Nirankari

Nirankari (Punjabi: ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੀ, Hindi: निरंकारी, English: Followers of the Formless One) is a reformist movement in Sikhism.^[1]

History

Nirankari originated in the Baba Dyal Singh Gurdwara in Rawalpindi, Punjab,^[2] in modern-day Pakistan, during the latter years of the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the turn of the 19th century.

The sect was founded by Baba Dyal Singh, a Sahajdhari Sikh, who aimed at refocusing Sikhs on the Adi Granth, the religion's central holy text. Baba Dyal's successor, Baba Darbar Singh, collected and recorded the Baba Dyal's essential teachings and established Nirankari communities outside of Rawalpindi. The Nirankari were estimated to number in the thousands by the time of the third leader of the movement, Sahib Rattaji (1870–1909), who began to enforce a strict adherence to the Khalsa code of conduct.^[3] In the 1891 Indian Census, 14,001 Hindus and 46,610 Sikhs identified themselves as Nirankaris.^[4] Under their fourth leader, Baba Gurdit Singh, some of the Nirankari took an interest in the Singh Sabha Sikh revivalist movement. The Nirankaris helped to bring the Anand Marriage Act of 1909 to the attention of the Sikh populace. The movement's fifth Guru, Sahib Hara Singh (1877–1971), started to reorganize the movement, and was later succeeded by his eldest son, Baba Gurbax Singh.

As the Nirankari emphasized the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev in the Singh Sabha Movement, which were unpopular to the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh preferred by the dominant Singh Sabha Sikhs, the Nirankari were marginalized by society. This was exacerbated by the shift from Sahajdhari (shaven) to Kesh dhari (unshaven) Sikhs.

Under the British Raj, the Nirankari was further sidelined. In 1929 the Sant Nirankari Mission formed out of the Nirankari. The Mission was defined by its belief in a living Guru after the Guru Granth Sahib. The group later developed its own distinct spiritual movement. At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the Nirankari abandoned their center in Rawalpindi, which has since then been part of Pakistan, and established themselves on the Indian side of the partition.

Later the movement split into two groups, the original Nirankari and the Sant Nirankaris. In 1978, the Sant Nirankaris were excommunicated by the Akal Takht for their belief in a living Guru as opposed to strict adherence to the Guru Granth Sahib.

Doctrines

During the early 19th century, Nirankaris began to believe that their fellow Sikhs had become too relaxed in their practice of naam-simaran, or remembrance of the divine Name, and had fallen back into the ritualistic practices of Hinduism. They revived focus on the inner repetition of the name via the mantra, Dhan Nirankar, meaning "Glory, glory to the Formless One!" Nirankari reject all gods and goddesses, primarily those of the Hindu pantheon, and all types of offerings made to them. Similarly, they reject all Brahmic rites and rituals, as well as pilgrimages.

The main differentiation of Nirankari from orthodox Sikh belief is the continuation of the line of human Gurus after Guru Gobind Singh. Nirankaris therefore do not believe in the orthodox view that the Guru Granth Sahib is the last and only eternal Guru of Sikhism.

The Nirankari dispose of the dead in rivers in contrast to the Islamic practice of burial or the Hindu practice of cremation. According to Nirankari belief, the death of one's human form is an event to be rejoiced and not mourned. Nirankari do not consume alcoholic beverages, smoke tobacco, or eat meat. The Nirankaris believed that women are not impure at childbirth, that marriages and other important events should not be arranged according to the predictions of paid astrologers, that dowries should not be publicly displayed, and that no fee should be charged for performing ceremonies, as Brahmin priests do. Nirankaris believe and emphasize the formless aspect of the divine, Nirankar, hence their name.

Baba Dyal Singh

Baba Dyal Singh (1783–1855) lived during a period of Sikh dominance, resulting from the victories of the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, Baba Dyal felt that the military successes were a distraction of the Sikh duty to remember Akal Purakh through the practice of Naam Japo. Baba Dyal further preached against the assimilation of other religious traditions into Sikhism. Namely, he was concerned that the Hindu practice of idolatry was becoming increasingly prevalent in Sikhism, and thus Baba Dyal emphasized the formless, or ni ran kar, quality of Akal Purakh, which gave the movement its name.

Baba Dyal reportedly experienced enlightenment when he was 18 years old, entered meditation, and heard a voice saying:

Give up this ritualistic practice. You have been commissioned to expel the darkness of ignorance... You are a true Nirankari, as you are a believer of God as spirit, without bodily form.^[5]

Baba Dyal's movement was originally confined to the Rawalpindi area, with followers being mostly Sahajdhari Sikhs of the Khatri and Arora castes. However, his followers were not expected to surrender their occupations and live a life of renunciation. The Nirankari were typically traders and shopkeepers and were expected to continue working while they focused their attention on the remembrance of the divine Name.

Baba Dyal left a brief manual of instruction called a hukamnama, although its form and contents are those of an RA hit Nama, or law code.^[3] Its contents emphasize the teachings of Guru Nanak without mentioning the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh. The essence of the Nirankari hu kam Nama is contained in the words which every adherent is commanded to utter again and again, Dhan than ni ran kar, meaning "Glory be to Nirankar."

References