Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Clergy and religious life

Religious roles in Sikhism

Sikhism has no priesthood and no clergy. Guru Nanak and the Gurus who followed him rejected the idea that a priestly class stands between people and God, and taught the equality of all, regardless of caste or sex. Since 1708 Sikhs have regarded their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, as the living Guru, and the community itself, the Panth, shares in the Guru’s authority. Any Sikh, man or woman, may read from the scripture, lead prayer or sing hymns in the gurdwara. In practice gurdwaras appoint people to care for the scripture and lead its worship, and there are recognised seats of authority, the five takhts, whose leaders speak on matters affecting the whole community. The roles below are forms of service (seva) and responsibility within the community, not ranks of a priesthood, and none confers spiritual status above other Sikhs.

About Sikhism →

  1. The gurdwara
    1. Granthi
  2. The takhts
    1. Jathedar
  3. The Khalsa
    1. Panj Pyara (one of the Five Beloved)
    2. Nihang Singh

Orders and states of life

  • The gurdwara

    A gurdwara, door of the Guru, is wherever the Guru Granth Sahib is installed. The granthi looks after the scripture and reads from it, ragis sing hymns from it to music in the form of worship called kirtan, and the free community kitchen (langar) serves everyone who comes. In Punjab many historic gurdwaras are managed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), formed in 1920.

  • The takhts

    There are five takhts, thrones or seats of authority: the Akal Takht in Amritsar, founded by Guru Hargobind in 1606 as the seat of temporal authority, Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur, Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo, Patna Sahib in Bihar and Hazur Sahib at Nanded. Each is led by a jathedar, and the Akal Takht’s edicts carry weight across the Panth.

  • The Khalsa

    At Anandpur at the festival of Vaisakhi in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa, the order of initiated Sikhs, through the first Panj Pyare, the Five Beloved. Initiated Sikhs (amritdhari) keep the five articles of faith, the five Ks, and a code of conduct. Among them the Nihangs form a distinct order with their own martial traditions.

The takhts

Jathedar

jathedar (Punjabi, ਜਥੇਦਾਰ)

Addressed as Singh Sahib, followed by the name; Jathedar Sahib

A jathedar is the leader of a jatha, a body of Sikhs, and the title is used most prominently for the heads of the five takhts. The jathedar of the Akal Takht is the most senior. Meeting with the other jathedars, he may issue hukamnamas, edicts to the whole Panth, rule on disputes of practice and summon Sikhs who have breached the code of conduct, assigning a religious penalty (tankhah). The SGPC appoints the jathedars of the three takhts in Punjab; those at Patna and Nanded are appointed by their own management boards.

What the figure wears

  1. Turban dastar (ਦਸਤਾਰ)

    A navy-blue turban tied in layers over uncut hair, a colour widely associated with the Khalsa and with the Akali tradition of the takhts.

  2. Long tunic chola / kurta (ਚੋਲਾ)

    A long white or cream tunic reaching below the knees, the traditional formal dress of a Sikh at religious occasions.

  3. Waist sash kamarkassa (ਕਮਰਕੱਸਾ)

    A long navy-blue cloth wound around the waist over the tunic, a traditional sign of readiness for service.

  4. Kirpan and sword belt kirpan (ਕਿਰਪਾਨ), gatra (ਗਾਤਰਾ)

    A short sword in its sheath, one of the five Ks, worn on a cloth belt (gatra) slung across the chest from the shoulder so that it rests at the hip.

Outside services
Jathedars wear the same traditional dress in daily life and at the takht. Like all amritdhari Sikhs, they keep the five Ks at all times.
Insignia
There is no sacred insignia; the office is marked by its seat at the takht and by the siropa, a cloth of honour, given at the installation.

The gurdwara

Granthi

granthi (Punjabi, ਗ੍ਰੰਥੀ)

Addressed as Bhai Sahib or Giani-ji (for a learned reader)

The granthi is the custodian and reader of the Guru Granth Sahib in a gurdwara. Each morning the granthi opens the scripture in the ceremony of prakash, reads the day’s command (hukamnama) from a page opened at random, and at night closes it and lays it to rest in the ceremony of sukhasan. The granthi also leads the prayer of supplication (ardas), reads at weddings and funerals and often teaches Gurmukhi and the scriptures. The role is a form of service, open to any knowledgeable Sikh, including women; it is not a priesthood.

What the figure wears

  1. Turban dastar (ਦਸਤਾਰ)

    A turban tied over uncut hair, here white or saffron; Sikhs choose turban colours freely, with no colour reserved for a role.

  2. Kurta kurta (ਕੁੜਤਾ)

    A long white or cream tunic with long sleeves, falling to the knees, simple in cut and worn for service in the gurdwara.

  3. Churidar churidar (ਚੂੜੀਦਾਰ)

    Close-fitting white trousers gathered in soft folds at the ankle, worn beneath the long kurta.

  4. Whisk chaur (ਚੌਰ) / chaur sahib

    A whisk of long white hair, often yak hair, set in a wooden or metal handle, waved over the scripture as a sign of reverence and sovereignty.

Outside services
Many granthis dress traditionally in daily life as well. In small gurdwaras one granthi may lead every service; larger ones employ several, sharing readings in shifts.
Insignia
None; the granthi's place is beside the Guru Granth Sahib, seated behind it on its raised platform under a canopy.

The Khalsa

Panj Pyara (one of the Five Beloved)

panj pyare (Punjabi, ਪੰਜ ਪਿਆਰੇ); singular pyara

Addressed as No formal style; collectively the Panj Pyare

Tradition holds that at Vaisakhi in 1699 Guru Gobind Singh asked who would offer their head, and five men came forward in turn; they became the first Panj Pyare, initiated as the core of the Khalsa. Today five amritdhari Sikhs of good standing act as Panj Pyare at every amrit ceremony, preparing amrit, water and sugar stirred with a double-edged sword (khanda) in an iron bowl while reciting five prayers, and administering it to initiates. Panj Pyare also lead processions such as the nagar kirtan, walking before the Guru Granth Sahib.

