Damdami Taksal

2022-06-25T04:03:37Z

198.73.125.181:

{{Short description|Sikh cultural and educational organization}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Damdami Taksal<br>(Jatha Bhindran-Mehta)
| native_name = ਦਮਦਮੀ ਟਕਸਾਲ
| native_name_lang = pa
| image =
| caption = ।। ਘੜੀਐ ਸਬਦੁ ਸਚੀ ਟਕਸਾਲ ।।<br>''ghaṛīai shabadu saccī ṭakasāla''<br>"The [[Shabd]] is forged in the Mint of Truth"
| founder = Guru Gobind Singh Ji
| purpose = Sikh seminary
| headquarters = [[Gurdwara]] Gurdarshan Parkash
| location_city = [[Amritsar|Mehta, Amritsar]]
| leader_title = ''[[Jathedar]]''
| leader_name = Harnam Singh Khalsa
}}

The '''Damdamī Ṭaksāl''' is an [[orthodoxy|orthodox]] [[Sikhism|Sikh]] cultural and educational organization, based in [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041225/punjab1.htm#5|title=Baba Thakur Singh of Damdami Taksal dead|access-date=26 December 2019}}</ref> Its headquarters are located in the town of Mehta Chowk, approximately 40 km north of the city of [[Amritsar]].<ref name="lal75">{{harvnb|Mahmood|1997|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=wA3yjdgyY9kC&dq=Fighting+for+faith+and+nation&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=za81S7CrPJL0sgPqgsDIBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Chowk%20Mehta&f=false Page 75]}}</ref> It has been described as a seminary or “moving university” of the Sikh countryside.<ref name="Mahmood_WY">{{cite book|author1=C. K. Mahmood|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=521m3YG-N38C&q=why+sikhs+fight+mahmood&pg=PA11|title=Why Sikhs Fight (Anthropological Contributions to Conflict Resolution)|publisher=The University of Georgia Press|year=1996|isbn=9780820317656|page=17}}</ref>

== History ==

In 1706, after the [[Battle of Muktsar]], the army of [[Guru Gobind Singh]] camped at Sabo Ki Talwandi. This acted as a ''damdamā'', or halting place (lit. "breathing place"), and is now the site of [[Damdama Sahib|Takht Sri Damdamā Sahib]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Dhillon|first=Dalbir|title=Sikhism Origin and Development|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distri|year=1988|page=152}}</ref> That year, Guru Gobind Singh is said to have founded a distinguished school of exegesis,<ref name="MartyAppleby">{{cite book|author=Harjot Oberoi|chapter=Sikh Fundamentalism: Translating History into Theory|title=Fundamentalisms and the state: remaking polities, economies, and militance|editor=Martin E. Marty|editor2=R. Scott Appleby|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=1996|series=The Fundamentalism Project|volume=3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/fundamentalismss00mart/page/266 266]|isbn=978-0-226-50884-9|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=doCmVaOnh_wC|quote=In 1706, when Gobind Singh...he is said to have founded a distinguished school of exegesis.|url=https://archive.org/details/fundamentalismss00mart/page/266}}</ref> later headed up by [[Baba Deep Singh]].<ref>{{cite book|last=H. S. Singha|title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism|year=2000|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=9788170103011|page=57}}</ref> Damdamā Sahib was considered to be the highest seat of learning for the Sikhs during the 18th century,<ref>{{cite book|last=Kapoor|first=Sukhbir|title=Dasam Granth An Introductory Study|publisher=Hemkunt Press|year=2003|isbn=81-7010-325-8|page=12}}</ref> and Damdami Taksal claims direct historical ties to [[Guru Gobind Singh]],<ref name="Mahmood_WY" /> who entrusted it with the responsibility of teaching the reading (''santhyā''), analysis (''vichār'') and recitation of the [[Sikh scriptures]], and [[Baba Deep Singh]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Damdami Taksaal - The official website of the Damdami Taksaal|url=https://www.damdamitaksal.com/|access-date=26 December 2019|website=Damdami Taksaal}}</ref> The word ''ṭaksāl'' (lit. '[[Mint (coin)|mint]]') refers to an education institute; which is a community of students who associate themselves with a particular [[Sant (religion)|''sant'']] (lit. spiritual leader or saint).<ref name="Schomer 1987 262">{{cite book|last=Schomer|first=Karine|title=The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India|year=1987|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=9788120802773|page=262}}</ref>

