INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

Amritdhari Sikhs. 352 The major part of the respondents had gone through the ceremony
in the local gurdwaras of Varanasi where the initiation had been arranged as a
special program in connection with the festival Vaisakhi and the anniversary celebrating
the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh. Only four interlocutors alleged they had
traveled to other places, such as Patna Sahib or Harimandir Sahib at Amritsar, to go
through the ceremony. As suggested by the data provided in the interviews, the
Khalsa ceremony was organized sporadically in Varanasi during the 1970s and 1980s
to become annual events during the 1990s. 353 On all of these occasions the ceremony
was administered by saintly persons invited from Delhi, Punjab or the nearby Patna
Sahib. 354 Two Amritdhari Sikhs who were interviewed had undergone the ceremony
more than thirty years back, while the majority took initiation during the 1990s and
had followed the normative code of conduct all between three to eight years. The data
suggests an accelerating trend of adopting an Amritdhari identity, which may be a
result of propaganda campaigns carried out in Varanasi districts and elsewhere at
peaceful times subsequent to the political conflicts in the 1980s.
Looking at the ways in which local Sikhs are reasoning about past or future
adoptions of an Amritdhari identity, the decision to undergo the baptism seems to be
exclusively motivated by strong religious convictions. Many said they were inspired
by the devotion expressed in acts and speeches of significant people ‒ a pious cousin
or friend, a saintly elder, or a group of pious Sikhs at a gurdwara. After witnessing
the commitment of others they strongly felt an inner desire to go on the religious
path. The Khalsa ceremony and ideals evoked various meanings depending upon
their social backgrounds and the ways in which they chose to underline and interpret
the norm. In general terms, the Khande di pahul did not imply a change of religious
identity for individuals born into Sikh families ‒ they were regarded as Sikhs both
prior and subsequent to the initiation. For these people taking amrit was more about
complying with the Guru’s order and to refine an already existing religious identity
to be internally oriented towards the Guru and God. For low caste Hindus converting
to the Sikh religion, on the other hand, the Khalsa ceremony was seen as an opportunity
to elevate their social status and signified a formal change of religious and social
identity, even if they maintained customs of origin beside the new Khalsa life.
352
The statistic seems to display a rather high percentage of Amritdhari Sikhs and does not represent
the Sikh community in Varanasi at large. The investigation was limited to a small group of
community members, judged as active in gurdwara activities and selected for interviews.
353
According to the interviews, the Khande di pahul ceremony was arranged on at least two occasions
in the 1970s (Nichibagh Gurdwara in 1971 and Gurubagh Gurdwara in 1975). One interlocutor
said the initiation was performed in Varanasi in 1989. During the 1990s there was at least
four occasions on which local Sikhs took amrit (1992, 1994, 1997 and 1998).
354
Whether the organizer of the Khande di pahul ceremony is a musician (ragi) or reciter (granthi)
by profession he will in this context go by the honorific term “sant” to indicate his spiritual
progression.
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008