What the figure wears

  1. Saffron tunic kesri chola (ਕੇਸਰੀ ਚੋਲਾ)

    A long saffron tunic reaching below the knee, worn by the five so that they appear alike, recalling the Khalsa’s equality.

  2. Saffron turban kesri dastar (ਕੇਸਰੀ ਦਸਤਾਰ)

    A saffron turban tied over uncut hair, matching the tunic; saffron (kesri) is closely associated with the Khalsa and the Sikh flag.

  3. Waist sash kamarkassa (ਕਮਰਕੱਸਾ)

    A blue or saffron cloth tied around the waist over the chola, a sign of readiness for service.

  4. Kirpan kirpan (ਕਿਰਪਾਨ)

    A sword held upright before the chest in both hands, as the five carry it in processions and at the ceremony.

Outside services
Those who serve as Panj Pyare are ordinary initiated Sikhs who return to everyday dress afterwards; the saffron dress is worn only for the ceremony or procession.
Insignia
The matching saffron dress and the upright kirpan; the role exists only collectively, as five together.

The Khalsa

Nihang Singh

nihang (Punjabi, ਨਿਹੰਗ); also akali

Addressed as Singh, followed by the name; senior leaders are addressed as Baba or Jathedar

The Nihangs are an order of Khalsa Sikhs who trace their origin to the armed followers of Guru Gobind Singh and keep alive the martial ideals of the eighteenth century, when Sikh bands fought Mughal and Afghan rule. They are organised in groups, chiefly the Budha Dal and the Tarna Dal, and many live in moving encampments. Nihangs practise traditional weapons skills and horsemanship, observe a distinct code and vocabulary, and are prominent each spring at the festival of Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib.

What the figure wears

  1. Blue tunic chola (ਚੋਲਾ)

    A long deep-blue tunic reaching below the knees; blue has long been the distinguishing colour of the Nihang order and the older Akali tradition.

  2. Tall turban dumalla (ਦੁਮਾਲਾ)

    A tall blue turban built up of many lengths of cloth, decorated with steel quoits (chakkar) and a small khanda emblem at the front.

  3. Waist sash kamarkassa (ਕਮਰਕੱਸਾ)

    A saffron cloth wound around the waist over the blue tunic, a sign of readiness for service.

  4. Kirpan kirpan (ਕਿਰਪਾਨ)

    A sword worn at the waist, the article of faith every initiated Sikh carries; Nihangs often carry several blades.

  5. Spear barchha (ਬਰਛਾ)

    A long spear with a steel head, held upright, one of the traditional weapons, or shastar, that Nihangs revere.

Outside services
The blue dress and dumalla are worn every day, not only on festivals. Nihang encampments keep horses and weapons, and on festivals they gather to display mounted skills.
Insignia
The tall blue dumalla with its steel chakkar and khanda is the most recognisable sign of the order.

Questions people ask

Does Sikhism have priests?

No. The Gurus taught that no intermediary is needed between a person and God, and Sikhism has no ordination, no sacraments reserved to a priest and no priestly class. Any Sikh, man or woman, may read the Guru Granth Sahib, lead prayer or perform kirtan. Granthis, ragis and jathedars are appointed or paid for their service and knowledge, and outsiders sometimes call them priests, but their roles carry no spiritual status above that of other Sikhs.

Why is a book called the Guru?

Before his death in 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, declared that there would be no further human Gurus and that the scripture, the Adi Granth, would be the Guru from then on. It is therefore known as the Guru Granth Sahib and treated with the respect due to a living Guru: installed under a canopy, attended with a whisk, opened each morning and laid to rest each night. Spiritual authority is also vested in the Khalsa Panth, the community.

What is the Akal Takht?

The Akal Takht, Throne of the Timeless One, stands facing the Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, in Amritsar. Guru Hargobind established it in 1606 as a seat of temporal authority alongside the spiritual focus of the temple. It is the most senior of the five takhts. Its jathedar, with the other jathedars, issues edicts on matters affecting the community, and Sikhs have long gathered there to deliberate on questions of collective importance.

What happens at an amrit ceremony?

The amrit ceremony initiates Sikhs into the Khalsa. In the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib, five initiated Sikhs, the Panj Pyare, prepare amrit by stirring water and sugar in an iron bowl with a double-edged khanda while reciting five prayers. Initiates drink the amrit, have it sprinkled on their eyes and hair, and are instructed in the code of conduct, including keeping the five Ks. The ceremony is open to men and women alike.

What is the SGPC?

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee was formed in 1920, during the Gurdwara Reform Movement, when Sikhs campaigned to take control of historic gurdwaras from hereditary custodians (*mahants*). The Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925 gave it legal authority over many gurdwaras in Punjab. It is elected by Sikh voters, manages major shrines including the Harmandir Sahib, appoints the granthis of the gurdwaras it manages and three of the takht jathedars, and publishes the code of conduct, the *Sikh Rehat Maryada*.

Sources and further reading

  1. Sikhism – W. H. McLeod (Penguin, 1997)
  2. Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction – Eleanor Nesbitt (Oxford University Press, 2005)
  3. The Sikhs of the Punjab – J. S. Grewal (Cambridge University Press, 1990)
  4. The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies – Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech, eds. (Oxford University Press, 2014)
  5. The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition – Harjot Oberoi (University of Chicago Press, 1994)