India is a land of myriad religions and cultures. Each of
the religions finds an expression in the celebrations of its unique festivals.
The same holds true for Sikhism as well. However, unlike other religions, the
festivals unique to the Sikhs have little to do with the worship of the
divine. Instead, they commemorate the milestones in the lives of the 10 gurus
of the Sikhs and their teachings. Along with this, Sikhism also celebrates
some of the major festivals that Hindus celebrated - such as Diwali, though
the reasons behind the celebration are different.
Be it in general life or at the time of festivals, in Sikhism, all worship is
directed to the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. Originally compiled by the
first guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak, the book was later edited by Guru Arjan, the
fifth guru. It was brought to its final form by the last of the Sikh gurus,
Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru Granth takes the place of a deity, and is revered
as a god. People circumambulate it and bow down before it. At the time of Sikh
festivals, public processions, in which Guru Granth Sahib is taken out on a
palanquin, are undertaken.
Sikhs observe the birthdays of all their 10 gurus with much fanfare. However,
it is the birthdays of the first and the last gurus, Guru Nanak and Guru
Gobind Singh, where the celebrations take the form of major festivals. The
other day that Sikhs hold in reverence is Baisakhi, or the day when Guru
Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa sect, in the year 1699. With bhakti being
central to the religion, Sikhism employs a lot of music and song in its
attempt to gain union with God. Its festivals are marked by the singing of
gurbani, or holy songs, and readings from the holy book.
The great strength of the Sikhs lies in their sense of brotherhood and
community. It plays a part in their daily life, and particularly during their
festivals, when temple-worship, reading the holy book and communal mingling
take precedence over public celebrations. When it comes to exploring the
feelings of Sikhs during festivals, we get, on one side, their intensely
moving religious songs - gurbanis, and on the other, their hearty dances and
rhythmic and infectious music. The Sikhs are robust and hearty people, and
this reflects in the way celebrate their festivals.
