Namdhari

[Niranjana]

Gur Fateh!

Namdharis do not compose their own bani, they respect both the bani from SGGS and from the Dasam Granth and hold both in equal esteem.

I personally know quite a few Namdharis and have been to their functions and weddings when younger -at the time, to be honest, I didn't like them at all...but that was largely due to my young age and lack of full understanding.

The main english texts on them are Warriors in White and Fateh Singh Bajwa's The Kuka Movement -I'd recommend the latter personally for a more accurate account, however I still feel neither fully address their contribution and value to the Panth during the time of Baba Ram Singh.

Professor Ganda Singh has written a Punjabi account of this, however his works have been edited many times.

In short, Baba Ram Singh, was a devout Gursikh, who ran a woodwork shop. All accounts point to him being extremely pious and hardworking. He sought military training under the army of Nau Nihal Singh during the Sikh Raj -which incidently was largely composed of Nihang Singhs (which also explains many of the Namdhari practices mainly Chandi Path, the horizontal turbans etc).

He later came into contact with Baba Balak Singh (Das), who was an Udasi by lineage, from here came the Namdharis strict stance on vegetarianism, cow protection, havans, wearing white and so on.

Whilst Baba Ram Singh never claimed to Guru, assertions to his Guruship came towards the end of his life from this followers. Whilst Namdharis will deny the Nihang and Udasi origins of their movement, evidence clearly points to these influences.

Baba Ram Singh was responsible for resurrecting Khalsa practice

s at a time when the majority of the Sikh aristocracy had fallen foul of material pleasures, sought to get in bed with the growing British presence and had locked up the Sri Guru in cupboards. He distributed Amrit to both men and women and placed much emphasis on Nitnem and Simran. Namdhari Nitnem includes over and beyond the 5 standard prayers, Chandi Di //, Ugadanti and various portions of Chandi Bani from the Dasam Granth.

At a time when kirpans were banned by the British, Baba Ram Singh instructed the Kuka Singhs (later known as the Sant Khalsa, and eventually as Namdharis) to drill Lathi-Raksha regularly and carry Lathis and axes. They raised significant uproar against the British Colonial Power, using both the forces of Yudh and Shaant (most of Gandhi’s policies were instigated 60 years before his time by Baba Ram Singh).

He also engaged in much social reform amongst the Sikhs, through Amrit Sanchars, the Anand Karaj Wedding in which all gifts, dowry et al were banned to combat the ills of Kuri-mar and Narimar, which unfortunately continue to flourish to this day in Punjab.

Speaking to older Namdharis and looking at old accounts of their history, one can clearly see that they did believe in the “GURU†Granth Sahib. There is a picture (I’ll try to get hold of a electronic copy) depicting Baba Ram Singh with the first Namdhari Punj Pyare (of which one was a Nihang Singh) with both the Granths in the middle of the setting with Chaur Sahib seva being done upon them.

The claims to Guruship was based upon an account within the Sau Sakhi depicting the return of Guru Gobind Singh in the house of a Tarkhan (Carpenter), which contained some similarities to the life of Baba Ram Singh. However, even if we were to allow for this, speaking to older Namdharis one often hears that Baba Ram Singh was simply Guru Gobind Singh returned (and Baba Ram Singh never died in Burma, see the Namdhari website) and the successive Namdhari Gurus were only his representatives during his absence

incognito, hence the Guru Granth Sahib is still regarded as Guru...this all changed in the 20th century when the Namdharis forged links with the Congress Party and essentially became a pacifist movement and begun to be distanced from the wider Panth.

Whilst I don’t personally ascribe to the notion of Baba Ram Singh being Guru Gobind Singh incarnate, I do hold him in much high regard as a fine model of the Khalsa. I find the early accounts of the Kuka movement fascinating and no longer look to them in the manner I once did, that said, nowadays, the only thing I really admire about them is the Kirtan Maryada that they maintain, it is a shame that yet again another reformist movement with much heritage has been pacified and allowed to fall aside as a sect.

There is much we can learn from the Kuka Movement under Baba Ram Singh and whilst I wouldn’t associate with Namdharis too closely these days on account of their misplaced understanding of the Guru Granth, I do find their Kirtan to be of high quality (particularly Asa Ki //) and their Paath recitation most excellent –it is best we look to these aspects to learn from (of course keeping vigilant against their Deydhari Guru stance), particularly when compared to the majority of Pakhand Kirtan we get to hear today and mispronounced Bani.

Gur Fateh!

[DhadiMania]

well, must b that this guy wuz grt. sad that now he turned 2 summat i dont think he wanted 2 b. a guru. but, if ppl worship him, y dont he go sum namdhari ppl, giv em his darshan n say he aint guru (that is if he accepts he aint guru)

[kam1825]

check out the namdhari thread on sikhawareness.com it is good regarding this question.

[Niranjana]

well, must b that this guy wuz grt. sad that now he turned 2 summat i dont think he wanted 2 b. a guru. but, if ppl worship him, y dont he go sum namdhari ppl, giv em his darshan n say he aint guru (that is if he accepts he aint guru)

Kandola Sahib(a)

Baba Ram is no longer alive!!! He was exiled to Burma by the British upon his capture, remeber we are talking about the 19th century!!!

There are letters from him to the Sangat where he clearly denies being the Guru.

Modern Namdharis deny these letters and his death, but then it's not too different from other movements that have become personality cults today believing that their chief personality is still alive, has special powers and/or knows the ultimate truth for all on account of supposed visions.

