A Sahajdhari Sikh (
Punjabi: ਸਹਜਧਾਰੀ ; Meaning "spiritual state of equilibrium adopter") is a person who believes in
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
, but is not an
Amritdhari
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
. A Sahajdhari adheres to the principles of Sikhism and the teachings of the
Sikh gurus
The Sikh gurus ( Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the found ...
but may not wear all the
Five Symbols of Sikhism. For example, Sahajdhari Sikhs often wear a
kara
Kara or KARA may refer to:
Geography Localities
* Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture
* Kára, Hungary, a village
* Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township
* Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province
* Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...
, but many of them cut their hair (
kesh).
Despite it being instructed by
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
for Sikhs to become
Amritdhari
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
during the formation of the
Khalsa
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
, in modern times, particularly in the
western world
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and state (polity), states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania. some Sikhs have chosen to cut their hair or beard.
According to the
Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1971 and the
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ( SGPC; "Supreme Gurdwara Management Committee") is an organization in India responsible for the management of Gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the union ...
, a Sahajdhari Sikh can be regarded as a Sikh. However they cannot claim to be an
Amritdhari
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
Sikh and must raise their children within the Sikh faith.
Etymology
Sahajdhari is a compound word consisting of the two words ''sahaj'' and ''dhari''. In
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
and other
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages (or sometimes Indic languages) are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. As of the early 21st century, they have more than 800 million speakers, primarily ...
, the words ''Sahaj'' means "spiritual state of equilibrium''"'' and ''dhari'' means "adopter".
[Sikh Review](_blank)
Introduction
A ''sahajdhari'' believes in all the
tenets of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus, but have not undergone
Amrit Sanchar
Amrit Sanchar (Gurmukhi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ "nectar ceremony"; also called Amrit Parchar, or Khande di Pahul ਖੰਡੇ ਦੀ ਪਾਹੁਲ) is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars. The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite ...
, and may not strictly adhere to all Sikh practices all the time, as Amritdhari Sikhs do.
According to the
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ( SGPC; "Supreme Gurdwara Management Committee") is an organization in India responsible for the management of Gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the union ...
, the Sahajdhari Sikhs are those who believe the Gurus of Sikhism.
[SGPC: Sahajdhari is one who gradually adopts doctrines of Sikhism](_blank)
/ref>
History
According to sources, Bhai Nand Lal
Bhai Nand Lal ( fa, ; pa, ਭਾਈ ਨੰਦ ਲਾਲ; 1633–1713), also known by his pen name Goya ( fa, ; pa, ਗੋਯਾ), was a 17th-century Sikh poet in the Punjab region. He was born in Ghazni Afghanistan . His father Diwan Chajju ...
asked Guru Gobind Singh ji
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Si ...
how many types of Sikhs there are, and Guru Gobind Singh ji
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Si ...
replied, saying, ਤਿਨ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਮਮ ਸਿੱਖ ਹੈ।। ਸਹਜੇ ਚਰਨੀ ਖੰਡ।।.
In the early of the eighteenth century when Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
s defied the persecutors and courted martyrdom as did the teenaged Haqiqat Singh Rai, who was beheaded in public for his refusal to disown his Sikh belief and accept Islam. Haqiqat rai was Sahajdhari Sikh. A leading Sahajdhari Sikh of that time was Kaura Mall, a minister to the Mughal governor of Lahore, Mu'in ul-Mulk (1748–53), who helped the Sikhs in different ways in those days of severe trial. He had so endeared himself to them that they called him Mittha (sweet, in Punjabi) Mall instead of Kaura (which, in Punjabi, means "bitter") Mall. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari Sikh of this period, Des Raj, who was entrusted by the Khalsa
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
with the task of reconstructing the Harimandar, which was demolished by the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahm ...
in 1762. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari sikh, Dina Nath, who was the Sikh Empire
The Sikh Empire was a state originating in the Indian subcontinent, formed under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who established an empire based in the Punjab. The empire existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahor ...
minister. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari Sikh, Bhai Vasti Ram, a learned man well versed in Sikh scriptures
The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth (First Scripture), more commonly called the Guru Granth Sahib. The second most important scripture of the Sikhs is the Dasam Granth. Both of these consist of text which was written or authorised by th ...
, who enjoyed considerable influence at the court.
Sahajdhari Sikhs have continued participating in Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
life right up to modern times, and have associated themselves with Sikh institutions and organizations such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ( SGPC; "Supreme Gurdwara Management Committee") is an organization in India responsible for the management of Gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the union ...
, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Shiromani Akali Dal, and the All-India Sikh Students Federation. The Singh Sabhas used to have seats on their executive committees reserved for the Sahajdharis. Among their own societies, confined mainly to north-western India prior to the migrations of 1947, were the Sahajdhari Committee of Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the List ...
, Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib
Gurdwara Panja Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪੰਜਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ , ;
ur, ) is a famous gurdwara located in Hasan Abdal, Pakistan. The shrine is considered to be particularly important as the handprint of the founder of Sik ...
and Sri Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Jatha of Campbellpore
Attock ( Punjabi and Urdu: ), formerly known as Campbellpur (), is a historical city located in the north of Pakistan's Punjab Province, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 61st lar ...
