Robyn Lebron the later gurus, and due to increased institutionalization of the religion, some ceremonies and rites did arise The Sikh way of life aims to strip back the trappings of religion to find the truth, and in this spirit there are very few special rules and behaviors to follow on festival days Fasting is not stipulated for any festival—in fact, most are celebrated with a communal meal at the langar or with large family gatherings Most festivals involve a visit to the Temple for prayer, singing and to hear passages read from the Gurū Granth Sāhib; important events in the life of a Sikh may be given an air of special sanctity by a cover to cover reading of the Gurū Granth Sāhib Relays of readers begin at the first page, and take over from each other as they read their way through the book A full reading like this takes about 48 hours; the reading begins two days before the event, and the last reading is usually timed to coincide with the climax of the celebrations.18 Festivals in Sikhism mostly center on the lives of the gurus and Sikh martyrs The , the Sikh organization in charge of upkeep of the Gurudwaras, organizes celebrations based on the new solar calendar This calendar is highly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted Several festivals (Hola Mohalla, Diwali and Nanak’s birthday) continue to be celebrated using the Hindu lunar calendar.19 Sikh festivals include the following: are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of the Sikh gurus and Guru Nanak Dev’s birth (November) or Festival of Lights celebrates both the foundation of the holy city of Amritsar in 1577 and the release of the imprisoned Guru Har Gobind Lights are set up all over homes and the Gurudwara, and people gather together for meals, fireworks, storytelling, and the exchange of presents takes place on the Hindu festival Holi It is an ancient Punjab Sikh festival, where groups of Khalsa Sikhs came together to display their prowess in martial arts, riding, archery, and mock battles Nowadays, there may be mock fights, wrestling and fairs, and feasting in the langar