Sikh traditions
Sikh traditions come from Punjab and are kept by Sikhs around the world, centred on the gurdwara, the Guru Granth Sahib, the langar kitchen and the five Ks.
Sikh traditions come from Punjab and are kept by Sikhs around the world, centred on the gurdwara, the Guru Granth Sahib, the langar kitchen and the five Ks. Major occasions include Vaisakhi, which marks the founding of the Khalsa in 1699, the birthdays of the Gurus, Bandi Chhor Divas at Diwali and the martyrdom days. Sikh weddings, the Anand Karaj, involve circling the holy book four times. These pages describe Sikh customs with respect, and note the generosity of the langar, which is open to all.
The gurdwara and the langar
Every gurdwara is open to all, with a hall for the Guru Granth Sahib and a free kitchen. Visitors cover their heads, remove shoes and sit on the floor, and share the vegetarian meal served by volunteers. The singing of hymns, kirtan, is the central form of worship. Karah prasad, a sweet pudding, is handed out at the end, and every visitor takes some.
Vaisakhi and the year
Vaisakhi, in mid-April, celebrates the harvest and the creation of the Khalsa, with processions, nagar kirtan and bhangra. The Golden Temple at Amritsar is lit for Bandi Chhor Divas, and Gurpurabs mark the births of the Gurus with readings and langar. Sikh communities in Britain, Canada and Australia hold large public parades. The tradition values service, equality and the courage to stand up for others.
About this page
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background on Sikh (faith). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
🇮🇳 Ayodhya, India and 7 moreDiwaliदीपावली (Dīpāvalī)
A five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and its diaspora to mark the victory of light over darkness.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Amritsar, India and 1 moreGatkaਗੱਤਕਾ (Gurmukhi) / گَتّکا (Shahmukhi)
A Sikh martial art of stick-fighting and sword dance from the Punjab region.Performance
🇮🇳 Nanded, IndiaGurpurabਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
A Sikh festival marking the birth or martyrdom of a Guru with prayers, processions and community meals.Festival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePhulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ
Geometric and floral threadwork embroidered by Punjabi women on handwoven cotton.Craft
🇲🇦 Marrakesh, Morocco and 5 moreGnawa musicڭْناوة or كْناوة
A spiritual musical tradition of Morocco that blends West African rhythms with Islamic ritual to heal and connect communPerformance
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreAkhand Pathਅਖੰਡ ਪਾਠ
The unbroken, continuous reading of the entire Sikh scripture over two daysSpiritual
🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreMaslenitsaМасленица
A seven-day Eastern Slavic festival of pancakes and bonfires marking the end of winter before Lent.Festival · Breakfast
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreRite of passage
A ceremony that marks leaving one group and entering another, with a new statusRite of passage
🇮🇳 Prayagraj, India and 6 moreMakar Sankrantiमकरसङ्क्रान्ति (Makarasaṅkrānti)
A mid-winter harvest festival marking the sun's northward journey, celebrated across South and Southeast Asia with fairsFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Amritsar, India and 1 moreVaisakhi
A spring harvest and new year festival kept across India and Pakistan by Hindus and Sikhs.Festival
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreGuru Purnimaगुरुपूर्णिमा
A sacred South Asian festival honouring spiritual guides, teachers, and mentorsSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLohri
A northern Indian midwinter festival of evening bonfires, folk songs and harvest foodsSeasonal
🇺🇦 Kyiv, UkraineChristmas in UkraineРіздво (Rizdvo)
A Ukrainian Christmas celebration with a twelve-dish vegan supper on Christmas Eve and observance on January 6 or DecembFestival · Supper
🇮🇳 Varanasi, India and 2 moreKartika Purnimaकार्त्तिकपूर्णिमा (Kārttikapūrṇimā)
A full moon festival of lights and holy baths celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains across South Asia.Festival
🇮🇳 Anandpur Sahib, IndiaHola Mohallaਹੋਲਾ-ਮਹੱਲਾ
A three-day Sikh festival of martial arts, poetry, shared meals and grand processionsFestival
🇵🇰 Lahore, PakistanMela Chiraghanمیلہ چراغاں
A three-day Lahore festival honouring the sixteenth-century Sufi poet Shah Hussain.Spiritual
🇮🇳 Amritsar, IndiaBandi Chhor Divasਬੰਦੀ ਛੋੜ ਦਿਵਸ
A Sikh festival of liberation marking the release of Guru Hargobind and fifty-two princes from Mughal imprisonment.Festival
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreLangarਲੰਗਰ
The free kitchen at a gurdwara, where all sit and eat together as equalsTable custom
🇮🇳 India and 2 morePehlwani
A traditional discipline of clay-pit wrestling across the Indian subcontinent.Game
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreProstration
Bowing the whole body to the ground, in prayer and as a sign of respectSpiritual
