Readers curious about world religions can explore the meaning and historic significance behind major Sikh holidays and festivals, including Vaisakhi, Bandi Chhor Divas, and Gurpurab.

"Festivals are the oldest rituals and traditions that our countrymen follow to pay tribute to the Almighty god’s and goddess. India is a diverse country with multiple religions and cultures conglomerated into a single form. Festivals make us forget our cultural and religious differences; they unite people and bring them together for the sole purpose of celebration and happiness. In addition, festivals also help us embrace our culture and religion. They are very helpful in breaking the monotony of life. The book narrates the historical background of the important festivals celebrated by Sikhs, leaving aside the various Gurpurabs such as births -Parkash, inaugurations- Gurta Gadi (when they became Gurus), and their deaths – joti jot of Sikh Gurus."

Describes the origins and traditions of Sikh festivals and celebrations around the world.

This book examines three closely related questions in the process of canon formation in the Sikh tradition: how the text of the Adi Granth came into being, the meaning of gurbani, and how the Adi Granth became the Guru Granth Sahib. The censure of scholarly research on the Adi Granth was closely related to the complex political situation of Punjab and brought the whole issue of academic freedom into sharper focus. This book addresses some of these issues from an academic perspective. The Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs, means ‘first religious book’ (from the word ‘adi’ which means ‘first’ and ‘granth’ which means ‘religious book’). Sikhs normally refer to the Adi Granth as the Guru Granth Sahib to indicate a confession of faith in the scripture as Guru. The contents of the Adi Granth are commonly known as bani (utterance) or gurbani (the utterance of the Guru). The transcendental origin (or ontological status) of the hymns of the Adi Granth is termed dhur ki bani (utterance from the beginning). This particular understanding of revelation is based upon the doctrine of the sabad, or divine word, defined by Guru Nanak and the succeeding Gurus. This book also explores the revelation of the bani and its verbal expression, devotional music in the Sikh tradition, the role of the scripture in Sikh ceremonies, and the hymns of Guru Nanak and Guru Arjan.

Celebrate introduces intermediate and middle school learners to major religions around the world with a focus on key festivals and observances. Each title offers the stories of real children, who tell about their lives, what their religion means to them, and how they observe their holy days. Colorful photographs, informative illustrations, and interesting fact boxes bring each festival to life.

What do Sikhs believe? How do they celebrate what is important to them? What food do they eat during festival time? How do Sikhs in the UK celebrate? Read this book to find out the answers to these questions and more. Celebrating Sikh Festivals looks at important religious and family days in the Sikh calendar, and gets readers to take part by cooking some of the food central to Sikh celebrations. The book looks at both international and UK examples of Sikh celebrations. Infosearch asks the questions you want answered.

This new dictionary provides over 350 accessible definitions of the terms that the growing number of students of Sikhism will encounter. It covers beliefs, practices, festivals, sacred sites, and principal languages, as well as the social and religious processes through which Sikhism has evolved. A major focus is the teachings of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, and doctrinal developments under subsequent Gurus. Incorporating the 500-year history of Sikhism, from its birth in northern India to its more recent spread around the world, it covers the interplay between the Sikh tradition and other religious traditions including Hindu and Sufi. It is an invaluable first reference for students and teachers of Sikhism, religious studies, South Asian studies, and philosophy, as well as the related disciplines of history, sociology, and anthropology as well as for all practicing Sikhs and anyone with an interest in Sikh religion and culture.

This illustrated reference work covers a wide range of festivals that have sacred origins and are, or have been, part of a folk tradition, a world religion, or a major civilization. Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia travels around the world and across the centuries to uncover an often unexpected richness of meaning in some of the major sacred festivals of the world's religions, the hallowed calendars of ancient civilizations, and the seasonal celebrations of tribal cultures. From Akitu to Yom Kippur, its 150+ entries look at the content and context of these festivals from a number of perspectives (including those relating to theology, anthropology, folklore, and social theory), tracing their historical development and variations across cultures. Readers will get a vivid sense of what each festival means to the people celebrating it; how each captures its culture's beliefs, hopes and fears, founding myths, and redemptive visions; and how each expresses the universal need of humans to connect their lives to a timeless spiritual dimension.

This text presents an overview of Sikh history and religiosity by firmly placing it against the backdrop of other religious traditions of the world. It includes a basic introduction to the faith, its history, beliefs, practices and modern developments.