| Ravidassia | |
|---|---|
| ਰਬਿਦਾਸੀ | |
 Sri Guru Ravidass Dham inBootan Mandi,Jalandhar | |
| Classification | Indian religion |
| Scripture | Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji |
| Theology | Monotheism |
| Region | Indian subcontinent |
| Language | Punjabi,Hindi,Urdu |
| Origin | Punjab |
| Separated from | Sikhism |
| Logo |  Nishaan |
| Part of aseries on the |
| Ravidassia |
|---|
|
| Beliefs and practices |
| Temples |
| Scriptures |
| Holy Places |
| Sacred figure |
| Sants |
| Festivals |
| Symbols |
| Nishaan |
Ravidassia or theRavidas Panth[1] is a religion based on the teachings ofGuru Ravidas. It was considered asect withinSikhism until 2009.[2][3][4][1] The new religion was officially announced on 29 January 2010 by theDera Sachkhand Ballan.[5] Its scripture is theAmritbani Satguru Ravidas Maharaj Ji.[5] However, some Ravidassias continue to maintain mainstream Sikh religious practices, including the reverence of theGuru Granth Sahib as their focal religious text, wearingSikh articles of faith (5Ks), and appendingSingh orKaur to their names.[6]
Historically, Ravidassia represented a range of beliefs in theIndian subcontinent, with some devotees of Ravidass counting themselves as Ravidassia, but first formed in the early 20th century in colonialBritish India.[3] The Ravidassia tradition began to take on more cohesion following 1947, and the establishment of successful Ravidassia tradition in the diaspora.[7] Estimates range between two and five million for the total number of Ravidassias.[8][9]
Ravidassias Sikhs believe that Ravidas is theirGuru (saint) whereas the KhalsaSikhs have traditionally regard him as one of manybhagats (holy persons), a position considered lower than that of aGuru inSikhism.[10] Furthermore, Ravidassias Sikhs accept livingsants of Ravidassderas asGuru.[11] The Ravidassia religion was significantly emerged as a distinct faith following the2009 assassination attack on their visiting living Guru Niranjan Dass and his deputyRamanand Dass inVienna by Sikh militants.[1][12] Ramanand Dass died from the attack, Niranjan Dass survived his injuries, while over a dozen attendees at the temple were also injured.[12] This triggered a decisive break of the Ravidassia group from the orthodox Sikh structure.[11][1]
Prior to their break from Khalsa Sikhism, theDera Bhallan revered and recited theGuru Granth Sahib of Sikhism in Dera Bhallan.[13] However, following theirschism from mainstream Sikhism, the Dera Bhallan compiled their own holy book based exclusively on Ravidas's teachings, theAmritbani Guru Ravidass Ji, and Dera Bhallan Ravidassia temples now use this book in place of theGuru Granth Sahib.[13][4][14]
Ravidas was born on 15 January 1377 CE (Indian calendar Sunday Sukhal Falgin Parvithta 1433) to theChamar community.[15][16] His birthplace was a locality known as Seer Govardhan in the city ofVaranasi,Uttar Pradesh state, India. The birthplace is now marked by theShri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan (Begampura), and is a major place of pilgrimage for the followers of Guru Ravidas today. Ravidassias Sikhs believe that Ravidas died in Benares at the age of 151.[17][18][19]
There existed a diversity of Ravidasi-affiliatedpanths andderas that were loosely affiliated with one another, headed bysants who had Chamar-origins, such as the Satnamis (Sadh andSatnampanth) that had been established by Bir Bhan (in 1657 in eastern Punjab),Jagjivan Das (in the 18th century in Barabanki district, near Lucknow), andGhasidas (in 1820 inChhattisgarh).[20][21] These early movements had connections withKabir Panth.[21]
