Ik Onkar

Ik Onkar (also ੴ, ਇਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ, Ik Oankar) is a central tenet of Sikh religious philosophy.[1] It is a symbol of the unity of God in Sikhism, and is found on all religious scriptures and places such as Gurdwaras.

Derived from Sanskrit, Ik Onkār is the first phrase in the Mul Mantra referring to the existence of "one God;"[2] It is found in the Gurmukhi script[3] and is consequently also part of the Sikh morning prayer, Japji Sahib. It is a combination of two characters: the numeral Ik (one) and the first letter of the word Onkar (God) - which also happens to be the first letter of the Gurmukhī script, with a specially adapted vowel symbol.