Sikhism is India's Fourth Largets Religion

Sikhism is the fourth largest of the religions practiced in India. About 2% of India's population are Sikhs. Most Indian Sikhs reside in the Punjab region, in the far northwest geographic area of India. However, Sikhs also live in different areas of India too.

Male Sikhs traditionally don't cut their hair and don't shave their beard or mustache. They also wrap their hair in a turban. Sikhism is a somewhat newer religion practiced in India, which also originated in India. It was founded by a man named Guru Nanak Dev more than 500 years ago.

He was born into a Hindu family in 1460, and lived with his family in the Punjab state of India. He enjoyed preaching humanity to others. He grew up to become a Guru, which is a person who taught and preached. His followers were called Sikhs, which means learners.

In this religion, everyone has equal rights, regardless of caste, color, sex, race or creed. In fact, the original creators of the religion attempted to do away with the caste system and Sati (the self sacrifice of a widow at her late husband's funeral, which has long since been outlawed in Modern India).

Unlike followers of other religions practiced in India, Sikhs reject fasting, superstitious beliefs, pilgrimage and other similar rituals. It has no clergy class because Sikhs believe that this would lead to corruption and inequality. Instead, they have readers and singers in their temples. It is a religion based on equality.

Sikhs believe in helping there communities to the point that all of their temples, called Gurdwaras, have common kitchens, called Langars, in which Sikhs prepare food and everyone is invited to eat together. The Sikhs celebrate a unique culture, to learn more, check out English Sikh .

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