Sikhism is a monotheistic faith founded more than 500 years ago
in South Asia. It has about 27 million followers worldwide, most
of whom live in India. There are about 500,000 Sikhs in the U.S.
Observant Sikhs do not cut their hair; male followers often wear
turbans — which are considered sacred — and refrain from shaving
their beards. Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev and follows
the teachings of a series of gurus. " 'Guru' means a leader who
takes a person from darkness to light, meaning from ignorance to
knowledge," said Surinderpal Singh Karla, a delegate of the
World Sikh Council and a congregant of a Sikh temple in suburban
Chicago. The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, "teaches
that God is there for everybody, and we are all his sons and
daughters," Karla said.