India's got talent

[Gob]

[rubato]

I think they need to practice until they can do it without all the bloody faces and bodies.

yrs,
rubato

[loCAtek]

As you can see from the turbans, they are Sikhs. What they are demostrating is the
'Power of Khalsa'

Word "Khalsa" comes from a Persian word "Khalis" which literally means Pure. Khalsa is someone who is pure hearted. It is a spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood devoted to purity of thought and action. Guru Gobind Singh was in search of a word which could have the sanctity of five and the presence of God. Persian was the language of the elite and the Guru himself was a great scholar of Persian language and literature. He adopted the word Khalsa for his Sikhs because it fulfilled both the conditions in the most appropriate manner. Besides this word had already been used by Guru Hargobind for his Sikhs. In Persian script Khalsa consists of five letters:

1) Khe or Kh stands for Khud or oneself

2) Alif or A stands for Akal Purakh of God

3) Lam or L signifies Labhaik. The News Royal Persian-English Dictionary by S. C. Paul, 1925 edition, Allahbad, p. 357, gives its meaning as follows; "What do you want with me? Here I am. What would you have?"

4)Swad or S alludes to Sahib or Lord or master.

5) It ends with A or H. Alif or A points to Azadi or freedom. If written with a he or H as it is generally the case, it refers to huma, a legendary bird. Every head it overshadows, in time wears a crown.

The word Khalsa, therefore, has the sacredness of the number five as well as the presence of God with his Sikhs


...



The Khalsa was to be a saint, a soldier and a scholar, with high moral and excellent character. He or she would be strong, courageous, learned and wise. In order to mould his personality the Guru inculcated in him the five virtues - sacrifice, cleanliness, honesty, charity and courage, and prescribed a Rehat - the Sikh code of discipline. His character would be strengthened by the spirit of God revealed in the Guru's hymns. For this purpose he was asked to recite the five sacred composition or Banis daily.

The combination of virtue and courage is the strength of the Khalsa. This is an assurance against the ruthless exploitation of masses by their masters, and a device for overcoming hurdles that lied in the practice of holiness and spiritualism in daily life. Guru Gobind Singh commanded the Khalsa to use the sword only in times of emergency, that is, when peaceful methods failed and only for self-defense and the protection of the oppressed. His spirit will continue to inspire them for the preservation of peace, order and dignity of mankind for all time to come.


The Birth of the Khalsa