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A Sikh family leaves Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, the main Sikh temple in India. It’s known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Har Krishan. Sikhs revere ten human teachers, known as gurus, who they believe were chosen to present God’s messages to humanity. 1 What Is Sikhism? T he word “Sikh” comes from the Punjabi word shishya , which means “disciple” or ‘follower.” Sikhs follow the teachings revealed by God to ten men who are known as the Gurus. These men lived between the years of 1469 and 1708 CE in a region known as the Punjab, on the Indian subcontinent. “Guru” is a combination of two Punjabi words, gu (meaning “darkness”) and ru (“light”). A guru is someone whom people believe can take away spiritual darkness and bring spiritual light. In India and elsewhere, the word guru is often translated as “teacher.” The teachings of the ten Sikh gurus can be summarized by the phrase “one God and one humanity.” In the culture of the Indian subcontinent, people were divided into social

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