Udasi
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Udasi is a religious, ascetic sect, which considers itself as denomination of Sikhism, and focuses on the teachings of its founder, Sri Chand (1494-1643), son of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder and the first guru of Sikhism, [1][2][3].
Later, Baba Gurditta, son of Guru Hargobind and father of Guru Har Rai, led the group on missions outside of the Punjab region, in which Sikhism is concentrated.
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[edit] Overview
Udasi, comes from the root word 'udas' which means detachment, hence referes to renunciation, and unlike some Sikh groups, they do not prohibit shaving or cutting one's hair. Resultantly, not all Udasi males have beards and long hair, as other Sikh, belonging Khalsa do [4]. Udasi mahants have maintained accurate records of the chain of succession from Sri Chand. They revere the Adi Granth, and their interpretation is generally the same as that of mainstream Sikhism.
Udasi scholars like Anand Ghan, have written commentaries on portions of the Sikh scripture, along with Janamsakhis and gur-bilas works.
During the 18th century, Udasis, escaped persecution by the Mughal Empire, as they look different from Khalsa Sikh and Akalis, in whose absence they took care of Sikh places of worship and kept the teachings of Sikhism alive [4]. This responsibility was with them for more than a century, and at one point in history (approximately 1849), there were more than 250 Udasi akharas, or centres, in India.
During the Gurdwara Reform Movement of the early 1920s, Udasis lost control of all the historical shrines. There are presently far fewer Udasis than there were prior to the Gurudwara Reform Movement [4].
Traditionally, there were four Udasi centres, akharas or dhuans, with each controlling a certain preaching area; namely, eastern India (main centre, Nanakmatta), western Panjab and Kashmir, Malwa and Doaba. There is an Udasi temple in Amritsar, near the Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple).
[edit] References
- ^ Udasis
- ^ Udasi Britannica.com.
- ^ About Baba Siri Chand
- ^ a b c The Udasis by Hugh Mcleod www.sikh-heritage.co.uk.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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