Sikhism: What do you know about it?

This monotheistic religion, founded in 15th-centory Punjab (now North India and Pakistan), preaches equality of all mankind and peace. The faith, the world’s fifth-largest organized religion, does not have clergy. The faith has had 10 gurus who lived as leaders in the 15th-17th centuries; the Guru Granth Sahib is sacred scripture and the supreme authority. There are more than 25 million Sikhs worldwide, including roughly 700,000 in the United States, according to the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

5 Seconds

00:00

Sikhs carry a canopy protecting the Shri Guru Granth Sahib, the religion's sacred book, during 2004 celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the book at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. The Golden Temple is the central worship center or gurdwara for Sikhs.

Aman Sharma / AP

Indian Sikhs perform Gatka, a traditional martial art, during a religious procession near the Golden Temple in the northern Indian city of Amritsar in 2004.

Munish Sharma / Reuters

Feb. 28, 2006

Harpreet Kaur of North Potomac, Md., and her son, Harrang Singh, attend a gurdwara, or Sikh temple, in the Washington suburb.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Balbir, Surinder and Joginder Singh, brother priest-musicians, chanting during the morning service at a gurdwara in Washington in February 2006.

Lois Raimondo / The Washington Post

Children are taught how to tie turbans at an evening school in 2009. Traditionally, Sikhs do not cut their hair, and men wear turbans.

Rama Lakshmi / The Washington Post

The sehra or veil is removed from groom Tej Suijlana's head during his marriage to Kivneet Kaur in a Sikh ceremony in Washington in 2009.

Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post

Bride Kivneet Kaur enters the room to be married to Tej Suijlana in a Sikh ceremony in Washington in 2009.

Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post

Jan. 4, 2010

A Sikh performs a fire-breathing act during a procession at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

Jaswinder Singh, a Sikh holy man, walks beside the scripture, the Shri Guru Granth Sahib, during a procession at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 2010.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

Guransh Singh, center, participates in his Dastar Bandi, a ceremony in which a young male decides to start wearing a turban. The cceremony took place in June 2010.

Marvin Jospeh / The Washington Post

Guransh Singh, center, is congratulated by his cousin Harjot Singh and dozens of family and friends attending his Dastar Bandi, a ceremony in which a young male decides to start wearing a turban.

MARVIN JOSEPH / The WASHINGTON POST

In 2010, participants in an annual Sikh Camp in Derwood, Md., run by the Guru Harkrishan Institute of Sikh Studies.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Indian Sikh pilgrims attend a ceremony at the tomb of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore on June 29, 2011. Singh, who was born in Gujranwala in 1780, was the ruler of the Pakistani Punjab province and died on June 27, 1839.

Arif Ali / AFP/Getty Images

Indian Sikh young women dressed as Nihang - a religious Sikh warrior - shows off their skill in the Sikh martial art known as gatka during a procession from the Gurdwara Ramsar to the Sri Akal Takhat at The Golden Temple in Amritsar on Sept. 1, 2010.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

An Indian Sikh boy lights candles by the Golden Temple in Amritsar on September 1, 2010, on the occasion of the 406th anniversary of the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikh religion.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

Recently married Nanke Kaur of India places cow dung cakes as an offering to be blessed with children. She left the offering at the Sikh Shrine Gurdwara of Bhai Shalo, a loyal disciple of the fourth sikh Guru Ramdass and who established Amritsar.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

A member of the traditional Sikh religious warriors' Nihang Army performs on horseback on the occasion of Fateh Divas, which celebrates the return of the sixth Guru Hargobind, in November 2010.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

Young Sikhs perform a Sikh martial art, known as gatka, during a procession at the Golden Temple a day before the anniversary of the fourth Sikh Guru Ramdass, in Amritsar on Oct. 8, 2011.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

Indian Sikh devotees pay their respects as they take a holy dip in the sarover (water tank) at the Sikh Shrine Golden Temple in Amritsar on April 12, 2012, on the eve of the Baisakhi festival, an ancient harvest festival.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

Indian Sikh devotees watch a fireworks display above the Sikh shrine The Golden Temple in Amritsar on May 2,2012. The devotees are celebrating the 449th birth anniversary of the Sikhs' fifth Guru, Arjun Dev, the youngest son of the fourth Sikh Guru, Ram Das.

Narinder Nanu / AFP/Getty Images

Featured Photo Galleries

Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) introduces U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his vice-presidential running mate during a campaign event at the retired battleship USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, August 11, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)

Mitt Romney picks Paul Ryan as running mate

Romney and Ryan start a bus trip to swing states Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio.

US Destinee Hooker (2-L), Lindsey Berg (2-R) and Foluke Akinradewo (R), block Brazil's Fernanda Rodrigues during the women's volleyball gold medal match of the London 2012 Olympics Games in London on August 11, 2012. AFP PHOTO / FRANCISCO LEONGFRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/GettyImages

Women’s basketball, men’s soccer, men’s 4x100 relay highlight Day 15 at the Olympics

All the best action from Saturday in London.

Dan Gach of Wiss Janney Elstner Associates Inc. collects a lateral line on the south face of the Washington Monument. (Photo by Colin Winterbottom/WJE)

Point of view: From the top of the Washington Monument

After Aug. 2011 earthquake, engineers examined the cracked Washington Monument. While up high, they got unique perspective on D.C.

BRISTOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 10: Hot air balloons take to the skies from Ashton Court at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta on August 10, 2012 in Bristol, England. The early morning flight of nearly 100 balloons over the city was the first mass ascent of the four-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta which started on Thursday. Now in its 34th year, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe's largest annual hot air balloon event in the city that is seen by many balloonists as the home of modern ballooning. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Balloon fiesta, Mars panorama, NASA’s Morpheus lander explosion and more in the day in photos

Balloon fiesta, Mars panorama, NASA’s Morpheus lander explosion and more.

Cincinnati Reds' Scott Rolen slides safely into third base for a triple under Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez (24) in the eighth inning during a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in Cincinnati. The Reds won 5-4. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

MLB power rankings

Dave Sheinin evaluates the best teams in Major League Baseball.

This color full-resolution image showing the heat shield of NASA's Curiosity rover was obtained during descent to the surface of Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The image was obtained by the Mars Descent Imager instrument known as MARDI and shows the 15-foot (4.5-meter) diameter heat shield when it was about 50 feet (16 meters) from the spacecraft.

Rover Curiosity touches down on Mars

NASA’s rover Curiosity touched down deep in a Martian crater.

Actor Dustin Hoffman speaks at The Hollywood Foreign Press Association's (HFPA) annual luncheon to announce financial grants to film schools and non-profit organizations at the Beverly Hills hotel in Beverly Hills, California August 9, 2012. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)

Eye on entertainment

Dustin Hoffman, Jennifer Lawrence, Bucky Covington, Frank Ocean and other celebrities.

Formerly widespread and abundant, the oceanic whitetip is today listed by the IUCN as “vulnerable.” The species has suffered dramatic declines recently; one report shows the oceanic whitetip has experienced a 99 percent drop in population in the Northwest and Western Central Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, making it critically endangered in those regions.

A sea change for Discovery’s Shark Week

As Shark Week turns 25, Discovery tries to keep the annual fest relevant.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.