An introduction to the basic beliefs of Sikhism ... 

The Palace of the Lord God is so beautiful. Within it, there are gems, rubies, pearls and flawless diamonds. A fortress of gold surrounds this Source of Nectar. How can I climb up to the Fortress without a ladder? By meditating on the Lord, through the Guru, I am blessed and exalted. The Guru is the Ladder, the Guru is the Boat, and the Guru is the Raft to take me to the Lord’s Name. The Guru is the Boat to carry me across the world-ocean; the Guru is the Sacred Shrine of Pilgrimage, the Guru is the Holy River. If it pleases Him, I bathe in the Pool of Truth, and become radiant and pure." (Guru Nanak, Sri Rag, pg. 17)

• The founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak was born on April 15, 1469 in the Western Punjab village of Talwandi
• He was born into a simple Hindu family
• Guru means teacher or religious leader but also comes from Gu meaning light and Ru meaning darkness
• There are ten Gurus in Sikhism
• The final living Guru, Guru Gobind Singh died in 1708
• The Sikh holy book is the Guru Granth Sahib
• Sikh belief is in one God only
• The place of worship is the Gurdwara
• The word 'Sikh' in the Punjabi language means disciple
• Some of the Sikh festivals include the Gurupurabs, Baisakhi, and Diwali 
• The five sacred symbols prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh are known as the Five K's because they all begin with K ... click here to see them

Sikh symbols:

The Khanda

Ik Onkaar (There is One God)

• www.sikhs.org A Sikh website packed with information about Sikhism.

• www.ikonkar.com/sikhism/sikhism.htm An informative site maintained in an easy to understand yet very effective format.

• http://members.pgonline.com/~mpurewal/gurbakhsh.html Young Sikh people ask questions about their faith and practices.  

• www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/world_religions/sikhism.shtml An introduction to Sikhism from the BBC.

• www.allaboutsikhs.com Another Sikh website, this one a little more user-friendly.

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