Jump to content

Ravidassia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sunnyissunny (talk | contribs) at 12:14, 11 May 2010. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ravidassia (Punjabi: ਰਬਿਦਾਸੀ or ਆਦ ਧਰਮ ) is a tradition[1] based on the teachings of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji, who is considered the Satguru.

Ravidasi tradition itself is not a part of Sikhism but is heavily influenced by Sikhism.

In 14th century India, Ravidas, a Dalit by birth, taught monotheistic spirituality and the equality message based on emancipation of the Indian caste system. He was born in an oppressed community known as Chamars, who were considered "untouchable".

Ravidas attracted those considered by Hindus to be the lowest strata of society.

A member of the Ravidasi faith is called a "Ravidasia". The movement is also known as the "Ravidassia Sampradaya".[2]

Procession of Ravidasias in Bedford

Founder

Main article: Ravidas

Shri Guru Ravidass Ji is considered the founder of the Ravidasi faith. His hymns are recorded in the Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji, a quotation being: "My caste is low, my lineage is low, and mean is my birth. I have sought God's refuge, says Ravidas the cobbler."[3]

Guru Ravidass was also the guru of the Vaishnava devotee Sant Mira Bai.

Beliefs

Part of a series on the
Ravidassia
Beliefs and practices
Temples
Scriptures
Holy Places
Founder
Sants
Festivals
Symbols
ਹਰਿ

Ravidas' teachings represent an offshoot of the bhakti movement of the fifteenth century, a religious renaissance in India.

Ravidas taught the following principles:

  • The oneness, omnipresence and omnipotence of God, who is called Hari.
  • The human soul is a particle of the Divine; the difference between the two being like the difference between gold and the bangle, water and the wave.
  • The rejection of caste.
  • To realize God, which is the goal of human life, man should concentrate on Hari, giving up rituals.
  • The only way to liberation is to free the mind from duality.
  • Pilgrimage and bathing in holy lakes is in vain.

The Shri Guru Ravidas Mission London states that the conditions on being a member of the community are:

  • That one who preaches Guru Ravidas' philosophy is a Ravidasi.
  • It is not a condition that one should have been born in the Ravidasi community to become or initiated as one.
  • The scripture of the faith is the Guru Sikhya Sahib.
  • To celebrate Shri Guru Ravidas Jayanti according to the Punjabi calendar, Sunday, Sukhal Falgin Parvithta.
  • To meditate on 'Sohang’.
  • Whenever any Ravidasi receives, meets, writes or addresses a fellow Ravidasi, he or she should say "Jai Gurudev".

Places of worship

The Ravidasi place of worship is called a Gurdehra and is referred to as such by strict orthodox Ravidasis, however, most Gurdehra's are known as "bhawans".[4]

Technically a Ravidasi can meditate and reflect on God anywhere, as Guru Ravidas stated that "God dwells within the heart and is always around us." It is not a strict requirement to cover one's head and to remove footwear when entering a Gurdehra, but many people do so, due to the influence of Sikhism on the Ravidasi faith. Outside a Gurdehra there is always a red flag upon which is written the Nishaan, and above it a lamp symbolising enlightenment from Guru Ravidas's teachings. Langar, a communal lunch, takes place inside the Gurdehra and all are free to partake of it. The Guru Sikhya Sahib is installed as the focal point in the main worship room, and in some Gurdehras a statue of Guru Ravidas is also installed. However, most Gurdehras don't differentiate much from Sikh Gurdwaras.

Arti

Arti takes place daily in the Gurdehra at the closing of the day's formal services, this consists of the famous Arti written by Guru Ravidas in which he tells God that only his name is sufficient.

Naam Tero Aarti Majanu Muraray;Har Ke Naam bin Jhuthey Sagal Pasarey;Naam Tero Aasno – Naam Tero Ursa;Naam Tero Kesro Le Chhat Karey;Naam Tere Ambhula,Naam Tero Chandno;Ghas Japey Naam Ley Tujhey Kou Charey;Naam Tere Deewa – Naam Tero Baati;Naam Tero Tail le Mahen Pasarey;Naam Tere Ki Jot Lagayi; Bhaio Ujaaro Bhawan Saglarey;Naam Tere Taaga – Naam Phool Mala;Bhar Aatharah Sagal Jhutharey;Tero Kiya Tujheh Kiya Arpou;Naam Tere Tuhi Chawar Dholarey;Eh Wartan hai Sagal Sansarey;Keh RAVIDASS – NAAM TERO AARTI;SAT NAAM HAI HAR BHOG TUHAREY.;

"Thy Name Is My Aarti And Ablution, O Lord. Without God’s Name All Religious Paraphernalia Are False. Thy Name Is My Prayer-Mat, Thy Name My Saffron-Grater, And Thy Name Is The Saffron, Which I Sprinkle On Thee. Thy Name Is The Water, Thy Name The Sandal-Wood, And The Repetition Of The Name Is The Rubbing Thereof; This Is The Sandal Paste, Which I Take To Anoint Thee. Thy Name Is The Lamp, Thy Name The Wick, Thy Name Is The Oil, Which I Pour Therein. With Thy Name I Have Kindled The Light, With It’s Illumination My Entire Home Is Bright. Thy Name Is The String, Thy Name The Garland Of Flowers, Defiled Are All The Eighteen Loads Of Leaves, Offerings Of Ours. Why Should I Offer Thee What Thou Thyself Has Created? Thy Name Is The Whisk (Chawar) Which I Wave Over Thee. The Whole World Is Involved In The Eighteen Puranas, And The Sixty-Eight Places Of Pilgrimage, It Rotates Within The Four Forms Of Species. Thy Name Is The Aarti, Sayeth Ravidass And Thy True Name Itself Is Offered, O Lord, As The Ceremonial Food To Thee."

