The festivals unique to the Sikhs have little to do with worship of the divine. Instead, the events commemorate the milestones in the lives of the 10 gurus of the Sikhs and their teachings. The guru, or teacher, is the most important person in Sikhism, and is the means to gain union with God.
The Sikh gurudwaras may have idols or sculptures, but they are only in the form of adornment. No worship is offered to any deities. All worship is directed to the holy book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib.
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The Guru Granth takes the place of a deity, and is revered as a god. People circumambulate it and bow down before it. At the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holy book is constantly fanned. Even on holy days, when there are public processions, it is the book that is taken out on a palanquin.
Sikhs observe the birthdays of all their 10 gurus. The birthdays of the first and the last gurus, Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, are celebtrated with all the pomp of festivals.
With bhakti being central to the religion, Sikhism employs a lot of music and song in its attempt to gain union with God. The singing of gurbani, or holy songs, and readings from the holy book marks its festivals.
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