Description
Manohar Religious Pluralism in Punjab A Punjab A Contemporary Account of Sikh Sants Babas Gurus and Satgurus by Joginder Singh
"This book analyses the heterogeneous modes of meditation, prayer, initiation, beliefs and practices, codes of conduct, ethics and life-style of the contemporary Sikh Sants, Babas, Gurus and Satgurus in Punjab. They belong to Udasi, Seva Panthi, Nirmala, Nirankari, Namdhari, Neeldhari, Hoti Mardan, Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Damdami Taksal and Nanaksari establishments. The founders of these establishments were inspired and guided by their personal spiritual experiences and doctrines of Adi-Granth as well as Sikh traditions. Their successors and disciples have constructed histories of their respective establishments legtimizing their positions in Sikh religion and history. They have also developed mythologies and rituals elevating their spiritual masters to the status of the messengers of God. Their religious discourses, however, have enriched pluralism in the Sikh faith. In the plethora of holy men, protagonists of Khalsa traditions stand as exceptions, for they hold up the primacy of the ten Sikh Gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib. Besides, the study analyses the relationship between these holy men and the mainstream Sikh organizations. These holy men often contest the viewpoint of the Jathedars of Akal Takht and SGPC on religious issues. In recent times Damdami Taksal and the Akhand Kirtani Jatha have challenged the authority of the Akal Takht, SGPC and SAD in religio-political matters. It is argued that differentiated class and caste structures of the Sikh community and its political plurality sustain the relevance of these holy men in the domains of socio-religious, cultural and political life of the people of Punjab. "