Udasis (Gurmukhi: ਉਦਾਸੀ ਸੰਪਰਦਾ; udāsī saparadā) (Devanagari: उदासी संप्रदाय), also spelt as Udasins, also known as Nanak Putras (meaning "sons of Nanak"), are a religious sect of ascetic sadhus centred in northern India who follow a tradition known as Udasipanth. Similar Sikh sects to the Udasis include the Nirmalas and Sewapanthis. However, their religious practices border on a syncretism of Sikhism and Hinduism, and they did not conform to the Khalsa standards as ordained by Guru Gobind Singh.

Etymology

Udasi and Udasin is derived from the Sanskrit word Udāsīn, which means one who is indifferent to or disregardful of worldly attachments, a stoic, or a mendicant. meaning 'detached, journey', reflecting an approach to spiritual and temporal life, The word udas, meaning renunciation, came to be applied as a general label for the renunciates, the Udasis. The term udasi is also used to describe the four travel-tours of Guru Nanak.

History

Origin

thumb|Fresco of Sri Chand from Akhara Bala-Nand, Amritsar

According to their traditional origin narrative, the sect was established in the Puranic age, tracing back to the four Kumaras who were bestowed with divine knowledge (divya jnana) by Vishnu, Sri Chand, contrary to his father's emphasis on participation in society, propagated ascetic renunciation and celibacy.

thumb|Fresco depicting Sri Chand with [[Baba Gurditta]]

Sri Chand had a traditional upbringing. He underwent the yajnopavīta ceremony, studied at a gurukul, and spent time alone in wilderness in a state of meditation. All four of the Adi-Udasis were originally from Srinagar in Kashmir. Bhai Govinda (elder brother) was appointed on 11 September 1637 and Bhai Phul (younger brother) was appointed the next day on 12 September 1637. Gurditta made the four preachers adopt his dress, which would become charactistic of the Udasis. He also made them take an ember from Sri Chand's hearth to their new place of establishment to set-up their own hearths. These four centres of the Udasis were named after their head-missionary. When Guru Gobind Singh ended the masand system, Udasis became paramount for their missionary activities, which had previously also been conducted by the masands. The Udasis also began to take control of Sikh sites after this reform. After the Sikhs evacuated from Anandpur Sahib, the caretaking of the Sis Ganj and Kesgarh Sahib shrines became the responsibility of an Udasi named Gurbaksh Das, who also helped quell a pretender to the guruship by Gulab Rai in Anandpur after the Sikh guru's death. The Udasis started receiving state-patronage from Sikh rulers and jagirdars in the late 18th century, with revenue-free land being bestowed to them, known as dharmarths. Both Sikh leaders in the trans-Sutlej and cis-Sutlej regions gave support to the Udasis.

This official state-patronage of the Udasis helped improved their esteem and popularity amongst all sections of Punjabi society.

G. W. Leitner notes that Udasi institutions were providing education in a dozen districts of Punjab. They were initially largely based in urban centers where they set up their establishments, or akharas, only beginning to spread into rural areas during Sikh rule; They successfully obtained a court-decree that classified themselves as Hindus rather than Sikhs. An Udasi organization active in Punjab is the Udaseen Taksaal International led by Sant Gurpreet Singh Udasi.

Beliefs and practices

Relation to other groups

Udasi beliefs and practices are often juxtaposed with that of mainstream Sikhs. The Udasis differed from the orthodox Sikhs in-regards to their Brahmanical and Vedantic influenced beliefs, practices, doctrines, and rituals. Such differing aspects were in-regards to incarnation, renunciation, austerities, asceticism, celibacy, life-style, wealth, property, and hair-cutting. Furthermore, the Sikh conceptualization of God was more of a personal relationship whilst the Udasi take was more of an impersonal reality. Sikhs placed more emphasis on devotion (bhakti) whilst Udasis also hold knowledge and meditation to be critical for the spiritual path. Whilst mainstream Sikhs paid a lot of attention to secular matters, the Udasis focused entirely on spiritual pursuits. The Udasis venerate their version of the Nishan Sahib flag. There are two versions of a maha-mantra favoured by the Udasis, which venerate Indic deities and Sri Chand:

