![](https://web.archive.org/web/20220621204932im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Sukh_Dhaliwal.jpg/220px-Sukh_Dhaliwal.jpg)
A Sahajdhari Sikh (literally meaning "spiritual state of equilibrium adopter") is a person who has chosen the path of Sikhism, but has not yet become an Amritdhari. A Sahajdhari adheres to the principles of Sikhism and the teachings of the Sikh gurus but does not wear the Five Symbols of Sikhism. These are the Sikhs of Keshdhari Sikh ancestry but who cut their hair.
According to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1971 and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, a Sahajdhari Sikh cannot claim to be an Amritdhari Sikh. But Sahajdhari Sikh can raise their children as complete Sikh.
Etymology
Sahajdhari is a compound word consisting of the two words sahaj and dhari. In Sanskrit and other Indo-Aryan languages, the words Sahaj means "spiritual state of equilibrium" and dhari means "adopter".[1][2]
Introduction
A sahajdhari believes in all the tenets of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus but has not put all of them into practice.
According to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, the Sahajdhari Sikhs are those who believe in Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the 10 Gurus of Sikhism .[3]
Five Ks
The Five Ks, or panj kakaar/kakke, are the five items of faith that all baptized Sikhs (Khalsa) are required to wear at all times (but does not apply to non-baptized Sikhs), at the command of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who so ordered at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanskar in 1699. They are:
- Kesh (uncut hair)
- Kanga (wooden comb)
- Kacchera (specially-designed underwear)
- Kara (iron bracelet)
- Kirpan (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.[5]
Sahajdhari means Sikhs who are slowly learning and adopting the Sikh religion. Wearing of all five Ks only applies to initiated Sikhs. Indeed, most Sahajdhari start by keeping one of the five Ks (most wear the Kara, and gradually progress to wearing more of them).[4] Sahajdhari Sikhism is a process towards attaining Sikhi.
History
In the early part of the eighteenth century when Sikhs suffered fierce persecution and when to be a Keshdhari, that is to bear Kesh or long hair, was to invite certain death, the udasis looked after their places of worship and protected the households and the kith and kin of those driven to seek safety in the hills and jungles. Some even defied the persecutors and courted martyrdom as did the teenaged Haqiqat Rai, who was beheaded in public for his refusal to disown his Sikh belief and accept Islam. 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 diverse 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 with the task of reconstructing the Harimandar, which was demolished by the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1762. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari sikh, Dina Nath, who was the Sikh Empire minister. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari Sikh, Bhai Vasti Ram, a learned man well versed in Sikh scriptures, who enjoyed considerable influence at the court.[citation needed]
Sahajdhari Sikh have continued participating in Sikh life right up to modern times, and have associated themselves with Sikh institutions and organizations such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, 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, Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib and Sri Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Jatha of Campbellpore. 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 gurdwaras. The population in the Punjab 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 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.
Contemporary notable Sahajdharis
- Dr. Bhai Harbans Lal- The founding Executive Vice President of Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference was recognized with the "Nishan-e-Khalsa" award by the Anadpur Foundation at the Tercentennial Celebration of Khalsa in 1999.[6]
- Jinder Mahal- Indian-Canadian pro wrestler currently employed by the WWE.
See also
References
- ^ Pashaura Singh and N. Gerald Barrier
- ^ Sikh Review Archived 4 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ SGPC: Sahajdhari is one who gradually adopts doctrines of Sikhism
- ^ a b Understanding Sikhism (The Gospel of the Gurus) – Who is a Sikh?
- ^ Eleanor Nesbitt, "Sikhism: a very short introduction", ISBN 0-19-280601-7, Oxford University Press, pp. 40–43
- ^ Singh, Baldev. "A Critical Appraisal of Bhai Harbans Lal's Writings on Sikhism". Archived from the original on 1 April 2010.
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