Nanaksaria
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Time of origin: 1918
A ‘Ramgharia’ Sikh, named Baba Nand Singh, founded this Sikh movement. He was born in 1869/1872 to Sardar Jai Singh and Sardarni Sada Kaur, in the village of Sherpur Kalan, located 5 kilometers from Jagraon, Punjab. As a young man, he worked assiduously in his family trade of carpentry.
He then decided to make his way to Sach Khand Hazoor Sahib to seek spiritual enlightenment. It is said that during prolonged periods of meditation he had visions of Akali Guru Nanak Devji, Akali Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji and Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh Ji. These visions prompted him to delve into Sikh scriptures with great enthusiasm.
A while later, he came back to Punjab, and became a disciple of 2 Nirmala Khalsa Sikh holy men: Sriman 108 Baba Wadhawa Singh and Sriman 108 Baba Harnam Singh. According to Sikh biographies of these great souls, Akali Guru Nanak Devji is said to have visited them in 1912. Baba Nand Singh is said to have asked Akali Guru Nanak Devji to make him his ‘Nanaksar’ (meaning ‘one who relies on Akali Guru Nanak Devji alone’).
In 1918, Baba Nand Singh made his way back to his home village of Kaleran, where upon his arrival, was said to have cured an epidemic in his region by reciting Adi Guru Durbar. He then established an underground ‘Bohra’ (bore) just outside his village where he spend long hours meditating on the Almighty, sleeping very little, and performing severe austerities. During his lifetime, Baba Nand Singh never allowed any building to be erected around his ‘Bohra’, but predicted that a fine Gurdwara would be built in the area after his death.
In 1929, a Jat Sikh by the name of Ishar Singh came into the company of Baba Nand Singh and began to serve him. Some followers of the Nanaksar movement parallel this event to the serving of Akali Guru Nanak Devji by Bhai Lehna Ji (who would become Akali Guru Angad Dev Ji).
In 1943, Baba Nand Singh passed away and Baba Ishar Singh became his successor. In 1950, Baba Ishar Singh commissioned the building of a fine Gurdwara at Kaleran. It is said that from the building of this Gurdwara till today, there has been a continuous recitation of ‘Sukhmani Sahib’ (the ‘Pearl of Peace’, Akali Guru Arjan Devji’s composition). With the organizational abilities of Baba Ishar Singh, the Nanaksar movement began to expand and flourish throughout the region.
Eventually, in 1943, Baba Ishar Singh died, but no was was designated to become the next leader of this movement. Initially, a 10-member committee was elected to manage the ‘Kaleranwala Gurdwara’. This committee included 3 disciples of Baba Ishar Singh: Baba Niranjan Singh, Baba Sadhu Singh and Baba Kundan Singh.
Baba Niranjan Singh filed a lawsuit to gain control of the Gurdwara, but then later withdrew it after a compromise was achieved. When he passed away, a fight to control the Gurdwara and its immense wealth broke out between Baba Sadhu Singh and Baba Kundan Singh. They both claimed to be the rightful custodians of the shrine. Being very old men, they deputized 2 younger men to present their case – Bhai Lakkha Singh represented Baba Sadhu Singh, and Bhai Harbhajan Singh represented Baba Kundan Singh. This ongoing struggle for power still dominates the Nanaksar movement to this day. As a consequence, the Nanaksar movement has splintered into several branches all over India, and abroad in the UK and Canada, each with its own leader.
From their history it is evident that the ‘Nanaksarias’ have a heavy imprint of Nirmalas on them. They may consider themselves to be ‘Khalsa’ but are complete pacifists. Those that wear the ‘Sri Sahib’ (dagger/sword) consider it to be merely a religious symbol than a weapon to be used. Within Akali Nihang circles, the Nanaksar movement has been accused of de-masculating the warrior ‘Khalsa’ by killing its martial ardor. Nirmalas believe in ‘Dehdari Gurus’ (living guides). In a similar fashion, the Nanaksaria Sikhs, although claiming not to have such designations for their spiritual leaders, do pay similar reverence to them. Baba Narinder Singh, on a web site devoted to Baba Nand Singh comments:‘Baba Ji my lord, my master, my overlord, my beloved has never let this dog go. Like this dog has never forgotten his master, lord my God Baba Nand Singh Ji. He is from beginning the dog of Baba Nand Singh Ji to the end will remain its master’s dog.'
