolic of overcoming
that evil.

12. The Nishan Sahib is the Sikh flag which is flown outside
of all Gurdwara (Sikh houses of worship).
Nishan is a Pershian word meaning “flag” and Sahib is
Arabic for “lord” or “master”. The top of the flag staff is
a Khanda, the double edged sword, and some Nishan
Sahib will have Ik Onkar inscribed on them. Traditionally
Nishan Sahib are a bright saffron color so that the
presence of Khalsa can be easily seen by other Sikhs. It
is very important for the flag to be replaced once its
brightness has faded. The Nishan Sahib is most
important to Sikhs as a symbol of Sikh unity and a means
to create visibility of Sikhs among larger communities.

13. There are ten gurus, or teachers, in
Sikhism who lived between 1469 and
1708. The first guru, Nanank Dev, and
the last guru, Gobind Singh, are
considered the most important of all the
gurus. Guru Nanank Dev was the
founder of Sikhism and over 900 of his
hymns are in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Guru Gobind Singh gave Sikhs the
concept of Khalsa and the 5 K’s. Sikhs
believe that the divine spirit of the
gurus was passed on from one to the
next. Guru Gobind Singh declared that
after his death, the spirit of the gurus
would be passed on into the Sikh holy
scripture, hence why it’s called the Guru
Granth Sahib.

14. One of the biggest differences that Sikhism has from Hinduism is that
Sikhs reject the Hindu caste system; instead they believe in the
equality of all people. This is especially important in terms of the
equality of women, who at the time that Sikhism was created were
treated as property in most other religions.
One way that Sikhism symbolizes the equality of all people is through
the use of surnames. Guru Gobind Singh declared that all Sikh men
should adopt the name Singh, meaning lion, and all Sikh women take
the name Kaur, meaning princess, thus establishing equality among
genders and individuals.

15. From the belief in the universal spirit of waheguru, to the 5 K’s of purity, to the
promotion of equality through surnames, one can see that peace and unity
within the universe are the key beliefs to Sikhism.
When I see a Sikh man wearing a turban, I now understand the symbolism of
that turban—how he is observing one the the 5 Ks of Sikhism and how his
turban is symbolic of his respect to God and the natural perfection of the
universe.
More importantly than just understanding Sikhism, one can see in this
collection of images how religion is as Clifford Geertz says, “a system of
symbols”; symbols embody the teachers, the scriptures, the beliefs, the
history, and the culture of a religion. The power of the symbols is that they are
a physical manifestation of beliefs. The symbols make the ideas something we
can see, or feel, or interact with. The symbols are what make religion come to
life; they make religion real.

16. “Sikhiwiki” <http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page>
“The Sikhism Home Page” < http://www.sikhs.org/topics.htm >
“Sikhism” < http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/sikhism.html >
“Sikh Gurus” < http://www.sikhismguide.org/gurus.shtml >
“Sikhism: It’s beliefs, practices, symbol and names”
<http://www.religioustolerance.org/sikhism2.htm>
“Sikhism Basics” < http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Sikhism/Sikhism-Basics.aspx>
IHRTLUHC
Deana Zehren