Those that practice Sikh are often easy to recognise as they move about Manitoba. They wear the turban as a visual commitment to their faith. It is also a symbol of peace and social responsibility when they put it on. It is worn with pride. It shows their dedication to the faith and to serving others. Sikh isn’t always understood by others, but it is widely accepted in Manitoba. People are used to seeing the diversity among those that reside in these neighbourhoods.

Spirituality

Being generous, kind, and giving back are large parts of the Sikh religion. It all begins with inner peace. The spiritual side of it is deep and creates a strong foundation for those that wish to follow this faith. There are Sikh Gurus that teach the ways of this religion and encourage each member to embrace their spirituality.

The gurus provide guidance and share wisdom, helping the followers to get closer to God. This faith shares that God doesn’t encourage fear or hate. They strive to remove both of those elements from the actions and behaviours they are involved with. Part of the spiritual link to God is the length of their hair. Both men and women take pride in growing their hair as long as possible.

Unless you know such individuals on a deeply personal level, you may never see them without their turban on. It may surprise you to discover how long their hair has become. They view it as the longer the hair, the closer they are to God. The hair is kept very clean and it takes discipline and patience to keep it clean and tangle-free.

They don’t believe in Heaven or Hell. Instead, they believe greed and the ego can cause a person to live a hellish life on Earth. Their actions and behaviours encourage them to be kind and giving. These efforts will help them to earn an honest living, help those less fortunate, and to be close to God upon their death.

Equality

You won’t find any Sikh faith followers belittling other religions. Their faith teaches them equality for all. It encourages them to talk about their faith and share resources to encourage others to follow them. They don’t force it on anyone, but they openly discuss it. If they know someone isn’t affiliated with any religion, they may take that opportunity to educate them about the Sikh way of life.

Women tend to embrace this faith because it treats women as equals. For many immigrants, that is empowering to them when they reach Manitoba. They faced suppression before on many levels and this faith gives them a chance to be seen in a better light. Women are even encouraged to take on leadership roles in the Sikh religion. While they do so in other religions, it can often be difficult to do so.

Gurdwara

The Gurdwara is the location where Sikh worship takes place. They tend to be multi-tiered and feature arches. The domes are gold plated to help them be attractive and reflective when the sunlight shines on them. They welcome individuals to come inside regardless of their chosen faith. There are a few Gurdwaras in Manitoba, they are all large in size to accommodate volumes of people.