Centers

The Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji contains 41 hymns by Guru Ravidas, which fall under the following: Raga – Siri(1), Gauri (5), Asa(6), Gujari(1), Sorath(7), Dhanasari(3), Jaitsari(1), Suhi(3), Bilaval(2), Gaund(2), Ramkali(1), Maru(2), Kedara(1), Bhairau(1), Basant(1), and Malhar(3). One with slight variations is given in both Rag Sorath and Rag Maru.


Inside the bhawan, hymns from the Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji are recited daily.

Relationship with Sikhism

Today, former Chamars from the Punjab are the largest visible ethnic group in the Ravidasi community. Punjabi Ravidasis have a number of Gurdeheras in the United Kingdom, especially in the Midlands.[5]

The practice of the Ravidasi faith among its Punjabi converts is strongly influenced by Sikh practice and form due to their history in the Sikh community. Ravidasis believe that there is no hypocrisy in practicing Sikhism alongside their Ravidasi beliefs, as the two do not contradict each other.

Ravidasis also believe that Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, might have met with Guru Ravidas during his travels. It is believed that it was at this stage that Guru Ravidass handed over his hymns to Guru Nanak. Both spoke against discrimination based on caste, colour and creed, and preached ideas of equality and socialism, and this is evident from hymns incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib. Not only the Ravidasi's, but all Sikhs call Ravidas, a bhagat of God.

The movement gained an extra impetus in 1920 in Punjab, due to Sikh members of the Chamar caste rebelling against continued caste oppression aimed at them. This group split from the Sikh community and joined the Ravidasi faith en-masse. Today, former Chamars from the Punjab are the largest visible ethnic group in the Ravidasi community. Punjabi Ravidasis have a number of Gurdeheras in the United Kingdom, especially in the Midlands.[5]

Ravidasia Gotras

Some of the prominent Gotras of Ravidasia are : Kainth, Kaler. Singhmar, Seingmar,Jassal, Jassy, Chumer, Chumber, sheemar.

Birthplace of Ravidass

According to historians, Guru Ravidas was born on 15 January 1377 and according to the Indian calendar, Sunday Sukhal Falgin Parvithta in 1433. His birthplace is located in the Uttar Pradesh state in India, in the city of Varanasi. The locality was known as Mandhuadhe. The community was known as ‘Kutvandla’, one of the Shudra communities. Shri Guru Ravidass Janam AsthanMandir, at Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi, India is the ultimate place of pilgrimage for the followers of Ravidas today.

[[Image:|Nishaan]] The Ravidassi religious symbol is known as the Har nishaan. Strictly speaking "Har Nishaan" means "god" and is used in Ravidasi context to mean their god passed down by their Sants. har is the main symbol of the Ravidasis.

Festival

The birthday of Guru Ravidass (Shri Guru Ravidass Jayanti)on February 16 is celebrated every year. It is the annual focal point for Ravidasis. On the day there is an Path of Sri Guru Ravidass Amritbani read, the Har nishaan is changed ceremonially, and there is a special arti and a Nagar Kirtan procession bearing his portrait are taken out to the accompaniment of music through the streets of the temple locality.

Slogans and chants

The following slogans have been used in Ravidassia community worship since around 1490 CE, and are still used today:

  1. “Jo Bole So Nirbhey” – “Ravidassia Dharma Ki Jai”.
  2. “Jo Bole So Nirbhey" – Sadh Sangat Ki Jai”.
  3. “Jo Bole So Nirbhey" – Satguru Ravidass Maharaj Ki Jai”.

Whenever any Ravidassi receives, meets, writes or addresses another he or she is supposed to say "ਜੇ ਗੁਰੂਦੇਵ" “Jai Gurudev” "जय गुरुदेव ".

See also

References

  1. ^ P. 101 Journal of Social Research By Ranchi University Dept. of Anthropology, Council of Social and Cultural Research (Bihar, India)
  2. ^ P. 3 Folk-lore By Théodore De Puymaigre
  3. ^ P. 659, Guru Granth Sahib
  4. ^ http://www.gururavidas.org.uk/ point 15: # To address our place of worship as Ravidasia Gurdehera Sahib’ all the time and for all the purposes.
  5. ^ a b Darshan Singh Tatla, The Sikh Diaspora: The Search for Statehood, pp. 98, Routledge (199) ISBN 1-857-28300-7
  • Adi Granth 29, cited in Hawley, John S. and Jurgensmeyer, Mark (eds.), Songs of the Saints of India (2005) p. 17, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-505221-8
  • Guru Ravidass Marg, Harnam Singh Lakha, Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha UK undated.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ravidasi.

Videos

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ravidassia&oldid=361458742"