However, this does not mean that the ‘Nanaksarias’ do not treat Adi Guru Durbar as ‘Guru’. The fact remains that the ‘Nanaksarias’ consider Adi Guru Durbar as living 'Guru', and Baba Nand Singh himself stated that the Adi Guru Durbar was the living form of Akali Guru Nanak Devji.
In treating Adi Guru Durbar as ‘living Guru’, they even place extra coverings on Adi Guru Durbar during winter, and the ‘Manji Sahib’ (bedstead used to rest Adi Guru Durbar) us full-sized, as for a human being. The ‘Nanaksarias’ in many ways treat Adi Guru Durbar just as Hindus treat their idols.
In fact, the practice of image worship is also common within this institution. Within the ‘Kaleranwala Gurdwara’, there is enshrined a painting of Akali Guru Nanak Devji which is claimed to be the exact likeness of Akali Guru Nanak Devji as seen in a vision by Baba Nand Singh himself. The ‘Nanaksaria’ Sikhs pay homage to this image, and artifacts of Baba Nand Singh.
Like all Nirmala ‘Deras’, the Nanaksar movement does not utilize a ‘Nishaan Sahib’ (Sikh flag). The tradition of not possessing a ‘Nishaan Sahib' is a throwback to a time when the Nirmala saints avoided persecution by Moghal hoards in the 19th century. During this time of conflict between the Akali Nihang armies and invading Moghals, pacifist Sikhs such as the Nirmalas avoided being labeled as ‘Sikhs’, and as such, desisted from hoisting up a ‘Nishaan Sahib’.
As with Nirmala Sadhu Samparda, the followers of the Nanaksar movement are strict vegetarians (and avoid eggs and fish too). ‘Nanaksarias’ tend to divorce themselves from the events of Sikh history and believe their ‘Sants’ (saints) have knowledge beyond history, through their spiritual prowess. Hence, such a framework allowed Baba Nand Singh to establish his own Sikh traditions. With their evolution, the ‘Nanaksarias’ have established their own ‘Sikh Rehit Maryada’ (code of conduct). Baba Nand Singh greatly believed in reading Adi Guru Durbar, either fully, or in portions. Baba Nand Singh recommended:‘Complete Guru Granth reading in month. 50 readings of Sukhmani a month – 2 readings a day. 250 readings of Japji – 10 daily. 180 Malas (Rosary of 108 beads) of Mool Mantra (From Ekonkar to Hosi Vee Sach) in month – Six Malas daily. Complete 160 Malas daily of Ram (Nam), 40 Malas if Ram is recited four times on each bead. A Mohammedan was advised to practice and recite Allah on each bead.’
It is said that whereas Baba Nand Singh advised Sikhs and Hindus to contemplate ‘Ram Mantra’, his successor, Baba Ishar Singh substituted‘Ram’ for the comment Sikh mantra, ‘Va-eh Guru’. Being in tune with Nirmala pluralistic concepts, Baba Nand Singh advocated the reading of ‘Bhagwad Gita’ for Hindus and the Koran for Muslims.
Although fundamentalist ‘Nanaksarias’ have spread throughout the Sikh diaspora and are well respected for their gentle and pious ways, there are some branches that have been accused of great misdeeds. One such faction is that lead by Baba Harnek Singh, who has followers are based in Coventry, UK, and Canada
Various ‘Nanaksaria’ institutions in India have also gained reputations for being unsavory. Only recently, the ‘Nanaksarias’ in India upset mainstream Sikh establishments such as the Khalsa Mission Council by producing a ‘Gutka Sahib’ (Sikh prayer book) that contained pictures of their ‘Sants’ (saints) alongside images of the Sikh Gurus.
The Khalsa Mission Council, currently petitioning the Akal Takht to declare the ‘Nanaksarias’ apostates, also claims that on Page 10 in the Nanaksar-published ‘Gutka Sahib’ it is stated that ‘Nirankaris’ have been accepted as Sikhs. However, according to the S.G.P.C. controlled Akal Takht, the ‘Nirankaris’ have been excommunicated.
The ‘Nanaksarias’ have also provoked the S.G.P.C. Sikhs by adhering to the traditional Sikh calendar and not giving any legitimacy to the newly implemented ‘Nanakshahi’ calendar.
