Kara - one of the five articles of faith for the Sikhs

The Sikhs were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699 to wear a steel slave bangle called a Kara at all times. This was one of five articles of faith, collectively called Kakars that form the external visible symbols to clearly and outwardly display ones commitment and dedication to the order (Hukam) of the tenth master and become a member of Khalsa. The Khalsa is the "Saint-Soldier" of Guru Gobind Singh who undertakes the following: A Sikh (IPA: [siːk] or [sɪk]; Punjabi: , , IPA: [sɪk. ... An artists impression of Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (Punjabi: )(Born in Patna, Bihar, India, on December 22, 1666 as Gobind Rai – October 7, 1708, Nanded, Maharashtra, India) was the tenth and last of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on November 11, 1675 following in... Traditional fervour and gaiety mark the celebrations of Baisakhi, which stands for the dawn of a new year in north India. ... The Amrit Sanskar Ceremony Amrit Sanskar or Amrit Sanchar or the Amrit ceremony is the Sikh ceremony of initiation or baptism. ... Events January 26 - Treaty of Karlowitz signed March 30 - the tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa. ... Bangles in Laad Bazaar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. ... Kara may refer to: Kara, a city in northern Togo The Kara people of Ukerewe island in Tanzania Kara, a type of bracelet worn in South Asia, and a requirement to be worn by followers of the Sikh faith. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Khalsa which means Pure is the name given by Guru Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking Amrit in ceremony called Amrit Sanchar. ...

"He does not recognize anyone else except One Lord, not even the bestowal of charities, performance of merciful acts, austerities and restraint on pilgrim-stations; the perfect light of the Lord illuminates his heart, then consider him as the immaculate Khalsa." (Guru Gobind Singh in the Dasam Granth page 1350)

The Kara is to constantly remind the Sikh to always remember that whatever he or she does with their hands has to be in keeping with the advice given by the Guru. And this advice can be summed up in this line from the SGGS, the Sikh holy scripture: "In the tenth month, you were made into a human being, O my merchant friend, and you were given your allotted time to perform good deeds." (SGGS page 76) Guru Granth Sahib (Granth is Punjabi for book, Sahib is Hindi meaning master, from Arabic, meaning companion, friend, owner, or master) or Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji or SGGS for short, is more than a holy book of the Sikhs. ...

Normally worn on the right arm

The Kara is a constant reminder of the Sikh's mission on this earth and that he or she must carry out righteous and true deeds and actions in keeping with Gurbani. The Kara is usually worn on the right hand although this has not been stipulated by the tenth Guru. Sikh Holy Texts Bani is the term used by Sikhs to refer to various sections of the Holy Text that appears in their several Holy Books The important Banis are listed below: Japji Sahib 1. ...

Bhagat Kabir reminds the Sikh to always keep ones consciousness with the Lord thus: Kabir (also Kabira, Hindi: , Punjabi: , Urdu: , 1440 - 1518) was an Indian mystic who preached an ideal of seeing all of humanity as one. ...

"With your hands and feet, do all your work, but let your consciousness remain with the Immaculate Lord. ||213||" (SGGS page 1376)