In 1920–25, theAd-Dharmi movement arose, which consolidated a separate religious identity centered on Ravidas.[20] Around the same time, theSingh Sabha movement of Sikhism was well-underway, which also was consolidating for a separate, Sikh identity apart fromHinduism.[20] Prominent leaders and thinkers of both movements had been educated inArya Samajist institutions, thus they both adopted an Arya Samaj-approach to push for their separate identities, combined with a Judeo-Christian understanding of religion due to Christian missionary and British colonial influence (i.e., a central scripture to base their religion around).[20] Both the Ravidas-aligned movements and Singh Sabhaists revered the Guru Granth Sahib, the primary scripture of Sikhism.[20] However, the Ravidasis celebrated the scripture primarily due to it containing the most notable and earliest-recorded compositions linked to Ravidas.[20] Thus, Ravidasis placed their prime figure'sbani on a higher level of importance than the bani found in the scripture authored by others.[20] The Ad-Dharmis compiled a holy-book known as theAd Prakash ("original light"), where-in they elevated the historical Ravidas as their central figure, thereby giving a traditional/spiritual basis to their modern religious movement, with Ravidas being imagined as a main "guru" and his poetry forming the basis of their beliefs.[20] Despite this, the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, continued to be used by them in their sacred spaces.[20] In 1946, the Ad-Dharmis took-on the new name: Ravi Dass Mandal.[20] In 2003, there arose acaste-based conflict in Talhan village of Punjab over the management of a local shrine which involved Ad-Dharmis.[20]
Amongst the Ravidasi-affiliated deras, theDera Sachkhand Ballan (D.S.B.) played a prominent missionary role, spreading the religious beliefs, including in the diaspora through theMission Begumpura.[20] Mission Begumpura aimed to consolidate a central location of pilgrimage and worship for the religious community atSeer Gobardhanpur.[20] The dera's second guru, Sant Sarwan Dass, had sponsored a mission to Varanasi to locate and establish a location to serve as the focal point of the Ravidassia community, to realizeBegumpura, with construction of a temple there beginning on 14 June 1965.[20] Dalits had longed been excluded from Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras by higher castes, thus being shut-out from sacred spaces.[20] Thus, the decision to build their own, central shrine was a mark of independence and upward-mobility, a place where Begumpura paradise could be realize, where-in all are accepted and none are excluded.[20] In 2000, a special, annual, religious pilgrimage train called theBegumpura Express was inaugurated, which would take pilgrims from Jalandhar Cantonment to Varanasi on the occasion ofRavidas' birthday, which furthered promoted the conceptualization of Varanasi as being the central pilgrimage location of the religious movement, akin toMecca for Muslims andAmritsar for Sikhs.[20] There were calls for gilding of their central temple in Varanasi, a Golden Temple for them, just like how the Sikhs had their own, with the first phase of adding gold-plates to the shrine beginning in 2008.[20]
Before the2009 armed attack on Guru Ravidass Temple in Vienna, the majority of Ravidassias were followers of Sikhism. Mainstream Sikhs had long objected to the Ravidasi practice of maintaining the Guru Granth Sahib beside idols/images of Ravidas, alongside a living-guru (dehdari), with all three being placed on an equal-height platform.[20] Normative Sikhs felt this was a violation of Sikhmaryada by the heterodoxical Ravidassia, since the Guru Granth Sahib was viewed by orthodox Sikhs as the embodiment of their guru, thus were offended when persons bowed to an idol or living-guru in the scripture's presence.[20] Furthermore, the dera was not in-line with the move toward a streamlined Sikh identity embodied by theKhalsa Panth.[20] There were also other deras which had offended mainstream Sikh sensibilities due to alleged blasphemy and misconduct centred on issues and disagreements related to iconography, scripture, and ritual, such asDera Sacha Sauda andDera Bhaniarawala.[20] In 2001, Dera Bhaniarawala attempted to compile theirowngranth, with mainstream Sikhs feeling as it attempted to emulate the Guru Granth Sahib.[20] Furthermore, the dera-leader rode a horse in a similar manner that Guru Gobind Singh is portrayed as, which further fuelled tensions between the two groups.[20] In 2007, the Dera Sacha Sauda leader,Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, offended Sikhs by dressing-up in a costume emulating that of Guru Gobind Singh and introducing a baptismal ceremony known asJām-e-Insān, which copied the Sikh practice ofAmrit Sanchar.[20] These controversies led to protests against and deaths between Sikhs and followers of the deras.[20]
