Sikhism

Symbol	Supreme Being	Book
	Nam (God)	Guru Granth Sahib (Revered Book) Adi Granth (First Book) Includes some writings from Muslim and Hindu

When	Where	Who
About 500 years ago	Punjab in Northern India	Guru Nanak (born 1469) another 9 Gurus until the death of Guru Gobind Singh in 1606. He then declared guruship on the scriptures.

Beliefs

Everyone is equal.
A person's actions determine whether the soul will enter the next life as a plant, animal or human being.
Ritual is unnecessary, right conduct is essential. By doing this and by living good and simple life, people could free themselves from the cycle of reincarnation
Open to other religions

Place of Worship	How	Prayer
Gurdwara The holiest place for Sikhs is the Golden Temple at Amritsar	Take off shoes Cover their heads Bow very low to the scriptures Wear a turban	Shabads (hymns or poems)

Rites of Passage

Coming of Age

Khalsa ("pure") - Members willing to arm themselves and serve the Panth military if necessary.
Vow not to cut hair, smoke, drink alcohol, keep the five K's Kesh - hair; Kara - steel bracelet a reminder to do good deeds for God; Kirpan - small sword with which to stand up for what is right; Kacchera - shorts worn under clothes to show goodness and action; Kanga - a small wooden comb carried as a sign of cleanliness
Men adopt the name of Singh (lion) and women the name Kaur (Princess) instead of their caste name