The Gurus are understood to be the mediators of divine grace. Sikhs are those who are disciples to the Guru. Sikhism originated in the Punjab region of northwest India, where it drew on elements from Bhakti Hinduism and Islamic Sufism to develop into a distinctive religious tradition in its own right. Sikhs believe that liberation from the karmic cycle of rebirths occurs in the merging of the human spirit with the all-embracing spirit of God. Their religious worship involves contemplation of the divine Name.
Moral purity is considered the chief basis of religion.
There is no priesthood per se, but there are official readers of scripture. Not all Sikhs belong to this disciplined fellowship, but many do obey the principle rules of Khalsa. These measures give Sikhs a strong sense of communal identity, symbolized by the characteristic turbans and beards worn by Sikh men. The compilation of the Sikh scriptures, the Adi Granth, was begun in 1604 by the Fifth Guru. This sacred book is considered the living embodiment of all ten Gurus and is therefore the focus of worship in all Sikh temples and local gurudwaras, or sanctuaries.