Namdhari

Namdhari is an Indian religious group. They consider themselves a sect of Sikhism, but insist that the line of Sikh Gurus did not end with Guru Gobind Singh, but continued through the Namdhari leaders.

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Sikh gurus Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Guru Hargobind Guru Har Rai Guru Har Krishan Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Gobind Singh Guru Granth Sahib
Select revered saints Bhagat Kabir Bhagat Ravidas Bhagat Farid Bhagat Ramanand Bhagat Beni Bhagat Namdev Bhagat Sadhana Bhagat Bhikhan Bhagat Parmanand Bhagat Sain Bhagat Dhanna Bhagat Pipa Bhagat Surdas Bhagat Jaidev Bhagat Trilochan Bhatt Kalshar Bhatt Balh Bhatt Bhalh Bhatt Bhika Bhatt Gayand Bhatt Harbans Bhatt Jalap Bhatt Kirat Bhatt Mathura Bhatt Nalh Bhatt Salh Baba Sundar Satta Doom Balvand Rai
Philosophy Naam Japo Kirat Karō Vand Chakkō Charhdi Kalā Guru Maneyo Granth Five Thieves Five Virtues
Practices Sikh Rehat Maryada Prohibitions Ardās Kirtan Amrit Velā Dasvand Amrit Sanchar The Five Ks Langar Simran Nitnem
Scripture Guru Granth Sahib Dasam Granth Sarbloh Granth Five Banis
Takhts Akal Takht Keshgarh Sahib Damdama Sahib Patna Sahib Hazur Sahib
General topics History Ik Onkar Gurdwara Harmandir Sahib Khalsa Panj Pyare Khanda Literature Music Names Places Nanakshahi calendar Sikhs Waheguru Bhagat Dastar (Turban) Criticism Jathedar of Akal Takht War

Namdhari, also called Kuka, is an austere sect within Sikhism, a religion of India. The Namdhari movement was founded by satguru Balak Singh (1797–1862), who did not believe in any religious ritual other than the repetition of God’s name (or nam, for which reason members of the sect are called Namdharis). His successor, satguru Ram Singh (1816–1885), introduced the sect’s distinctive style of wearing the turban bound straight across the forehead rather than at an angle, of dressing only in clothing made from white handwoven cloth, and of frenzied chanting of hymns culminating in shrieks (kuks; hence the name Kuka). Under satguru Ram Singh’s leadership, the Namdharis sought a resurgence of Sikh rule in the Punjab. In January 1872, British police apprehended and executed by cannon about 66 Namdhari at Malerkotla. Ram Singh was exiled to Rangoon, Burma afterwards.

• The Namdharis do, however, consider themselves as Sikhs.
• Namdharis believe that Guru Gobind Singh went into seclusion after surviving the attempt on his life and passed the Guruship on to other human Gurus to this day.
• The Namdharis were founded by their Guru—Balak Singh (1797-1862) in north-west Panjab.
• They were organized into a movement by Satguru Ram Singh of Bhaini who fell under the influence of Guru Balak Singh while serving in the Khalsa as a Risaldari of Kanvar Nau Nihal Singh.
• They are also known as Kookas, Kukas, kooke, kooka or kookeh 'criers', for their shrieks (kuks) given in ecstatic meditative trance.
• The men are distinguished by their white, "round" turbans with their ears fully exposed.
• The more orthodox Kukas also wear attire which included very tight pants and long kurtas.
• They have many non-Sikh traditions like the worshiping of fire (havan), which is more akin to Hinduism than Sikhism
• They are distinguished by their white garb and round turbans, reminiscent of the turbans worn during the Sikh Empire era of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
• The Namdharis have also preserved the classical musical traditions for singing the Sikh hymns known as kirtan, which have partially been lost by the mainstream Sikh panth.