Our last stop as we left the Punjab plains was at an Ad Dharm temple in Pathankot. A seemingly out of the way place with an unassuming façade, inside, stairs lead down to the temple hall.
Similar to the community we met in Jalandhar, these Ad Dharmis are a Dalit community and followers of Ravi Das. However, there is a striking difference. They are not Sikhs but are instead regarded as a sect of Hinduism. Inside the temple’s shrine are two life size icons, Ravi Das and the temple’s founder. Although these Ad Dharmis are devotees of Ravi Das, they also venerate their leaders.
In addition, personal authority is instilled in the form of their living leader. I’m not sure if he’s regarded as a guru but he definitely presents himself as one. As our group sat on the floor, he sat on a chair above us with his turban, long graying beard, and dressed in a simple peach kurta-pyjama. The community’s leadership has two goals, to educate its followers and to remove the drug problem so prevalent among the socially downtrodden.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Travel, 6 August (continued)
Doubling back on our travel route, we stopped in Batala at Baring Union Christian College. Founded in 1878 under the guidance of Reverend Baring, the purpose of this institution was educating the sons of the upper classes of the newly created Christian community in Punjab.
It functioned as a Christian high school until becoming an intermediate college in 1942, a degree college in 1944, and a post-graduate college in 1966.
We visited with some of the staff and toured the chapel.
We also learned the history of the post-graduate center for Sikh and Punjab Studies. Established in the 1960s as the Christian Institute of Sikh Studies, turmoil in the region in the 1980s necessitated a name change to the Christian Institute of Religious Studies. The institute aims to direct attention to the religions and communities of the area.
It functioned as a Christian high school until becoming an intermediate college in 1942, a degree college in 1944, and a post-graduate college in 1966.
We visited with some of the staff and toured the chapel.
We also learned the history of the post-graduate center for Sikh and Punjab Studies. Established in the 1960s as the Christian Institute of Sikh Studies, turmoil in the region in the 1980s necessitated a name change to the Christian Institute of Religious Studies. The institute aims to direct attention to the religions and communities of the area.
Travel, 6 August (continued)
Traveling on, we stopped in Qadian – the place of judges. A walled city, this is the center of the Ahmadiyya movement.
Founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulan Ahmad (1835-1908), the Ahmadis have been an influential group here for many years. Despite this, they are a persecuted group within the larger fold of Islam and are often considered a separate religion.
Most recently, there have been serious troubles in Indonesia. The persecution is due to founder’s claim that he was The Promised Messiah, the final prophet of God given a mandate to renew Islam. As well, the name Ahmadiyya was given to the movement because Ahmad was one of the two names of the Prophet Muhammad. Two figures in Punjab have claimed to be the Messiah, Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi being the other.
Since the founder, there have been five successors – active in a variety of ways. The nineteenth century saw a challenge to the actions of the Christian missionaries in the region. One of the recent leaders was active in horticulture, attempting to breed a black rose.
Prominent Ahmadis include Dr. Abdus Salam, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979, and Yusef Lateef, a jazz musician and grammy award winner. The community is active worldwide and their large mosques quite visible – such as the largest mosque when coming out of Washington D.C.
Founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulan Ahmad (1835-1908), the Ahmadis have been an influential group here for many years. Despite this, they are a persecuted group within the larger fold of Islam and are often considered a separate religion.
Most recently, there have been serious troubles in Indonesia. The persecution is due to founder’s claim that he was The Promised Messiah, the final prophet of God given a mandate to renew Islam. As well, the name Ahmadiyya was given to the movement because Ahmad was one of the two names of the Prophet Muhammad. Two figures in Punjab have claimed to be the Messiah, Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi being the other.
Since the founder, there have been five successors – active in a variety of ways. The nineteenth century saw a challenge to the actions of the Christian missionaries in the region. One of the recent leaders was active in horticulture, attempting to breed a black rose.
Prominent Ahmadis include Dr. Abdus Salam, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979, and Yusef Lateef, a jazz musician and grammy award winner. The community is active worldwide and their large mosques quite visible – such as the largest mosque when coming out of Washington D.C.
Travel, 6 August (continued)
Our next stop was the gurdwara in Dera Baba Nanak (place of Nanak), the sixth largest town in the 1840 census.
