DERA SANT SARWAN DASS OF BALLAN: INVENTION OF A NEW FORM OF COMMUNITY ASSERTION EXPERIENCED AND PERCEIVED AS AN INDIVIDUAL QUEST

Abstract

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, religious structures dedicated to Ravidâs have become highly visible in Punjab as well as abroad. These religious places belong to and are managed by Punjabi Chamars, who named themselves Ravidassias. This paper aims to explore the various motivations which are driving thousands of Chamars to Dera Sant Sarwan Dass of Ballan (henceforth DSSDB) – the most popular religious institution among the Ravidassias. Devotees of DSSDB are not only willing to assert their social, political and economical rights. Other logics are also at stake in their involvement in DSSDB's activities; logics which are much more internalized and which have much more to do with a private need in psychological and material supports. Both Ravidassias who are living abroad and their Punjabi counterparts are sensitive to these logics. However, it is not exactly the same kind of motivations, which lead them to become DSSDB's devotees. In this study I have chosen to focus my attention on overseas Ravidassias.

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to C. Clémentin-Ojha and V. Bouillier for their valuable comments on an earlier draft of this paper. I am also thankful to the Centre de Sciences Humaines, New Delhi, in which conducive environment I am able to work and proceed with my research.

Notes

According to H.K. Puri, 60% of the villages of Punjab have their own temple dedicated to Ravidas (2004, 4). There is at least one Ravidassia temple in each European country, three in the USA, and three in Canada; 14 have been recorded in the UK (Singh and Singh Tatla 2008, 154).

The nirguna bhakti belongs to a vast religious reform movement whose main protagonists recommended devotion as the main means to attain salvation. Rejecting any icon that represents God is a specified requirement of the nirguna tradition. This tradition is different from the saguna bhakti, since it refuses the argument that untouchability is a consequence of all the evil actions that one has performed in one's previous life. Nirguna bhakti was mainly preached by poets from untouchable castes such as Kabir, Namdev, and Ravidas.

Sant: honorific status attributed to an ascetic who is supposed to be enlightened and who is thus able to guide his followers on this path. During my fieldwork from February 2006 until February 2009, this status was attributed to three religious men at the DSSDB; Sant Ramanand Ji, the Ravidassia religious leader murdered in Vienna, was among them.

This motto can be translated as: ‘With Maharaj Ji's grace, everything becomes possible’.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, India's entry on the world industrial market and the demand of the British army based in Punjab allowed a minority of Chamars to benefit from a monopoly position in the leather market. This economic opportunity provided some Chamars the capacity to accede to education and also to immigrate to Western countries.

DSSDB is managed by a Trust named Shri Guru Râvidas Janam Asthan Public Charitable Trust. This trust is financing all the religious programmes organized by the DSSDB. Another trust was created in 1984 to manage of all the charitable projects of the DSSDB, named Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Hospital Trust. This trust currently runs three institutions: Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Hospital, Adda Kathar, District Jalandhar; Sant Sarwan Dass Model School Hadiabad, District Phagwara; and Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Eye Hospital, Ballan, District Jalandhar. Two trusts related to the DSSDB have also been found overseas: Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Trust UK, and Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Trust Canada.

A British Ravidassia, interview with author, 3 September 2007, London.

Mirabai (1498–1547) is a mystical Hindu poet who belonged to an aristocratic Rajasthani family. She was one of the prominent members of the bhakti movement. Over 12,000 devotional hymns are attributed to her, and she is still very popular in India. She is considered one of the most famous disciples of Ravidas.

The Ravidassia religious leader, who was killed in Vienna in May 2009. He used to be in charge of all the management at the Dera, and was popular among overseas Ravidassias.

The relation described in this part concerns all the disciples of DSSDB. However, because of their socio-economic profile, overseas Ravidassias benefit much more from its ‘rescuing’ effect.

Sant Garib Dass Ji was the gaddi nashin of DSSDB from 1982 to 1994.

Sant Bawa Ji is one of DSSDB's sants. Since Sant Ramanand Ji's death, he is in charge of managing DSSDB.

Sant Niranjan Dass Ji's spiritual teachings rest on three activities: simran [meditation], satsang, and seva.

A Ravidassia representative, interviewed by the author, 27 September 2007, Toronto.

Radhasoami is one of the most popular religious groups among the Punjabi society. This sectarian movement was founded by Soami Shiv Dayal Singh Ji and Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj in 1891 on the east bank of the River Beas, Punjab. This non-profit charitable society spread teachings based on all religions and dedicated to a process of inner development under the guidance of a spiritual teacher. Radhasoami is now attracting a lot of Chamars to its fold. However, the spiritual master is a Jat, and most of the members of the managing committee belong to upper castes.

The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organization that was formally launched in May 1929 in the Punjab. Its website describes it as ‘neither a new religion nor a sect of an existing religion, but an all-embracing spiritual movement dedicated to human welfare’. Even if some Chamars belong to Sant Nirankari Mission, its managing committee and spiritual master belong to upper castes.

A Ravidassia representative, interview with the author, 7 September 2007, Vancouver.

Verb used by the devotees themselves.

These main programmes are the Ravidas Jayanti, which takes place every February at Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir – a temple built at what is thought to be the birthplace of Ravidas. It is owned by DSSDB. Barsi Smagam celebrations are held to commemorate the anniversaries of the deaths of Sant Sarwan Dass Ji on 11 June and Sant Garib Dass Ji on 23 July. Many other programmes take place throughout the year, but many overseas Ravidassias come to the DSSDB specially to attend these three.