A big thank you to one of our parents and Grandparent, Dādā jī who came in to discuss Sikhism with our Year 2 children. The children were excited to be able to build on their current knowledge of the religion and ask some wonderful questions.
They started by exploring the history of the religion and learnt that the word ‘Guru’ means teacher in Punjabi. The found out that Sikhism was established by Guru Nanak and since has been led by 9 other Gurus.
They discovered that within Sikhism there are three values which are charity, to remember God constantly and earn and honest living. They also learnt about the 5 Ks. The 5 Ks were introduced by Guru Gobind Singh so that Sikhs could be identified as members of the Khalsa. These are Kesh (uncut hair; Kara (a steel bracelet); Kanga (a wooden comb); Kaccha – also spelt, Kachh, Kachera (cotton underwear) and Kirpan (steel sword). The children were excited to be able to identify the symbols and gain a deeper understanding of the importance of why these symbolisms were put in place over 300 years ago.
The children got to try a traditional treat called Parshad. This treat is normally given to those who visit the Gurudwara, as a symbol that everyone is equal as this treat is made of equal portions of flour, butter and sugar with double the amount of water. The children then asked questions about the Gurudwara, and learnt that within the place of worship, there is a kitchen called Langar. This is where anyone, from any background can eat. The children love expanding their knowledge of different religions.