  • Almast dhūāṅ - the Dhūāṅ Bhāī Almast Jī Kā was based out of Nanakmatta and preached in the eastern areas of the Indian subcontinent, such as Dhaka, Patna, and Puri.
  • Phūl dhūāṅ - the Dhūāṅ Bhāī Phūl Jī Kā preached in the area of Punjab between the Sutlej and Beas rivers, namely the Doaba region
  • Goind (or Gondā) dhūāṅ - the Dhūāṅ Bhāī Goind/Gondā Jī Kā preached in southern Punjab, namely Malwa
  • Bālū Husnā dhūāṅ - the Dhūāṅ Bhāī Bālū Hasnā Jī Kā preached in western Punjab and Kashmir.

Ba<u>kh</u>shishāṅ sects

thumb|'Suthrasahi, an order of Sikh ascetics', a painting from the Tashrih al-Aqvam, circa 1825

After the four dhūāṅs, another sub-sect of Udasis emerged known as Ba<u>kh</u>shishāṅ. There were six prominent groups of this type, them namely being: There were also the Niranjanias. The latter term finds heavy usage in Sindh. Another word used for Udasi centres of spirituality is dera. The word bada means "large" while naya means "new". There is an Udasi ashram located in Jalandhar known as the Pritam Bhawan Udãsîn Ashram, which contains the Swami Sant Das School.

  • Akhara Tehal Das, now abandoned.
  • Akhara Mahant Bala Nand, founded in 1775, rebuilt in 1888 as a three-storied structure by Mahant Bhishambar Prashad. It was a centre of Sanskrit learning until 1984.
  • Akhara Kashi Wala, founded by Mahant Narain Das in 1795, located near Darwaza Sultanvind.
  • Akhara Shatte Wala, originally named Akhara Parag Das.
  • Akhara Brahm Buta, said to be the oldest akhara of the city. Sri Chand is said to have stayed here when he visited the city during the guruship of Guru Ram Das. Mahant Nirban Santokh Das was associated with this akhara.
  • Akhara Bibbeksar, founded by Mahant Balak Nath, later shifted to Haridwar.
  • Akhara Kashi Wala of Gheo Mandi, founded by Mahant Sharan Das during the first half of the 19th century. It was founded on land gifted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh that belonged to the village of Tung. It remains active as an Udasi spiritual centre.
  • Sanglan Wala Akhara, founded by Mahant Pritam Das in 1788 in Bazaar Mai Sevan.
  • Akhara Chitta, founded by Mahant Ganga Ram Viakarani in Bazaar Mai Sevan during the Sikh Misl period.
  • Akhara Ghamand Das
  • Akhara Mahant Prem Das
  • Akhara Sarigalvala
  • Akhara Karishivala, near Darwaza Ghi Mandi
  • Akhara Babeksar
  • Akhara Samadhiarivala

Music

thumb|Narsingha or Ransingha ('war trumpets') Udasi Sikh Mahants await the Prince of Wales on his visit to Amritsar, ca.1905.

The term Gawantaris refers to Udasi musicians. A commonly played instrument of the Udasis is the Narasingha horn, used to inform the public about religious processions. They also authored their own versions of both the Janamsakhi and Gurbilases literary genres. The Udasis claim to have written the earliest available codex of the Ād Granth. Their work Udasi Bodh explains their origin, history, philosophy, and mythos.

In Sindh

Sindh has a large number of people who may be best described as Udasis. The area of northern Sindh was especially influenced by Udasipanth. The Udasi temples of Sindh are known as darbars.thumb|Photograph of the Sadh Belo complex in Sindh, ca.1940A darbar at Godhu Shah in Khairpur (known as the Godhu Shah Darbar, Nanga Darbar, or Gurpota Darbar) is believed to have been founded by a grandson of one of the Sikh gurus (Gurpota) whom became an Udasi under the guidance of a mahant, it is associated with the Nanga sect of Udasis.

In recent times, veneration of the folk deity Jhulelal has crept into the practices of Udasi darbars in Sindh. During the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir, Guru Hargobind dispatched Bhai Natha (Bhai Almast's successor) to Bengal, who dug another well and also laid the foundation stone for the Shujatpur Sikh Sangat, a religious congregation.

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