A Sahajdhari (Punjabi: ਸਹਜਧਾਰੀ (Gurmukhi); Meaning "spiritual state of equilibrium adopter"; alternatively spelt as Sehajdhari) Sikh is a person who believes in Sikhism, keeps their hair and (in the case of male Sikhs) ties a turban but is not an Amritdhari. Despite not being Khalsa Sikhs, Sahajdhari Sikhs must still keep unshorn hair (kesh) and, in the case of male adherents, tie a turban. Those who do not are known as "Mona Sikhs" - adherents of the Sikh faith who choose to cut their hair. A Sahajdhari adheres to the principles of Sikhism and the teachings of the Sikh gurus but may not wear all of the Five Symbols of Sikhism. For example, Sahajdhari Sikhs often wear a kara, and must keep their kesh and turbans as a requirement, but the majority do not carry the other three of the Five Symbols and the vast majority typically will follow a non-vegetarian diet and consume alcohol.
Photograph of a Sehajdhari Sikh (alternatively spelt as 'Sahajdhari') from the 1930 first edition of Kahn Singh Nabha's Mahan Kosh
Despite it being instructed by Guru Gobind Singh for Sikhs to become Amritdhari during the formation of the Khalsa, in modern times, particularly in the western world many Sikhs have chosen to trim their beards and adopt diets consisting of non-vegetarian food and alcohol.
Sahajdhari is a compound word consisting of the two words sahaj and dhari. In Sanskrit and other Indo-Aryan languages, the words Sahaj means "spiritual state of equilibrium" and dhari means "adopter".[1][2]
A sahajdhari believes in all the tenets of Sikhism, the teaching of the Sikh Gurus, keeps unshorn hair and ties a turban as their primary identity, but has not undergone Amrit Sanchar, and may not strictly adhere to all Sikh practices all the time, as Amritdhari Sikhs are expected to do (such as abstainance from meat and alcohol consumption).
According to sources, Bhai Nand Lal asked Guru Gobind Singh ji how many types of Sikhs there are, and Guru Gobind Singh ji replied, saying, ਤਿਨ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਮਮ ਸਿੱਖ ਹੈ।। ਸਹਜੇ ਚਰਨੀ ਖੰਡ।।. In the early eighteenth century when Sikhs defied the persecutors and courted martyrdom as did the teenage Haqiqat Singh Rai, who was beheaded in public for his refusal to disown his Sikh belief and accept Islam. Haqiqat rai was Sahajdhari Sikh. A leading Sahajdhari Sikh of that time was Kaura Mall, a minister to the Mughal governor of Lahore, Mu'in ul-Mulk (1748–53), who helped the Sikhs in different ways in those days of severe trial. He had so endeared himself to them that they called him Mittha (sweet, in Punjabi) Mall instead of Kaura (which, in Punjabi, means "bitter") Mall. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari Sikh of this period, Des Raj, who was entrusted by the Khalsa with the task of reconstructing the Harimandar, which was demolished by the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1762. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari sikh, DinaNath, who was the Sikh Empire minister. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari Sikh, Bhai Vasti Ram, a learned man well-versed in Sikh scriptures, who enjoyed considerable influence at the court.[citation needed]
Sahajdhari Sikhs have continued participating in Sikh life right up to modern times, and have associated themselves with Sikh institutions and organizations such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Shiromani Akali Dal, and the All-India Sikh Students Federation. The Singh Sabhas used to have seats on their executive committees reserved for the Sahajdharis. Among their own societies, confined mainly to north-western India prior to the migrations of 1947, were the Sahajdhari Committee of Multan, Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib and Sri Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Jatha of Campbellpore. The Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib attained the status of their central forum. They had as well their annual conference, which met for its first session on 13 April 1929 under the chairmanship of Sir Jogendra Singh, who passed on the office to the famous Sikh scholar and savant, Bhai Kahn Singh. A Sahajdharis' conference formed part of the annual proceedings of the Sikh Educational Conference.
The Sahajdharis share all of the religious, and social customs and ceremonies with the main body of the Sikhs, and join their congregations in the gurdwaras. The population in the Punjab of Sahajdhari Sikhs (another name used is Sikh Nanakpanthis) according to the 1891 Census was 397,000 (20% of the total Sikh population); according to the 1901 Census, 297,000 (13% of the total Sikhs); according to the 1911 Census, 451,000 (14.9% of the total Sikhs); according to the 1921 Census, 229,000 (7% of the total Sikhs); according to the 1931 Census, 282,000 (6.5% of the total Sikhs). Outside of Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sindh had considerable Sahajdhari populations. Consequent to the partition of India in 1947, Sahajdharis became widely dispersed in the country. Their India-wide forum was the Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference, which rotated from town to town for its annual sessions. Three of its presidents, Gur Darshan Singh, Sant Ram Singh and Ram Lal Singh Rahi, the founding Executive Vice President of Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference, were recognized with the "Nishan-e-Khalsa" award by the Anandpur Foundation at the Tercentennial Celebration of Khalsa in 1999.
The Five Ks, or panj kakaar/kakke, are the five items of faith that all initiated Sikhs(Amritdhari) are required to wear at all times (but does not apply to Sahajdhari Sikhs), at the command of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who so ordered at the BaisakhiAmrit Sanskar in 1699. They are:
They are for the identification and representation of the ideals of Sikhism, such as honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on God, and never bowing to tyranny.[5]
Bhai Ram Lal Singh Rahi - Now an Amritdhari Sikh, was the founding Executive Vice President of Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference, recognized with the "Nishan-e-Khalsa" award by the Anadpur Foundation at the Tercentennial Celebration of Khalsa in 1999.[6]
Diljit Dosanjh - Actor and singer in both the Punjabi- language media and Bollywood industries
Ammy Virk - Punjabi Singer and actor
Jassi Sidhu - sahajdhari bhangra singer with a trimmed beardJassi Sidhu - UK based Bhangra Singer
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