Amrit Ceremony is similar to baptism in Christianity. This ceremony is held to initiate a person into the Sikh religious order. It involves the administering of ‘amrit’ (a solution of sugar in water) to the person undergoing the initiation.
The Amrit ceremony is held in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of Sikhism) and 5 Sikh religious persons. The person undergoing the ceremony takes a bath and wears the five kakars, which are the essential items necessary for a Sikh person. He is given a briefing of the life he must lead after the ceremony. Following his approval to live by the code of Sikh conduct, the amrit is prepared in the ritualistic manner by the five religious persons.
Five handfuls of amrit are given to the person for drinking. It is sprinkled five times each on the hair and the eyes. All the persons undergoing the amrit ceremony are asked to drink amrit from the same bowl, to symbolize equality among them irrespective of their caste, creed and color. The Hukam Nama (divine order) is read from the Guru Granth Sahib. Prayers are offered both at the start and at the end of the ceremony. On conclusion of the amrit ceremony, the persons are accepted in to the Sikh fold. ‘Karah’ Prasad is distributed among those present to mark the conclusion of the ceremony.
A person who has undergone the Amrit ceremony is termed as Amrit Dhari.
