Sikhism, Sikhs

A religion that was founded in the Punjab about five hundred years ago. The Sikh population is most dominant in the Punjab region, and its holy city is Amritsar, site of the Golden Temple. Sikhism espouses equality of all men and women, a reaction against and renunciation of the caste restrictions of Hinduism. Sikhs are permitted to eat meat of all kinds except beef. As a sign of their commitment to Sikhism, Sikh men keep their hair long and their beards unshaved, and coil their hair under a turban. There has been a Sikh independence movement in India, fighting for Kalistan (an independent Sikh nation), and some Hindu nationalist violence against Sikhs in Delhi and other places, but in general the Sikh population lives side by side with other communities.