Nirankari
| Nirankari | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Khalsa Spirit |
| Formation | 1790s |
| Official languages | Punjabi |
| Leader | Baba Dyal Singh |
| Main organ | Sikhism |
| Parent organization | Sikhism |
Nirankari (Punjabi: ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੀ, Hindi: निरंकारी) is a reformist movement in Sikhism.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Nirankari movement originated in Rawalpindi in the north west region of Punjab, during the latter years of the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The sect was founded by Baba Dyal Singh (1783-1855),[1] a Sahajdhari Sikh and bullion merchant.[2] His successor Baba Darbara Singh established many centres beyond Rawalpindi and wrote about the essential teachings of Baba Dayal. By the time of the third successor, Sahib Rattaji (1870-1909), they numbered in the thousands[1] and some became involved in the Singh Sabha Movement under the fourth successor Baba Gurdit Singh. However because their emphasis was largely upon Guru Nanak's message, and the times were dominated by Singh Sabha Sikhs emphasising Guru Gobind Singh's Khalsa, the movement became marginalised. Under the British Raj the Nirankaris were further sidelined. In the twentieth century, an offshoot of the group became the Sant Nirankari Mission, which was severed from the main Nirankari movement in 1928 for their belief in a living Guru after the Guru Granth Sahib, and has since developed into a distinct religious movement.
At the partition of India in 1947, the Nirankaris abandoned their centre in Rawalpindi and established themselves on the Indian side of the border in Chandigarh, from where their activities are administered to the present day. [3][2]
[edit] Baba Dyal Singh
Nirankaris trace their origins to Baba Dyal Singh (1783-1855). Living during a period of Sikh dominance which stemmed from the victories of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Baba Dyal preached against the assimilation of other religious traditions (particularly Hinduism)into Sikhism. He felt that the military successes of the burgeoning Sikh Empire were distracting Sikhs from their duty to remember Akal Purakh through the practice of nam simaran. Baba Dyal was particlularly vociferous on the subject of idolatry, a facet of Hinduism which was creeping into Sikh practice as a result of the close association of the two cultures. He thus emphasised the formless quality of Akal Purakh (nirankar or nirankari), which gave rise to the movement's name.
Baba Dyal reportedly experienced enlightenment at the early age of 18, when he entered meditation and heard a voice saying:
"Give up this ritualistic practice. You have been commissioned to expel the darkness of ignorance... You are a true Nirankari, as you are a believer of God as spirit, without bodily form"[4]
His original movement was confined to the Rawalpindi area, its followers being mainly Khatris and Aroras by caste. Baba Dayal was himself a Sahaj-dhari Sikh, as were most (though not all) of his followers. This did not mean, though, that his followers were expected to give up their occupations and retreat into a life of renunciation. Nirankaris were typically traders and shopkeepers, and these occupations they were expected to continue while focusing their attention on remembrance of the divine Name.
Baba Dayal left his Nirankaris with a brief manual of instruction, called a hukam-nama (although its form and contents are modelled on a rahit-nama).[1] Its content emphasises the teachings of Guru Nanak without mentioning the khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh. The essence of the Nirankari Hukam-nama is contained in the words which every adherent is commanded to utter again and again: "dhan dhan nirankar" ("Glory be to Nirankar").
[edit] Doctrines
The main practice of the Nirankari movement is the mental repetition of the mantra: dhan dhan Nirankar ("Glory, glory to the Formless One"). They reject idolatry and ritual in favour of personal religious practice. They do not subscribe to the orthodox Sikh view that Adi Granth was the last and only eternal Guru for all Sikhs.[5]
Nirankaris do not bury or cremate their dead, instead simply throwing the bodies into a river. They believe that the death of one's human form is an event to be rejoiced and not mourned.[6] Drinking alcohol is prohibited, as well as smoking.[2]
The Anand marriage ceremony has been the most long-lasting contribution of the Nirankari movement to Sikh culture. Initiated by Baba Darbara Singh, it has since been adopted by orthodox Sikhism and is now the standard Sikh marriage ceremony.[4][1]
[edit] Singh Sabha Movement
Under the influence of the Singh Sabha Movement, many Nirakaris sided with the Tat Khalsa, but the Nirankari sect retained its unique philosophy, rejecting the khalsa of Gobind Singh and maintaining a line of gurus descended from Baba Dyal. Teja Singh, speaking for the Tat Khalsa, declared that the differences between the Narankari movement and orthodox Sikhism were 'already obliterated almost completely'.[citation needed].
[edit] Adherents
There are no official numbers, except in the 1891 census 14,001 Hindus and 46,610 Sikhs returned themselves as 'Nirankaris'. (Census of India, 1891, Vol.XX, and vol.XXI, The Punjab and its Feudatories, by E.D. Maclagan, Part II and III, Calcutta, 1892, pp.826-9 and pp.572-3.)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d McLeod, W.H. Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism Manchester University Press ND, 1984
- ^ a b c Singh, Sardar Harjeet; Faith and philosophy of Sikhism Gyan Publishing House, 2009
- ^ Harbans Singh; The Heritage of the Sikhs Manohar, 1983
- ^ a b Cole, William Owen; The Sikhs: their religious beliefs and practices Sussex Academic Press, 1995
- ^ Sikh Heritage
- ^ Punjab Past & Present, April 1973, Ludhiana Mission report, quoted in Cole, 1995