🇮🇳 Ujjain, India and 1 moreVikram Samvatविक्रमसंवत्
A lunisolar Hindu calendar of Nepal and India, its years counted 57 ahead of the GregorianSeasonal
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India
Weddings across India, each shaped by faith, region and familyRite of passage
🇵🇰 Multan, Pakistan and 3 moreShalwar kameez
Loose trousers and a long tunic, worn as one outfit across South AsiaDress
🇮🇳 Mumbai, India and 1 moreDhoti
A long unstitched cloth men wrap like trousers, for worship and formal daysDress
🇮🇳 Pune, India and 5 moreTurbanدولبند (dolband)
Cloth wound around the head, worn for faith, rank, shade and identityDress
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreBhajanभजनम् (bhajanam)
Devotional songs of South Asia, sung alone or together with drums and cymbalsPerformance
🇮🇳 Chandigarh, India and 3 moreGuru Nanak Gurpurabਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, kept with processions, hymns and a shared mealSpiritual
🇮🇳 IndiaGuru-shishya traditionपरम्परा
The lineage system passing spiritual and artistic knowledge from master to discipleSpiritual
🇦🇱 Gjirokastër, Albania and 5 moreDodola and Perperuna
A rainmaking ritual kept across Southeast Europe, where children dressed in greenery lead processions to call for summerSpiritual
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian
A pre-wedding cleansing ritual in Punjabi traditions, using turmeric paste to prepare the couple for marriage.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Haridwar, IndiaAntam Sanskarਅੰਤਮ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ (Antam Sanskar)
The final rites of passage in Sikhism, involving prayer, cremation, and the dispersal of ashes.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 IndiaNaam Karanਨਾਮ ਕਰਨ
A Sikh naming ceremony held at a Gurdwara to bless the child and choose their name.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePunjabi wedding traditions
The multi-day marriage customs and rituals of Hindu and Sikh Punjabi familiesRite of passage · Sweets given and shared
🇮🇳 IndiaKathaकथा (Hindi/Sanskrit), கதை (Tamil)
A traditional Indian practice of religious storytelling and scriptural commentary, kept across Hindu and Sikh communitieSpiritual
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IndiaWeddings in India
Marriage rites and festive gatherings celebrated across the diverse communities of India.Rite of passage
🇮🇳 Varanasi, India and 3 moreDupattaदुपट्टा
A traditional South Asian scarf worn across the shoulders, chest, and headDress
🇮🇳 IndiaPranamaप्रणाम
A traditional Indian gesture of reverent bowing, prostration, and touching the feetEtiquette
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Christmas in Ukraine: Halyna Kuchmanych, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Diwali: Kalli navya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vikram Samvat: Westindischer Maler um 1400, Public domain, source
- Prostration: Meghan Breeze, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Makar Sankranti: Saloni Desai, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Vaisakhi: Michael Clark, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pehlwani: Prasanna Revan aka. Prasannare at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Maslenitsa: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kartika Purnima: Pictowrit, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lohri: Karen Sandhu, CC BY 2.0, source
- Guru Purnima: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Langar: Harisingh at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mela Chiraghan: Muhammad Umair Mirza, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hola Mohalla: Aayush sharma 923, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Turban: pxhere, CC0, source
- Rite of passage: Rogier van der Weyden, Public domain, source
- Bandi Chhor Divas: UrbanUrban_ru, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Phulkari: Sheebamadanloewinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Akhand Path: William John Howship (1874–1932), Public domain, source
- Gnawa music: Lucyin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gurpurab: Gill Gagandeep, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gatka: Simon Speed, Public domain, source
- Weddings in India: Psoni2402, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shalwar kameez: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dhoti: Redaloes at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Katha: Tirlochan Singh, Public domain, source
- Guru-shishya tradition: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Bhajan: Bootervijay at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Guru Nanak Gurpurab: Giridhar Appaji Nag Y, CC BY 2.0, source
- Antam Sanskar: John Hill, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mayian: Rakzika, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Weddings in India: Jaisingh Rathore, CC BY 2.5, source
- Dupatta: Kinshuk Sunil, CC BY 2.0, source
- Punjabi wedding traditions: Unknown author, Public domain, source