The main center of the present-day Damdami Taksal (Jatha Bhindran-Mehta) is located at ''Gurdwārā Gurdarshan Parkāsh'' in [[Amritsar district|Mehta, Amritsar]].<ref name="HawleyBhindran" /> It is actually a branch of a major school of traditional Sikh learning known as the ''Bhindrāṅ Ṭaksāl'' which is based Mehta. Although, this Taksal was established in 1906 by Sundar Singh (1883-1930) of Boparai Kalan in [[Ludhiana district|Ludhiana]]. It achieved prominence through its second incumbent, Gurbachan Singh Khalsa (1902-1969) of Bhindran Kalan, hence its name.<ref name="HawleyBhindran">{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Pashaura, Michael Hawley |title=Re-imagining South Asian Religions: Essays in Honour of Professors Harold G. Coward and Ronald W. Neufeldt |date=2012 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004242371 |page=38 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qT0yAQAAQBAJ&q=Bhindran+Kalan&pg=PA38}}</ref> He devoted his entire life to teaching the enunciation and intonation in reciting the Sikh scriptures. He trained a large number of ''gianīs'', traditional Sikh scholars, through his mobile seminary. When he died in 1969 he was succeeded by two contenders, Giani Mohan Singh (1919-2020), leading the original ''Bhindrāṅ Kalāṅ'' branch in Ludhiana and Kartar Singh Khalsa (1932-1977), leading the ''Mehtā'' branch in Amritsar district.<ref name="HawleyBhindran" />

During much of the mid-1900s, Gurbachan Singh Khalsa was a prominent ''[[Sant (religion)|sant]]'' teaching a large number of students<ref>{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Pashaura|title=The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority|date=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199087730}}</ref> and remains an influential figure. The influence of Bhindran Taksal is attested by the fact that its alumni include the ''[[granthi|mukkh granthī]]'' (chief reader of Sikh scriptures) at the [[Golden Temple]], [[jathedar|''jathedārs'']] of various [[Panj Takht|Sikh takhts]], and [[granthi|''granthīs'']] of major gurdwaras.<ref name="HawleyBhindran" />

The Damdami Taksal also had a history of dispute with the Indian government, as a previous leader, Kartar Singh Khalsa, had been a severe critic of the excesses of Indira Gandhi’s [[The Emergency (India)#Sikh opposition|Emergency]] rule.<ref name="Mahmood_WY" /><ref name="lal75" /> In 1975, a large event to commemorate the 300th anniversary [[martyrdom]] of [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]] was attended by [[Indira Gandhi]] and Kartar Singh Khalsa. This was the starting point of tensions between Damdami Taksal and the [[Indian National Congress|Central Government under Congress]].<ref name="Pande 1989">{{cite book|last=Pande|first=B. N.|title=Indira Gandhi: Builders of modern India|year=1989|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India}}</ref> The dispute{{#tag:ref|When Indira Gandhi came onto the stage in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, while all those on the stage arose to welcome and respect her, but it was only Kartar Singh Bhindranwale remained seated.<ref name="Judge 2005">{{cite book|last=Judge|first=Paramjit|title=Religion, Identity, and Nationhood: The Sikh Militant Movement|year=2005|publisher=Rawat Publications|isbn=9788170339496}}</ref> On the stage Kartar Singh spoke saying no one is more powerful than our Guru and we are not required to get up and pay respect to her, he was applauded by the people.<ref name="Pande 1989"/>|group=note}} was about who was the leader and who had the greater authority over the Sikh people, the [[Guru Granth Sahib]] or Indira Gandhi.<ref name="Judge 2005" />

The Damdami Taksal was first brought to wider national attention by [[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]] during the [[1978 Sikh–Nirankari clashes]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tambiah|first1=Stanley|title=Leveling Crowds: Ethnonationalist Conflicts and Collective Violence in South Asia|date=1997|publisher=University of California Press|location=California|isbn=0520200020|page=106}}</ref> the [[Anandpur Resolution]], the [[Dharam Yudh Morcha]] of 1982,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Harjinder|title=Game of Love|date=2008|publisher=Akaal Publishers|location=Walsall|page=61|edition=Second}}</ref> and later the [[Insurgency in Punjab|Khalistan movement and insurgency]].<ref>{{cite book | chapter-url=http://www.vidhia.com/Historical%20and%20Political/The_Sikh_Diaspora.pdf | title=The Sikh Diaspora: The Search For Statehood | author=Singh Tatla, Darshan |chapter=6 Demand for Homeland - Sikhs in Britain | publisher=UCL Press | year=1999 | location=England | pages=116 onwards | isbn=1-85728-301-5}}</ref>

==Leadership==
During [[British Raj|British Colonial rule]], Sunder Singh Bhindranwala{{#tag:ref|Sunder Singh was from the Bhindran village<ref name="Schomer 1987 262"/> and thus was referred to as Bhindranwale, "the one from Bhindran"|group=note}} set about purging diversity in Sikh doctrine, ritual and practice, hoping to have a uniform Sikh community. Part of this strategy was to have a ''Rehat Maryada'' i.e. standardised code of conduct .<ref>{{cite book|last=Marty|first=Martin|title=Fundamentalisms and the State: Remaking Polities, Economies, and Militance, Volume 3|url=https://archive.org/details/fundamentalismss00mart|url-access=registration|year=1996|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=9780226508849|page=[https://archive.org/details/fundamentalismss00mart/page/267 267]}}</ref>

