Gurdwara

Prayer Hall (Diwan)

Kirtan, Ardas, Karah Parshad

Langar

Festivals
   Gurpurbs
   Melas
   Vaisakhi
   Diwali


Sikhism index

WORSHIP AND CELEBRATION

Diwali

Diwali is celebrated because:

• Guru Hargobind returned to Amritsar from being imprisoned. He had also freed fifty-two innocent princes.

What happened was:

• Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, had been arrested for political reasons.
• The Mughal Emperor now decided that the religious fundamentalists that had been behind the martyrdom of the fifth Guru, Guru Arjun, were a greater threat to his throne.
• The Mughal Emperor, therefore, offered to free Guru Hargobind.
• Guru Hargobind refused to take his freedom until fifty-two princes who had also been detained for political reasons were also freed.
• The Emperor offered that all those who could hold the Guru's cloak could go free.
• Fifty-two tassles were attached to the Guru's cloak and holding to his cloak all the fifty-two princes went free.

In addition to Nagar keertan (street procession) and Akhand paath (continuous reading of Guru Granth Sahib), Diwali is celebrated by:

• fireworks display
• the Golden Temple is lit up.