Nirankari

Nirankari ( , lit. "formless one") is a sect of Sikhism. It was a reform movement founded by Baba Dyal Das in northwest Punjab in 1851¹. He sought to restore the practices and beliefs of Sikhs back to what he believed were prevalent when Guru Nanak was alive. This movement emerged in the aftermath of the end of Sikh Empire and the Sikh history after Ranjit Singh's death. Nirankaris strongly oppose representing the "formless" God with any image, and believe that the true Sikh faith is based on nam simaran (remembering and repeating God's name). They believe in living hereditary gurus from Baba Dyal Das lineage, and that the Sikh scripture is an open text to which the wisdom of their living gurus after Guru Gobind Singh can be added. Nirankaris believe that a human guru to interpret the scripture and guide Sikhs is a necessity. Nirankaris consider themselves to be Sikhs, and a part of Sikh history. Originally based in regions near their darbar in Rawalpindi, during the 1947 partition of India, they chose to leave the newly created Muslim-dominant Pakistan and migrated en-masse to India. In 1958, they established a new darbar in Chandigarh. Nirankari Sikhs are settled across contemporary India, with communities found from Srinagar to Kolkata.

Nirankari ( , lit. "formless one") is a sect of Sikhism. It was a reform movement founded by Baba Dyal Das in northwest Punjab in 1851. He sought to restore the practices and beliefs of Sikhs back to what he believed were prevalent when Guru Nanak was alive. This movement emerged in the aftermath of the end of Sikh Empire and the Sikh history after Ranjit Singh's death. Nirankaris strongly oppose representing the "formless" God with any image, and believe that the true Sikh faith is based on nam simaran (remembering and repeating God's name). They believe in living hereditary gurus from Baba Dyal Das lineage, and that the Sikh scripture is an open text to which the wisdom of their living gurus after Guru Gobind Singh can be added. Nirankaris believe that a human guru to interpret the scripture and guide Sikhs is a necessity. Nirankaris consider themselves to be Sikhs, and a part of Sikh history. Originally based in regions near their darbar in Rawalpindi, during the 1947 partition of India, they chose to leave the newly created Muslim-dominant Pakistan and migrated en-masse to India. In 1958, they established a new darbar in Chandigarh. Nirankari Sikhs are settled across contemporary India, with communities found from Srinagar to Kolkata. ===Nirankari Hukamnama=== A 19th-century document in the Nirankari Sikh tradition is called the "Nirankari Hukamnama". This Hukamnama was issued by the eldest son of Baba Dayal, Baba Darbara Singh, the group's satguru between 1855 and 1870. It states that "Sri Satguru Dayal" personally visited God where he also met the ten Gurus of Sikhs who had assembled with God in his realm to meet with him. God ordered Dayal to go preach rituals and customs to the Sikhs. God told Dayal, according to the Hukamnama, that Sikhs who follow Dayal would go to heaven, while Sikhs who follow Brahmins are on the path to hell. This text describes the Nirankari Sikh ceremonies associated with birth, wedding and death. It also affirms the Anand ceremony as well as includes rituals associated with the throwing of a dead human body wrapped in white cloth into the river. The Hukamnama outlines distinctly Nirankari Sikh rituals, rejects both Hindu and Muslim rituals. ==See also== Ravidassia Ahmadiyya ==References== ==External links==

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