. The Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib attained the status of their central forum. They had as well their annual conference, which met for its first session on 13 April 1929 under the chairmanship of Sir Jogendra Singh, who passed on the office to the famous Sikh scholar and savant, Bhai Kahn Singh. A Sahajdharis' conference formed part of the annual proceedings of the Sikh Educational Conference.
The Sahajdharis share all of the religious, social customs and ceremonies with the main body of the Sikhs, and join their congregations in the gurdwara
A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
s. The population in the Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
of Sahajdhari Sikhs (another name used is Sikh Nanakpanthis) according to 1891 Census was 397,000 (20% of the total Sikh population); according to 1901 Census, 297,000 (13% of the total Sikhs); according to 1911 Census, 451,000 (14.9% of the total Sikhs); according to 1921 Census, 229,000 (7% of the total Sikhs); according to 1931 Census, 282,000 (6.5% of the total Sikhs). Outside of the Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sindh had considerable Sahajdhari populations. Consequent upon the partition of India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in 1947, Sahajdharis became widely dispersed in the country. Their India-wide forum was the Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference, which rotated from town to town for its annual sessions. Three of its presidents, Gur Darshan Singh, Sant Ram Singh and Ram Lal Singh Rahi, the founding Executive Vice President of Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference, were recognized with the "Nishan-e-Khalsa" award by the Anandpur Foundation at the Tercentennial Celebration of Khalsa in 1999.
Five Ks
The Five Ks, or ''panj kakaar/kakke'', are the five items of faith that all ''initiated Sikhs'' ''(Amritdhari
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
)'' are required to wear at all times ''(but does not apply to Sahajdhari Sikhs)'', at the command of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
, who so ordered at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanskar
Amrit Sanchar (Gurmukhi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ "nectar ceremony"; also called Amrit Parchar, or Khande di Pahul ਖੰਡੇ ਦੀ ਪਾਹੁਲ) is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars. The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite ...
in 1699. They are:
* Kesh (uncut hair)
* Kanga (wooden comb)
* Kacchera
Kachera ( pa, ਕਛੈਰਾ) are an undergarment for the lower body that is specially tailored for shalwar with a tie-knot ''naala'' or '' naada '' (drawstring) worn by fully initiated Sikhs. They are similar to European boxer shorts in appe ...
(specially-designed underwear)
* Kara
Kara or KARA may refer to:
Geography Localities
* Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture
* Kára, Hungary, a village
* Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township
* Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province
* Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...
(iron bracelet)
* Kirpan
The kirpan is a curved, single-edged dagger or knife carried by Sikhs. Traditionally, it was a full-sized sword but modern Sikhs have reduced the length to that of a dagger or knife due to modern considerations based on societal and legal chang ...
(strapped sword)
They are for identification and representation of the ideals of Sikhism, such as honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on God, and never bowing to tyranny.
Nanakpanthi
Most Nanakpanthi
Nanakpanthi (Gurmukhi: ਨਾਨਕਪੰਥੀ; ''nānakapathī'') is a follower of the teachings of Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the foundational guru of a spiritual community natively known as Nanakpanth while known world-wide as Sikhism. Nanakpan ...
(Sikh Sect) also are of Sehajdhari backgrounds.
Contemporary Notable Sahajdharis
* Bhai Ram Lal Singh Rahi - Now an Amritdhari Sikh, was the founding Executive Vice President of Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference, recognized with the "Nishan-e-Khalsa" award by the Anadpur Foundation at the Tercentennial Celebration of Khalsa in 1999.
* Deep Sidhu
Sandeep Singh Sidhu, known as Deep Sidhu (2 April 1984 – 15 February 2022) was an Indian actor, barrister and activist who worked in Punjabi language films. Sidhu started his film career with the Punjabi film ''Ramta Jogi'' which was produc ...
- Sikh youth leader
* Udham Singh
Udham Singh (born Sher Singh; 26 December 1899 — 31 July 1940) was an Indian revolutionary belonging to Ghadar Party and HSRA, best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of the Punjab in India, on 13 Mar ...
- Indian Independence Freedom Fighter
* Hardeep Grewal
Hardeep Grewal is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2022 provincial election. He represents the riding of Brampton East as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progr ...
- Canadian MPP
* Harry Bains
Harry Bains is a Canadian politician serving as the Minister of Labour in British Columbia. He has been the NDP MLA for Surrey-Newton since 2005.
Career
Bains has experience in education due to his service on the Kwantlen University College ...
- Canadian Politician
* Sukh Dhaliwal
Sukhminder "Sukh" Singh Dhaliwal (born October 1, 1960) is a Canadian businessman and politician, who has served as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Surrey—Newton since 2015. He was previously the Member of Parliament for Newton—North De ...
- Canadian MP
See also
*Khalsa
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
*Prohibitions in Sikhism
Adherents of Sikhism follow a number of prohibitions. As with any followers of any faith or group, adherence varies by each individual.
Prohibitions
These prohibitions are strictly followed by initiated Khalsa Sikhs who have undergone baptism. ...
References
Further reading
* Kirpal Singh and Harbans Lal of Global Sikh Studies
Concepts In Sikhism
Edited by Dr. Surinder Singh Sodhi
* SIKH IDENTITY: Continuity and Change, Eds. Pashaura Singh and N. Gerald Barrier, Manohar Publications, New Delhi
External links
sikhnet.com
{{Sikhism
Sikh terminology