- The Japji
- The Jaapu
- The Ten Sawayyas (Quartets) - beginning “Sarawag sudh”
Then they might bow down to a picture of the Gurus or just bow down and ask God to be by the side of themselves and their family through the day before they go out (to work/to the shops or to visit people). For those who have busy lifestyles they might not recite these prayers at home and listen to a recording in the car on the way to work instead, as reciting all of these prayers is a long process.
In the evening, a devoted Sikh will sing some hymns. At dusk they will sing the Rahiras and nine hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib, occurring in the holy book after the Japuji Sahib, the first of which begins with “Sodar” and the last of which ends with “saran pare ki rakh sarma”.
Just before they go to bed they will say the sohilla. A devoted Sikh will read their Gutka (a smaller version of the Guru Granth Sahib). They will also say following prayers in the evening:
Sodar Rehras compromising the following compositions:
- The Benti Chaupai of the tenth Guru (beginning “hamri karo hath dai rachha” and ending with “dusht dokh te leho bachai”
- The Sawayya beginning with the words “pae geho jab te tumre”
- The Dohira beginning with the words “sagal duar kau chhad kai”
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The first five and the last pauris (stanzas) of Anand Sahib
and Mundawani and the Slok Mahla 5 beginning “tere kita jato nahi” in the evening after sunset.
Apart from a Sikh’s private, daily devotion, Sikh’s also have other devotions.
One is their everyday life and aspects of it, such as dietary practises. The dietary practices of the Sikhs are dependent on the religious order to which they belong. Those who follow Guru Gobind Singh eat a vegetarian diet, free from all animal fat. These members are also forbidden to partake of any intoxicating substance are forbidden to smoke and drink alcohol.
Another devotion is the clothing that the Sikh wears. A requirement for some members of the Sikh faith is the keeping of the "Five K's." The keeping of these things was directed by Guru Gobind Singh.
Kesh, uncut hair, and keeping the hair kept neatly tied in a turban is the symbol of dedication, holiness and group consciousness.
The Kangha, wooden comb, is used to keep the hair clean and in shape.
The Kara, a metal bangle or bracelet worn by men and women on their right wrist, is a symbol of the unity of God. God is seen as being concentric, having no beginning and no end; a bangle reminds the Sikh of their obligation to the faith.
The Kaccha, special knee-length underwear, enables brisk movement and reminds Sikhs of the sexual discipline.
The Kirpan, short sword or dagger, is the symbol of courage and adventure. It is to be used only for defence, but it makes the Sikh faith a "Brotherhood of Arms;" it is only the men who wear the sword symbol. Male Sikhs also choose to wear a turban.
One of the most important of a Sikh’s devotions is one Sikhs call, Vand Chhakna - which means, “giving oneself into service of their others.”
Another private devotion is Pilgrimage. Devoted Sikhs believe that they should go to the Golden Temple at least once in their lifetime, but that is of their own free will as pilgrimage is not compulsory in the Sikh religion. In the Adi Granth, there are two passages referring to pilgrimage:
“True pilgrimage consists of the contemplation of the name of God and the cultivation of inner knowledge.” – Adi Granth 687
“There is no other place of pilgrimage equal to the Guru’s. The Guru alone is the pool of contentment. The Guru is the river from which pure water is obtained, by which the dirt of evil understanding is washed away. – Adi Granth 1,328.
This is why Sikh’s see pilgrimage as a private devotion as it is the thing they decide to do by themselves as it is not obligatory.
Another Private devotion is the celebration and honouration of all special events and festivals. Devoted Sikhs celebrate the anniversaries of the births and the deaths of the ten gurus, especially Guru Nanak in November, Guru Ram Das in October and Guru Gobind Singh in December. They also remember the anniversary of Guru Arjun Dev's martyrdom. In addition to these twenty anniversaries which are celebrated, members of the Sikh faith also commemorate the martyrdom of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh on two separate days. The anniversary of the Baisakhi, the birthday of the Khalsa, is also celebrated. Guru Gobind Singh founded the Guru Khalsa as the new community of the Sikhs. This is the community of the Pure Ones and it strives to be powerful and strong in the defense of the faith and in the establishment of a strict moral society; this day is traditionally celebrated in April. The calculations of all these dates are based on the lunar cycle and the Indian calendar and can be obtained from Sikh Centers.