In the Punjab of the late fifteenth century, Guru Nanak taught that there is one God beyond form and that the path to the divine is open to all, regardless of caste or creed. Sikhism grew from his message and from the nine Gurus who followed him. The line of personal Gurus ended with Guru Gobind Singh, who vested authority in the scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, and in the community of initiated Sikhs, the Khalsa.

Core practices include daily prayer, honest work, sharing of resources, and service to others. The five Ks—uncut hair, a comb, a steel bracelet, a sword, and specific undergarments—mark the initiated Sikh. The gurdwara is both place of worship and community kitchen; the langar meal is offered free to anyone who enters, seated in equal rows. Equality of women and men, rejection of caste hierarchy, and readiness to defend the oppressed are lasting emphases.

History has been marked by both creativity and suffering. Mughal persecution, the formation of the Khalsa in 1699, the rise and fall of the Sikh Empire, and the trauma of Partition have all shaped the community. Today Sikhs live across the world while maintaining strong ties to the Punjab and to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The faith presents itself as a practical path of devotion, discipline, and social responsibility under the one formless God.