The Ad-Dharmi is a

Dalit Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming a ...

religion in the state of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

Ad-Dharmis are 11.48% of the total of lower status communities in Punjab.

Origin

The Ad-Dharm movement was started in 1920s, for the purpose of getting a distinct religious identity same as Adi Dravida movement of Tamil Nadu. The founder of the Ad-Dharm Movement was Mangu Ram Mugowalia (founding member of

Ghadar Party The Ghadar Movement was an early 20th century, international political movement founded by expatriate Indians to overthrow British rule in India. The early movement was created by conspirators who lived and worked on the West Coast of the United ...

), Master Gurbanta Singh (senior

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

leader) B. L. Gherra and also Pandit Hari Ram (Pandori Bibi) who was the secretary of the organization. The movement projected Guru Ravidas, the 14th century

Bhakti Movement The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th cen ...

saint as their spiritual guru and a sacred book ''Ad Parkash'' for separate ritual traditions. The Ad-Dharmi Dalits came together as a faith was in 1925 when the British ruled India. In the 1931 census, more than 450,000 registered themselves as members of the new indigenous faith called ''Ad Dharam'' (or ''Original Religion''). But this faith and movement vanished after India's independence because of major concentration of its leader into state politics and government's reservation policy only for low-caste from Hindu,

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ' ...

and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

communities.

Religion

Although the Ad-Dharmi are followers of Guru Ravidas (''now Ravidassia religion''), and incorporate elements of

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit= Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fr ...

as they regard Shri

Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the rel ...

as their

religious text Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...

. But after killing of Ramananda Dass on Vienaa triggered them a lot and they formed separate Amritbani and customs. Each of their settlement contains a

gurdwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) ( Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all fait ...

s and Ravidas Bhawans, which are both a centre of worship and as well as a focus of the community.

Notable people

* Mangu Ram Mugowalia, founding member of Ghadar Movement and Ad Dharm movement in Punjab

References

{{Ethnic and social groups of the Punjab , state=expanded Hindu new religious movements Hindu denominations Ravidassia Vaishnavism Social groups of Punjab, India Punjabi tribes Dalit communities

Origin

Religion

Notable people

See also

References