Hope this helps,

Niranjana.

[DhadiMania]

bhai sahib, i think i no its in the british empire time, they havent conquered india recently (mayb with goods n stuff) but not them sending n army n those goras drinkin cha in our country!

r these letters still around, where can u find em?

[Jaspaul Singh]

Gur Fateh!

Namdharis do not compose their own bani, they respect both the bani from SGGS and from the Dasam Granth and hold both in equal esteem.

I personally know quite a few Namdharis and have been to their functions and weddings when younger -at the time, to be honest, I didn't like them at all...but that was largely due to my young age and lack of full understanding.

The main english texts on them are Warriors in White and Fateh Singh Bajwa's The Kuka Movement -I'd recommend the latter personally for a more accurate account, however I still feel neither fully address their contribution and value to the Panth during the time of Baba Ram Singh.

Professor Ganda Singh has written a Punjabi account of this, however his works have been edited many times.

In short, Baba Ram Singh, was a devout Gursikh, who ran a woodwork shop. All accounts point to him being extremely pious and hardworking. He sought military training under the army of Nau Nihal Singh during the Sikh Raj -which incidently was largely composed of Nihang Singhs (which also explains many of the Namdhari practices mainly Chandi Path, the horizontal turbans etc).

He later came into contact with Baba Balak Singh (Das), who was an Udasi by lineage, from here came the Namdharis strict stance on vegetarianism, cow protection, havans, wearing white and so on.

Whilst Baba Ram Singh never claimed to Guru, assertions to his Gurushi

p came towards the end of his life from this followers. Whilst Namdharis will deny the Nihang and Udasi origins of their movement, evidence clearly points to these influences.

Baba Ram Singh was responsible for resurrecting Khalsa practices at a time when the majority of the Sikh aristocracy had fallen foul of material pleasures, sought to get in bed with the growing British presence and had locked up the Sri Guru in cupboards. He distributed Amrit to both men and women and placed much emphasis on Nitnem and Simran. Namdhari Nitnem includes over and beyond the 5 standard prayers, Chandi Di //, Ugadanti and various portions of Chandi Bani from the Dasam Granth.

At a time when kirpans were banned by the British, Baba Ram Singh instructed the Kuka Singhs (later known as the Sant Khalsa, and eventually as Namdharis) to drill Lathi-Raksha regularly and carry Lathis and axes. They raised significant uproar against the British Colonial Power, using both the forces of Yudh and Shaant (most of Gandhi’s policies were instigated 60 years before his time by Baba Ram Singh).

He also engaged in much social reform amongst the Sikhs, through Amrit Sanchars, the Anand Karaj Wedding in which all gifts, dowry et al were banned to combat the ills of Kuri-mar and Narimar, which unfortunately continue to flourish to this day in Punjab.

Speaking to older Namdharis and looking at old accounts of their history, one can clearly see that they did believe in the “GURU†Granth Sahib. There is a picture (I’ll try to get hold of a electronic copy) depicting Baba Ram Singh with the first Namdhari Punj Pyare (of which one was a Nihang Singh) with both the Granths in the middle of the setting with Chaur Sahib seva being done upon them.

The claims to Guruship was based upon an account within the Sau Sakhi depicting the return of Guru Gobind Singh in the house of a Tarkhan (Carpenter), which contained some similarities to the life of Baba Ram Singh. However, even if we were to allow for this, spe

aking to older Namdharis one often hears that Baba Ram Singh was simply Guru Gobind Singh returned (and Baba Ram Singh never died in Burma, see the Namdhari website) and the successive Namdhari Gurus were only his representatives during his absence incognito, hence the Guru Granth Sahib is still regarded as Guru...this all changed in the 20th century when the Namdharis forged links with the Congress Party and essentially became a pacifist movement and begun to be distanced from the wider Panth.

Whilst I don’t personally ascribe to the notion of Baba Ram Singh being Guru Gobind Singh incarnate, I do hold him in much high regard as a fine model of the Khalsa. I find the early accounts of the Kuka movement fascinating and no longer look to them in the manner I once did, that said, nowadays, the only thing I really admire about them is the Kirtan Maryada that they maintain, it is a shame that yet again another reformist movement with much heritage has been pacified and allowed to fall aside as a sect.

There is much we can learn from the Kuka Movement under Baba Ram Singh and whilst I wouldn’t associate with Namdharis too closely these days on account of their misplaced understanding of the Guru Granth, I do find their Kirtan to be of high quality (particularly Asa Ki //) and their Paath recitation most excellent –it is best we look to these aspects to learn from (of course keeping vigilant against their Deydhari Guru stance), particularly when compared to the majority of Pakhand Kirtan we get to hear today and mispronounced Bani.

Gur Fateh!

Great post veerji... u explained it much better than i did. AND YES this is the truth!! and no other rumours you mite hear!

Thanks veerji for that post!

bhul chuk maph!

[Vaneet Singh]

Thanx to all for clearing up the things.

I have one more doubt, i hope i wont digress from topic.

Who are "Neeldhaari'z"?

There is one sect called by that, wear..blue (typical..not sky or navy blue).....they have their main gurudwara at NASHERA (near Gurdaspur)...

I had one of my frnds, who was neeldhaari, he use to do the path.

and i dont know if there is some connection b/w neeldhaari'z and namdhaari'z.

Could anybody help in that

Bhul Chuk Maaf

[Khalsa4ever]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

Ahh jeez... there are soo many different type of pseudo-sikhs...

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!