Khalsa
/ˈkʌlsə
/noun
The body or company of fully initiated Sikhs, to which devout orthodox Sikhs are ritually admitted at puberty. The Khalsa was founded in 1699 by the last Guru (Gobind Singh). Members show their allegiance by five signs (called the five Ks): kangha (comb), kara (steel bangle), kesh (uncut hair, covered by a turban, and beard), kirpan (short sword) and kuccha (short trousers, originally for riding).The former entered the fold of the Khalsa in Guru Gobind Singh's time, and took the name of Lal Singh....
- The community of men and women who have been initiated into the Sikh faith is the Khalsa.
- As a member of the Khalsa, one drew the kirpan as an absolute last resort and only then to do the work of justice, to raise it for the oppressed and the weak, to use in defense of oneself or others.
Origin
Via Urdu from Persian, from the feminine form of Arabic ḵāliṣ 'pure, belonging to'.