This town was established after the river Ravi flooded Kartarpur, the village established by Guru Nanak. The community moved across the river to the present location and built the gurdwara as a shrine for the Guru. Built upon a large well, of importance to any community, one could earlier see the site of the old village from the roof. The complex also includes a sarovar and a langar hall is being built. Until then, food is prepared and plates washed in a kitchen open to the sky.
This town was established after the river Ravi flooded Kartarpur, the village established by Guru Nanak. The community moved across the river to the present location and built the gurdwara as a shrine for the Guru. Built upon a large well, of importance to any community, one could earlier see the site of the old village from the roof. The complex also includes a sarovar and a langar hall is being built. Until then, food is prepared and plates washed in a kitchen open to the sky.
Travel, 6 August
Another day packed with travel and many sights to see. Our first stop was St. George’s (Roman) Catholic Church, located in the Upper Bari Doab and two miles from the Pakistan border.
This area is the most fertile in East Punjab and was home to the most powerful tribes during the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition, the region was of importance among the Mughals – the emperor Akbar (1556-1605) having been crowned here.
Established in 1997, during the height of militant activity in the region, the church is lovely and unique, as it doesn't feature pews. Parishioners sit on the floor, presumably on carpets, as the floor is quite hard. Even the confessional is something else.
The new padre is from Kerala and seemed excited about his posting. He was very keen that we also recognize that an English-medium school and boarding house were present alongside the church.
This area is the most fertile in East Punjab and was home to the most powerful tribes during the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition, the region was of importance among the Mughals – the emperor Akbar (1556-1605) having been crowned here.
Established in 1997, during the height of militant activity in the region, the church is lovely and unique, as it doesn't feature pews. Parishioners sit on the floor, presumably on carpets, as the floor is quite hard. Even the confessional is something else.
The new padre is from Kerala and seemed excited about his posting. He was very keen that we also recognize that an English-medium school and boarding house were present alongside the church.
Wagah Border
5 August
After a day of shopping and research, we gathered at the Wagah Border, sitting twenty feet from the India-Pakistan border.
I’ve witnessed the flag lowering ceremony a few times now and each time I leave feeling sad, more aware of social realities resultant from the historical facets so inherently portrayed in the ceremony and showing of bravado. As the guards on each side of the border engage in performance, marching quickly on their heels, stomping their boots, and throwing each other livid looks, I couldn’t help but smile at the remnants of British influence in India. How’s that old saying go, ‘you can take the British out of India but you can’t take the British out of Indian practices’.
If there was a highlight to the whole event, it was a small child behind us crying out ‘kill the Pakistanis’. This mentality – of ‘us’ and ‘them’ with little understanding of why – is the reason I don’t like coming here.
Happiness is capitalism?
Happiness via pluralism
After a day of shopping and research, we gathered at the Wagah Border, sitting twenty feet from the India-Pakistan border.
I’ve witnessed the flag lowering ceremony a few times now and each time I leave feeling sad, more aware of social realities resultant from the historical facets so inherently portrayed in the ceremony and showing of bravado. As the guards on each side of the border engage in performance, marching quickly on their heels, stomping their boots, and throwing each other livid looks, I couldn’t help but smile at the remnants of British influence in India. How’s that old saying go, ‘you can take the British out of India but you can’t take the British out of Indian practices’.
If there was a highlight to the whole event, it was a small child behind us crying out ‘kill the Pakistanis’. This mentality – of ‘us’ and ‘them’ with little understanding of why – is the reason I don’t like coming here.
Happiness is capitalism?
Happiness via pluralism
Educational institutions
4 August
The day’s lineup included tours of two of Amritsar’s finest institutions of higher learning, Khalsa College and Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). Established in 1892 and 1969 respectfully, these schools represent a long tradition of Western education in Punjab. Our own Gurinder Singh Mann was in GNDU’s first graduating class – attending one of its affiliated colleges, Baring Union Christian College in Batala.
Khalsa College, Amritsar
We began with a tour of GNDU’s printing press. Walking through a number of rooms, we learned how journals and books are printed, arranged, and prepared for the reader; as well as the number of people required for each chore. The press uses a number of different printing methods including, and don’t quote me here: lining up typeface, transferring images from negatives to aluminum plates, and computer image transfers.
