About Sikh Community

The Sikh community of the capital region, about 200 Families, includes:

  •     Small business owners/operators.
  •     Students in colleges and other institutions.
  •     Working professionals (engineers, doctors, teachers, professors, computer/chip scientists, state govt. employees)
  •     Elderly members of families.

A Sikh male can usually be easily identified by his beard and the turban he wears.  Sikh women can also be identified by their traditional Indian tunic dress, called salwar kameez, accompanied by a chunni (thin shawl) covering their head.


Sikhs are proud to be members of our capital region family.   Many have been here for several decades, and there are many newcomers as well.

WHO ARE THE SIKHS?
   The religion of Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539) in the northern region of Punjab (India), the world’s  5th largest religion, has the following tenets:

  •     Belief in One God (Monotheism), without any human form.
  •     Equality of men & women, and equality of all social classes.
  •     Unique physical identity (unshorn hair, turbans, other articles of faith).
  •     Social activism in community to promote equality and charity.
  •     Utmost respect of ALL religions; no attempts are made to convert others to the Sikh faith.  What is important is to believe in God in your own way, live an honest life, help those in need, and view everyone as equal.  That will help create a perfect society.             

SIKH VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY SERVICE:
The congregation of the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple is very engaged in interacting among our community and among other houses of worship in the area.  We are honored to be a member of the Schenectady Clergy Against Hate, a coalition engaged in overcoming hate and prejudice by focusing on our oneness and what our respective faiths teach us.
Our congregation also holds a number of interfaith programs during the year, an annual community fair/open house on our grounds, blood donation drives at the temple (coordinated with the American Red Cross), food and clothing collection for donations to homeless shelters, and other related activities throughout the year.  We are proud to be members of the local community and we respect all our brothers and sisters from all faiths.  That is a basic tenet of our religion.