ABSTRACT
The term N1mdh1ri is translated as ‘one who has the Name of God imbued in the heart’, and it refers to a Punjabi community that stresses meditation on the Name of God, n1m japn1: a practice that was at the core of the original N1nak community, and one that remains essential to Sikhism today. Another term often used interchangeably for the N1mdh1ris is K3k1s.1 This term is derived from the Punjabi word ‘to shriek’ (k3kn1), and refers to the ecstatic singing taking place during N1mdh1ri communal worship. Occasionally, the N1mdh1ri community is also referred to as the Sant Kh1ls1, Sants referring to ‘saints’. A major distinction between the N1mdh1ris and the general Panth, is that the
former continue the tradition of living Gur3s. Consequently, they deny status of gur3ship to the !di Granth. It is here that the issue of Sikh identity becomes rather intricate. An important paradigm of distinctiveness per se is the fact that N1mdh1ris will refer to themselves as ‘N1mdh1ri Sikhs’. This at once suggests secession as far as they, themselves, are concerned, from other Sikhs. A particular feature of this group is that it is not a caste-based organization.
Although its membership consists of a substantial majority of members from the r1mga4hı-1 z1t, there are also followers from the ja5 and aror12 z1ts. I was informed that a small percentage of members from the Scheduled Classes also make up its total numbers.3 Interestingly, inter-caste marriages take place, a practice unique to N1mdh1ris. N1mdh1ris adamantly believe that the line of human Gur3s did not end with
Gur3 Gobind Singh’s installing the !di Granth as eternal Gur3. T his labels the N1mdh1ris as heretics by many Sikhs. Whereas the Gur3 N1nak Nishk1m Sewak Jath1, as seen in Chapter Two, attributes the term Sant to religious leaders of the group, the N1mdh1ris explicitly equate their leaders as successors of the ten human Sikh Gur3s. Despite this, there are numerous ways in which this particular group is thoroughly Kh1ls1 adhering. It is for this reason that the N1mdh1ris are considered as belonging within the overall Panth. Significantly, McLeod has pointed out that: ‘Faced by their devotion, the Tat Khalsa in general and Principal Teja Singh4 in particular concluded that even if they [Namdharis] were astray on one vital point they were at least potentially aligned with the Panth’.5