Next up was a series of meetings with faculty of the History department and the Department of Guru Nanak Studies. The latter was accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the department’s staff and research projects. A large grant was recently received from the University Grants Commission, accompanying the University’s desire for more focus in the social sciences. This grant is of some importance as most funding goes to the sciences.
Following the presentation, the dean spoke to us and emphasized the importance of participation among scholars of different backgrounds. He implored us to meet and mingle with graduate students present, learning about their research and discovering what we had in common. I met Harminder, a young man in his early twenties doing his post-graduate work in Sikh Studies. He was striking in his lavender turban, a perfect match to the lavender in his striped shirt. The first in his family to go to university, his brothers work with their father as farmers in a village near Gurdaspur. He commented that more students are interested in sciences, business, and IT studies. Religious Studies is not seen as a subject of study as graduates don’t earn the money found in other disciplines. Harminder was keen on my interest in Sikh Studies and how I came to be a Sikh. It was exciting meeting someone interested in my field of studies but I didn’t expect how excited he was to meet a gora (white) Sikh face-to-face. We bonded in our Sikhi (Sikh identity) by showing our kirpans to one another.
Our group then met with the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Jai Rup Singh. It was a meeting of lots of ‘big’ people in large bright turbans.
We also spoke with the Punjabi language program director. Similar to the language segment of the Punjab Summer Studies Program, the university’s program is tailored to the individual participant – combining language studies with a cultural segment to put learning into context. Presented as a supplement to academia, the program is meant for students interested in studying a foreign language or learning a second language.
From there, we had a brief stopover at Khalsa College, wandering the grounds and taking in the architecture.
Forgive me if you were hoping for a description of Khalsa College, but you’ll just have to wait for my dissertation.
I did however spend a lovely few hours there the next day engrossed in study at the research library.
The day’s lineup included tours of two of Amritsar’s finest institutions of higher learning, Khalsa College and Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). Established in 1892 and 1969 respectfully, these schools represent a long tradition of Western education in Punjab. Our own Gurinder Singh Mann was in GNDU’s first graduating class – attending one of its affiliated colleges, Baring Union Christian College in Batala.
Khalsa College, Amritsar
We began with a tour of GNDU’s printing press. Walking through a number of rooms, we learned how journals and books are printed, arranged, and prepared for the reader; as well as the number of people required for each chore. The press uses a number of different printing methods including, and don’t quote me here: lining up typeface, transferring images from negatives to aluminum plates, and computer image transfers.
Next up was a series of meetings with faculty of the History department and the Department of Guru Nanak Studies. The latter was accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the department’s staff and research projects. A large grant was recently received from the University Grants Commission, accompanying the University’s desire for more focus in the social sciences. This grant is of some importance as most funding goes to the sciences.
Following the presentation, the dean spoke to us and emphasized the importance of participation among scholars of different backgrounds. He implored us to meet and mingle with graduate students present, learning about their research and discovering what we had in common. I met Harminder, a young man in his early twenties doing his post-graduate work in Sikh Studies. He was striking in his lavender turban, a perfect match to the lavender in his striped shirt. The first in his family to go to university, his brothers work with their father as farmers in a village near Gurdaspur. He commented that more students are interested in sciences, business, and IT studies. Religious Studies is not seen as a subject of study as graduates don’t earn the money found in other disciplines. Harminder was keen on my interest in Sikh Studies and how I came to be a Sikh. It was exciting meeting someone interested in my field of studies but I didn’t expect how excited he was to meet a gora (white) Sikh face-to-face. We bonded in our Sikhi (Sikh identity) by showing our kirpans to one another.
Our group then met with the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Jai Rup Singh. It was a meeting of lots of ‘big’ people in large bright turbans.
We also spoke with the Punjabi language program director. Similar to the language segment of the Punjab Summer Studies Program, the university’s program is tailored to the individual participant – combining language studies with a cultural segment to put learning into context. Presented as a supplement to academia, the program is meant for students interested in studying a foreign language or learning a second language.
From there, we had a brief stopover at Khalsa College, wandering the grounds and taking in the architecture.
Forgive me if you were hoping for a description of Khalsa College, but you’ll just have to wait for my dissertation.
I did however spend a lovely few hours there the next day engrossed in study at the research library.
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