Sunder Singh was succeeded by Gurbachan Singh Khalsa in 1930, after whom Kartar Singh Bhindranwala continued his work in 1961. Kartar Singh established Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash at Mehta, [[Amritsar district|Amritsar]].<ref name="HawleyBhindran" /> In 1977, after the death of Kartar Singh, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala became the head of Damdami Taksal.<ref name="HawleyBhindran"/><ref>Low intensity conflicts in India By Vivek Chadha, United Service Institution of India page 196.</ref>

Thakur Singh Bhindranwala<ref>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Gurharpal|title=Sikhs in Britain: The Making of a Community|year=2006|publisher=Zed Books|isbn=9781842777176|page=[https://archive.org/details/sikhsinbritainma0000sing/page/92 92]|url=https://archive.org/details/sikhsinbritainma0000sing/page/92}}</ref> took over his Taksal when Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala was killed in 1984 by the military on [[Golden Temple|Harmander Sahib]], referred to as [[Operation Blue Star|Operation Bluestar]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Tully|first=Mark|title=The defeat of a congressman: and other parables of modern India|year=1991|publisher=Knopf|isbn=9780394573991|page=[https://archive.org/details/defeatofcongress00tull/page/154 154]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/defeatofcongress00tull/page/154}}</ref> After the death of Thakur Singh, the leadership of Taksal was handed over to Ram Singh Khalsa by SGPC in January 2005.<ref name="Tribune">{{cite news |last1=Walia |first1=Varinder |title=Baba Harnam Singh acting chief of Taksal Ram Singh heads breakaway faction |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050103/punjab1.htm |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Tribune |date=3 January 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Damdami Taksal |url=https://damdamitaksal.co.in/ |access-date=5 March 2020}}</ref> though the senior leadership and members of Taksal accepted Harnam Singh Khalsa as the successor.<ref name="Tribune" /> In July 2017, Taksal chief Harnam Singh Khalsa was hailed as the successor to Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala by the SPGC.<ref>{{cite news |title=Taksal chief Dhumma hailed as heir to ‘warrior’ Bhindranwala at SGPC function; Badals mark presence |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/taksal-chief-dhumma-hailed-as-heir-to-warrior-bhindranwale-at-sgpc-function-badals-mark-presence/story-kPg7foprHqk3rZDFJWJGVJ.html |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=1 July 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

==Beliefs==
The Damdami Taksal have their own Sikh Code of Conduct, the ''Gurmat Rehat Maryada'', which differs from the ''[[Sikh Rehat Maryada|Rehat Maryada]]'' published by the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://damdamitaksaal.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=68 |title=Gurmat Rehat Maryada |publisher=Damdamitaksaal.org |access-date=9 August 2009}}</ref> Some differences include the reading of ''[[Ragmala]]'' after ''[[Akhand Path]]''<ref>{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Harjinder|last2=Singh|first2=Sukha|last3=Singh|first3=Jaskeerth|title=Sikh Code of Conduct|publisher=Akaal Publishers|isbn=978-0-9554587-4-3|page=82|edition=4th|year=2015}}</ref> and not eating meat, fish, and eggs.<ref>{{cite book|last=Poy|first=Buddy|title=Vegetarianism Unmasked|year=2011|publisher=AuthorHouse|isbn=9781463408756|page=83}}</ref> Damdami Taksal is somewhat influenced by the [[Nirmala (sect)|Nirmala]] school of thought as the eleventh leader of Damdami Taksal, Bishan Singh Muralewale, studied under Nirmala [[Sant (religion)|Sant]]s such as [[Pundit Tara Singh]] and Pundit Sadhu Singh during the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Damdami Taksal De Mahapurkh|publisher=Damdami Taksal (Jatha Bhindran)|location=Amritsar|page=22}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Dilgira|first1=Harjindar|title=The Sikh Reference Book|date=1997|publisher=Sikh Educational Trust for Sikh University Centre|isbn=9780969596424|page=318}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Khalsa]]
* [[Nirmala (sect)|Nirmala]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Giani Jaswant singh Manji Sahib Book ~ Chita Chola

==External links==
[https://www.damdamitaksal.com/ Damdami Taksal – Official Website]
{{Sikhism}}

[[Category:Sikh politics]]
[[Category:Sikh groups and sects]]
[[Category:Khalistan movement]]
[[Category:Schools in Punjab, India]]

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Damdami Taksal