First shaped in the wake of the Gurdwara Reform Movement, today’s Sikh Rehat Maryada sprang from a drive to weld countless local customs into one clear, communal guide. After the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) formed in 1925, an Ad Hoc Rehat Maryada Committee—featuring stalwarts like Master Teja Singh, Giani Sher Singh and Bhai Vir Singh—hit the ground running. Over dozens of sessions between 1928 and 1930, these scholars sifted through historical hukamnamas, janamsakhis and oral traditions, ironing out discrepancies so the “apples wouldn’t fall far from the Guru’s tree.”

A draft emerged, but the real magic happened on November 30, 1945, when the SGPC in Amritsar formally adopted the finalized code. Akal Takht’s endorsement soon followed, turning that draft into the living backbone of Sikh discipline: daily Nitnem, Amrit Sanskar protocols, dietary guidelines, and more. Ever since, minor tweaks have kept pace with changing times—but its core remains as steadfast as the Golden Temple’s marble.

Today, the Maryada enjoys a digital makeover. An SGPC smartphone app launched in 2023 delivers its teachings to handheld devices from Vancouver to Vadodara, making the same century-old wisdom available with a tap. During the recent 550th Parkash Purab celebrations, gurdwaras around the globe leaned on this unified code to keep ceremonies in sync—from Dublin’s langar lines to Chandigarh’s kirtan halls. Its creation story is a testament to collective willpower: a community refusing to let tradition fragment, instead forging a guide that still holds everyone together.