On May 24, 2009, six shooters attacked Sant Ramanand and Sant Niranjan Das in the mentioned shrine. All six attackers were asylum seekers living in Austria and have been identified as Satwinder Singh (28), Jaspal Singh (34), Tasum Singh (45), and Sukhwinder Singh (28). The other two attackers, Hardeep Singh (33) and Charnjit Singh (24), entered Austria illegally.[22] In this terrorist attack, Sant Ramanand, 57, was shot dead and more than a dozen others wounded, including another preacher. This attack led to violent protests in the state of Punjab in India and peaceful protest in London.[23][24] Later, the Austrian court sentenced Jaspal Singh, 35, to life in prison for murder, and the other four terrorists received 17 to 18 year prison sentences. The sixth terrorist got six months in prison for attempted coercion.[25][26] The funeral of Ramanand was held in June 2009 and attended by many prominent politicians from across Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.[20] In the aftermath of the attack, the Chamar/Ravidassia community protested both in India and abroad.[20] While protests abroad were peaceful, in Jalandhar and other parts of Punjab they became violent, with vandalism occurring, involving clashes with police.[20] Four protests were killed, who would later be memorialized as martyrs (shahadat, known asRavidassia Qaum da Shaheed) of the Ravidassia movement.[20] The deaths of the four protesters and of Ramanand was commemorated on 13 June 2009, in an event known asShradhanjali Samagam by the Dera Sachkhand Ballan.[20]
On the occasion of the 633rd birth anniversary of Ravidass in 2010, Dera Sachkahnd Ballan announced a new religion called Ravidassia. Dera also announced that the community would have its own separate religious book calledAmritbani Satguru Ravidas Maharaj Ji, a separate symbol 'Har' and a separatemotto, 'Jai Gurudev'. The move triggered debate among the religious, social, and political circles of Punjab, andShiromani Akali Dal and theSGPC tried to convince Dera Ballan Head Sant Niranjan Dass to reverse the decision. Akal Takhat also took an unprecedented step and organised Akand Path in the memory of murdered Sant Ramanand. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar visited Dera Ballan to meet Sant Niranjan Dass, but he was not allowed to meet him.[27]
Ravidas taught the following principles:[28]
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A Ravidassia place of worship is called adera,sabha,mandir,gurudwara, orbhawan, sometimes translated astemple.[30][31]
Outside the sabha there is always a flag upon which is written theNishaan, and above it the "Harr" symbol which symbolising enlightenment from Guru Ravidas' teachings. But Guru Ravidass Sabhas in Derby, Walsall, Gravesend, Montreal and Papakura are exceptions, as these Sabhas' official title boards display Ek Onkar and Khanda emblems alongside Harr. The title boards of these sabhas clearly mark the buildings as both Sikh Gurdwaras and Ravidass Temples.[32] Moreover, Derby Sabha's display board mentions it as a Sikh temple.[33]
Ravidassia places of worship contain the holy bookAmritbani Guru Ravidass Ji which contains all the hymns by Guru Ravidas. This book contains the following hymns: 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). The book contains 140 shabads, 40 pade, and 231 salok.[34] There are 177 pages in all of the book.
