Here is your short essay on “The Life Cycle Ritual of Birth Among Sikh” !
The social organization of the Sikhs. The origin of the Sikhs, their ideology, their five emblems and so on are presented. So we can go straight to the rites of birth. The rites of Sikhs too like those of the Hindus and Syrian Christians reflect a similar aspect of the rites of passage. That is preliminal rites or rites of separation before birth; liminal or transitional rites at or just around birth when the tension is at the highest; and finally the naming ritual which are rites of incorporation or postliminality.
The births of a child whether boy or girl is equally welcome. When the mother has recovered, there is a visit to the gurudwara for giving thanks. A certain amount of cash is given to buy Karah Prasad. In villages women prepare the Karah Prasad themselves and take it to the gurudwara. A ‘romalla ‘or piece of silk or brocade about one square meter is given to the Guru Granth Sahib. At the gurudwara thanks giving sabads (hymns) are read.
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Devout families ask that the child be given ‘amrit’ or nectar which is made by dissolving patashas (sugar crystals). The granthi (priest) stirs the water with a khanda and describes the first five verse of the Japji. The amrit is put on the kirpan ‘and touched on the child’s tongue with it. The mother,drinks the rest. The Guru Granth Sahib is now opened at random and the first word of the left hand page will be read out to the parents.
The name is decided by using the initial of the word and announced. The granthi says ‘Jo bhole so nihal’ and the congregation approves by saying ‘Sat sri akal’ Prayers follow. There are social customs as well. In a joint family the baby is born in the husband’s home. The wife’s parents visit her bringing gifts for her and the mother-in-law and a turban for the husband and father-in-law. Sometimes a langer or free feast could be arranged for the poor and gifts given to widows as charity. The Sikh birth rites too are rites of in oration. Besides going to the gurdvara and visiting the bride’s mother and father, they are also rites of social interaction. They also show ritual as occupation in the form of the granthi. Spiritual merit and spiritual advancement is also seen. Socialization behaviors are also clearly present. Life Cycle Rituals-I : Birth and Marriage however Sikhism is essentially an open and modern religion. The martial aspect of the religion surfaces forcefully m the amrit ceremony where patashas are dissolved in water by a short two edged sword. The amrit is then given to the child on his lips and tongue with that Khanda. Also the way of naming is very random but based again on the Guru Granth Sahib.