Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in the context of "Golden Temple"

The Nishan Sahib (Punjabi: ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਸਾਹਿਬ, lit. 'respected ensign'), also known as the Sikh flag, is used to represent the Sikh people worldwide. Gurdwaras and other Sikh religious spaces are usually marked with a tall flag.

In 1936, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ratified the Sikh Rehet Maryada, which states its colour as either basanti (xanthic) or surmai (navy blue). It is a triangular flag with a Khanda in its centre, made of cotton or silk cloth, and has a tassel at its end.

Rehat (Punjabi: ਰਹਿਤ, alternatively transliterated as Rehit, Rahit, or Rahat) refers to the rules and traditions which govern the unique Sikh lifestyle and determines correct Sikh orthodoxy and orthopraxy. The Sikh Rehit Maryada (Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਰਹਿਤ ਮਰਯਾਦਾ, Sikkh Rahit Maryādā; also transcribed as Sikh Reht Maryada or Khalsa Rehat Maryada) is a code of conduct and conventions for Sikhism. The final version of the Rehat Maryada was controversially approved by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar in 1945. The Rehat Maryada was created to provide guidance to Sikhs (and those desirous of embracing the Sikh faith) on practical and functional aspects of daily life, including the operations of Sikh Gurdwaras, and religious practices to foster cohesion throughout the community. Rehitnāma (meaning "epistles of conduct; plural: Rehitnāme) is a Punjabi term that refers to a genre of Sikh religious literature which expounds upon specifying an approved way of life for a Sikh.