A version of the holy bookAmrit Bani containing 240 hymns of Guru Ravidas was installed at the Guru Ravidas temple inJalandhar, Punjab, on 1 February 2012 on the occasion of birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass. The Dera Sach Khand Ballan religious community had announced the formation of the new Ravidassia religion and separation from Sikhism at Varanasi. The split from Sikhism was triggered after the killing of its deputy headRamanand Dass in May 2009 at a temple inVienna by some Sikh radicals. President of newly formed Begumpura Lok Party and a supporter of the new religion, Satish Bharti, said that the copies of the new Bani were put on display during the religious processions in order to assert that the community members are firm believers of the new religion.[35][36]
In the United Kingdom, during the 2011 census, theOffice for National Statistics counted Ravidassia as a separate religion from Sikhism. There were 11058 individuals[37][38] who described themselves as Ravidassia in the census. Data shows that around 10% of members of Ravidassias community cited their religion as ’Ravidassia’ – empathically distinct from Sikhs and Hindus. During the census, not even a single Guru Ravidass Gurdwara came into direct support of this separate identity, and till date, all Guru Ravidass Gurdwaras in Britain are practising Sikhism and they do pray and perform all rituals in the presence of Shri Guru Granth Sahib.[32]
Unlike the UK Office for National Statistics, the Indian government and its census department have not accepted the Ravidassias community as a religion. During the 2011 census, the Ravidassia community was counted alongside other groups such asRamdasia Sikh andJatav under the title ofChamar caste.[39][40]
In Mauritius, for Ravidassias, a different terminology is in use calledRavived.[41] During the initial stage of migration in Mauritius, significant numbers of Chamar people joined theArya Samaj in the hope that it would help them to be free from the curse of casteism, as it was claimed by the leaders of the Arya Samaj.[42] But later, Upper Caste Arya Samajis started building separate halls for themselves and Chamars for prayer within the same shrine to avoid Arya Samaj being labelled as a Chamar religion, which led to the establishment of Arya Ravived Pracharini Sabha in 1935.[43]
The Ravidassia employ thegreeting "ਜੈ ਗੁਰੂਦੇਵ" (Jai Gurdev, जय गुरुदेव), meaning “hail the god-like teacher”, the motto of the religion.[44]
The Ravidassia religious symbol is theKhanda,Harr Nishaan andIk Onkar. TheGurmukhi transliteration of the name Harr is the main symbol of the Ravidassia religion.[13] It is also called asKoumi Nishan.[45]
The religion is also represented by a flag, with the insignia "Har" which, states Ronki Ram, includes:[45]
The insignia Har, states Ram, represents the "very being of Ravidass and his teachings".[45]
"Ramdasia is a term used in general for Sikhs whose ancestors belongedChamar caste. Originally they are followers ofGuru Ravidass ji who belongs toChamar community ".[46] Both the words Ramdasia andRavidasia are also used interchangeably while these also have regional context. InPuadh andMalwa, largely Ramdasia in used whileRavidasia is predominantly used inDoaba.[47]
Ramdasia Sikhs are enlisted as scheduled caste by Department of Social justice, Empowerment and Minorities- Government of Punjab. On Department's list of Scheduled Caste, this caste is listed on serial number 9 along with otherChamar caste synonymous such asRavidasia,Ramdasia and so on.[48]
Ad-Dharmis ofChamar sect are followers of GuruRavidas ,[49] and incorporate elements ofSikhism[50] as they regard ShriGuru Granth Sahib as theirreligious text.[51]
The birthday of Ravidas is celebrated every year at the Seer Gowardhanpur village temple in Varanasi the state of Uttar Pradesh in January or February and the government of India has declared it a gazetted holiday.[52] Other important festivals the Ravidasia community celebrates areBandi Chhor Divas,Guru Gobind Singh's birthday andGuru Nanak's birthday.[citation needed]
