Hinduism: Details about 'Singh'
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"Singh", meaning "Lion", is used by Sikhs and some Hindu kshatriya clans as a male name. Naming in IndiaAmong the Hindu community, the usual practice for first or personal names is to give the name of one of the gods, goddesses, spirits, or sages, or a name derived from the divine virtues and roles. The name Singh is given to represent the virtue of strength. It was quite common among the Rajput caste and some kshatriya clans of Hindus, but it has retained some modern popularity in all regions. Singh was originally used by the Hindu Rajputs of North India Reference: Dr. Gopal Singh "History of the Sikhs". After the birth of the Khalsa brotherhood in 1699, the Sikhs adopted the name Singh due to the wishes of Guru Gobind Singh. The Rajput martial way of life was a great influence upon the martial traditions of the Punjab and Shivalik hill ranges as is cited in Guru Gobind Singh's monumentous work and partial autobiography Bachitra Natak. Kaur was used for females since Rajput females used "Kumari". Reference: Dr. McCleod, Head of Sikh Studies, Department of South Asian Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Guru Gobind Singh the tenth Sikh Guru, gave the name Singh,(Singh means a Lion) to all the Sikh men so that all in the community would be equals. Women had not been treated as equals before the time of the Gurus, and so to ensure equality, the name Kaur,(Kaur means Princess) was given to all the Sikh women. The Guru said, “You are my beloved princesses, my daughters. You must be respected. How can this world be without you?” As to given names, the naming ceremony takes place in a Gurdwara in the presence of relatives and friends. Prayers are offered asking for a special blessing of good health, long life and the Sikh way of life. After reciting Ardas, the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, is opened at random. The first letter of the first word of the hymn on the page is selected as the first letter of the child's name. ReferencesTopics in Sikhism
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