1. Sikhism

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3. Origins and Beliefs

4. Sikhs believe in one God (monotheism) who guides and protects them and stresses the importance of demonstrating good actions rather than practicing rituals. The Sikhism beliefs view everyone as equal before God and there should be constant devotion and remembrance of God. There are a specific rules as a guidance to lead a good life. These are: O Keep God in heart and mind at all times O Live honestly and work hard O Treat everyone equally O Be generous to the less fortunate (through actions) Origins Sikhism was founded in the 16 th century in the Punjab district which is now India and Pakistan. The religion was founded by Guru Nanak and is based around his teachings and the nine other Sikhs gurus who followed him. Today there are roughly 20 million followers of the Sikhism religion worldwide and most live in the Punjab district of India. In 2001 the census recorded 336,000 Sikhs living in the United Kingdom and is considered the 5 th largest religion in the world.

5. Holy Scripture

6. O The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture that Sikhs hold with upmost respect. It is the only scripture of its kind that contains writings from other faiths as well the writings from the founders of Sikhism. The book is their representation of a living God.

7. Place of Worship

8. O The Gudwara is the place for worship for Sikh followers and plays a vital part in following the rules to lead a good life. The Gudwara was given its name by Guru Hargobind and means the gateway to the guru. Any room or building containing the Guru Granth sahib is referred to as a Gudwara. There are three main functions that take place in the Gudwara and one is an open kitchen to all visitors of all religions as a way to fulfil their beliefs of treating everyone equally and giving to the less fortunate. The Golden Temple in India is the central place of religion for Sikhs and symbolises brotherhood and equality.

9. Festivals and Celebrations

10. O There are many festivals and celebrations within the Sikh calendar. The most well-known for children is Diwali. The celebration of lights is also shared with other regions such as Hinduism. It is the festivity that celebrates the release of the sixth guru from imprisonment and people light diva lamps around their homes as recognition.

11. The Five K’s

12. The five k’s together symbolise that the Sikh has dedicated themselves to a life of devotion and submission to the Guru. The 5 physical symbols worn by those who are in initiated in to the Khalsa are: O Kesh (uncut hair) O Kara (a steel bracelet) O Kanga (a wooden comb) O Kaccha - also spelt, Kachh, Kachera (cotton underwear) O Kirpan (steel sword)