Ravidasia Sikh diaspora emigrated from India and Pakistan is significant. There are Ravidasia Sikh settlers in Europe, as well as a sizable Ravidasia Sikh population in North America, primarily in the United States and Canada. Mahiya Ram Mehmi and Mahey were the very first people who landed in British Columbia in 1906.[53] They were both also involved in the foundation of the first Canadian Gurdwara, the Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver. There is a sizeable population of Ravidasia Sikhs in Oceania too. Ravidassias from Doaba established the second gurdwara in the Oceania region in Nasinu on Fiji Island in 1939.[54] A Classical Study by W.H. Briggs in his book Punjabis in New Zealand, Briggs penned down the precise number of Ravidassias in New Zealand during the very first wave of immigration.[55]
Ravidassia community started immigrating from Punjab to Britain in 1950, and according to a book named 'Sikhs in Britain: An Annotated Bibliography' published in 1987, the population of the Ravidassia community in the West Midlands was around 30,000 during that period.[56] As of 2021, it is estimated that the Ravidasia population in Britain is around 70,000.[57]
In the United States, an estimated 20,000 Ravidassia followers live inCalifornia.[58]
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| State, U.T | Population | Population % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bihar[59] | 4,900,048 | 4.7% | Counted along Rabidas, Rohidas, Chamar, Charamakar |
| Chandigarh[60] | 59,957 | 5.68% | Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Ramdasi, Ravidasi, Raigar and Jatia |
| Chhattisgarh[61] | 2,318,964 | 9.07% | Counted as Chamar, Satnami, Ahirwar, Raidas, Rohidas, Jatav, Bhambi and Surjyabanshi |
| NCT of Delhi[62] | 1,075,569 | 6.4 % | Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Jatav, Chamars, Ramdasia, Ravidasi, Raigar and Jatia |
| Gujarat[63] | 1,032,128 | 1.7% | Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamar, Bhambi, Asadaru, Chambhar, Haralaya, Rohidas, Rohit, Samgar |
| Haryana[64] | 2,429,137 | 9.58% | Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Jatav, Chamars, Ramdasia, Ravidasi, Raigar and Jatia |
| Himachal Pradesh[65] | 458,838 | 6.68% | Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Ramdasia, Raigar and Jatia |
| Jammu and Kashmir[66] | 212,032 | 1.72% | Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Ramdasia, Rohidas |
| Jharkhand[67] | 1,008,507 | 3.05% | Counted as Chamar, Mochi |
| Karnataka[68] | 605,486 | 1% | Counted as Rohidas, Rohit, Samgar, Haralaya, Chambhar, Chamar, Bhambi |
| Madhya Pradesh[69] | 5,368,217 | 7.39% | Counted as Chamar, Jatav, Bairwa, Bhambi, Rohidas, Raidas, Ahirwar,Satnami, Ramnami, Surjyabanshi |
| Maharashtra[70] | 1,411,072 | 1.25% | Counted as Rohidas, Chamar, Chambhar, Bhambi, Satnami, Ramnami, Haralaya, Rohit, Samagar, Bhambi |
| Punjab[71] | 3,095,324 | 11.15% | During the 2011 census in Punjab, 1017192 people were counted as addharmi in a separate caste cluster, which is another term for Ravidassias.[72][73] In the same census, the Ravidassias cluster population was 2078132, and both clusters together made a population of 3095324 in Punjab, which is an 11.15% population of Punjab. |
| Rajasthan[74] | 2,491,551 | 3.63% | Counted along with other caste synonyms such as Chamars, Bhambi, Ramdasia, Ravidasi, Raigar, Haralaya, Chambhar and Jatia |
| Uttarakhand[75] | 548,813 | 5.44% | Counted as Chamar, Jatava, Dhusia, Jhusia |
| Uttar Pradesh[76] | 22,496,047 | 11.25% | Counted as Chamar, Jatava, Dhusia, Jhusia |
| West Bengal[77] | 1,039,591 | 1.13% | Counted as Chamar, Rabidas, Charamakar, Rishi |
..His people-friendly verses like Man changa to kathoti vich Ganga (If the mind is pure, then Ganga flows in the small earthen pot) is part of lexicon.
