Satsaṅg, in Sikhism, “the assembly of true believers,” a practice that dates back to the first Gurū of the religion, Nānak. While not unique to Sikhism, the convention of gathering together and singing the compositions of the Gurū was understood in peculiarly Sikh terms, at first as a sign of loyalty to the Gurū and the community that formed around him and later as a means of participating in the power of the divine Word that emanated from the hymns and songs of the Gurūs. Such gatherings take place in a dharamsalas or gurdwārās (Sikh places of worship), are open to men and women of all castes, and allow all assembled to share in the merit of the Gurū and the divine word.