Guru Ravidass Ji Force: History

HISTORY OF SHRI GURU RAVI DASS ji

Shri Guru Ravidass ji was born in the 14th century (1377 most of the scholars says ) at kanshi (Vanaras), Uttar Pradesh in India, in a humble family of Baba Santokh Dass ji being as father and Mata Kalsa Devi ji as mother.

Since early childhood, Guru Ravidassji was very much inclined to spirituality.Guruji used to go to attend holy discourses and showed great respect and devotion to holy men. This worried guruji's parents and they tried to divert his attention by engaging him in their family profession of shoe making and repairing.Guruji learned the profession, yet his love and devotion for God continued undiminished.With a view to make him more interested in worldly affairs, his father got him married to Mata Lona Devi at an early age.But even then it didn't change his attitude or his behaviour.Now thoroughly disgusted, his father separated him from the family and asked them to manage their own affairs without taking him to partake of the legitimate share of the family proprty. He was made to stay in the backyard of his house.

According to Ravidass Puran Guru Ravidass ji had a son named Vijaydas.

At the time of Guru Ravidass ji the social system was very cruel and the low caste people were not allowed to go the temples for prayer, to schools for study, to enter into villages in a daylight and were forced to live in huts far away rather than in houses in village. Since childhood Guruji had a spiritual mind, spiritual thinking and complete devotion to search the real God from the cruel world, who gave him only obstacles to achieve his goals of spreading the Gods message of being everybody
equal in all respects, irrespective of caste, color or a belief in any form of God and to spread a message that "God created man and not man created God". Guru Ravidass Ji gave teachings on the lessons of universal brotherhood and tolerance.

Influenced by Guru Ravidass's teachings, the Maharaja and the Rani of Chittor became disciples of Guru Ravidass. The famous saint poetess, Mirabai, also became a disciple of Guru Ravidass. Guru Ravidass ji disappeared from this planet, leaving behind only his footprints in 1527.

Founder

Main article: Ravidass

Procession of Ravidasias in Bedford

Guru Ravidass Ji is considered the founder of the Ravidassia faith. 41 hymns by Shri Guru Ravidass Ji are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib, a quotation being: "My caste is low, my lineage is low, and mean is my birth. I have sought God's refuge, says Ravidas the cobbler."^[3] Guru Ravidass was also the Guru of the Vaishnava devotee Sant Mira Bai. According to historians, Guru Ravidass was born on 15 January 1377 and according to the Indian calendar, Sunday Sukhal Falgin Parvithta in 1433. His birthplace was a locality known as Mandhuadhe in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state, India. The community was known as ‘Kutvandla’, one of the Shudra communities. The birthplace is marked by the Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan also known as Begampura, and is a major place of pilgrimage for the followers of Gur Ravidass Ji today.

Beliefs

Guru Ravidass Ji's teachings represent an offshoot of the bhakti movement of the fifteenth century, a religious renaissance in India. Guru Ravidass taught the following principles:

The oneness, omnipresence and omnipotence of God, who is called Hari
The human soul is a particle of the Divine; the difference between the two being like the difference between gold and the bangle, water and the wave.
The rejection of caste.
To realize God, which is the goal of human life, man should concentrate on Hari, giving up rituals.
The only way to liberation is to free the mind from duality.

The Shri Guru Ravidas Mission London states that the conditions on being a member of the community are:

That one who preaches Guru Ravidass Ji's philosophy is a Ravidassia.
It is not a condition that one should have been born in the Ravidassia community to become or initiated as one.
To celebrate Shri Guru Ravidas Jayanti according to the Punjabi calendar, Sunday, Sukhal Falgin Parvithta.
Whenever any Ravidassia receives, meets, writes or addresses a fellow Ravidassia, he or she should say "Jai Gurudev".

Places of worship

The Ravidassia place of worship is called a "bhawan".^[4] Technically a Ravidassia can meditate and reflect on God anywhere, as Guru Ravidas stated that "God dwells within the heart and is always around us." It is not a strict requirement to cover one's head and to remove footwear when entering a Bhawan, but many people do so, due to common Indian practice. Outside a Bhawan there is always a flag upon which is written Harr, and above it a lamp symbolising enlightenment from Guru Ravidass Ji's teachings. Langar, a communal lunch, takes place inside the Bhawan and all are free to partake of it.

Arti

Arti takes place daily in the Bhawan at the closing of the day's formal services, this consists of the famous Arti written by Guru Ravidass Ji in which he tells God that only his name is sufficient.

Naam Tero Aarti Majanu Muraray;Har Ke Naam bin Jhuthey Sagal Pasarey;Naam Tero Aasno – Naam Tero Ursa;Naam Tero Kesro Le Chhat Karey;Naam Tere Ambhula,Naam Tero Chandno;Ghas Japey Naam Ley Tujhey Kou Charey;Naam Tere Deewa – Naam Tero Baati;Naam Tero Tail le Mahen Pasarey;Naam Tere Ki Jot Lagayi; Bhaio Ujaaro Bhawan Saglarey;Naam Tere Taaga – Naam Phool Mala;Bhar Aatharah Sagal Jhutharey;Tero Kiya Tujheh Kiya Arpou;Naam Tere Tuhi Chawar Dholarey;Eh Wartan hai Sagal Sansarey;Keh RAVIDASS – NAAM TERO AARTI;SAT NAAM HAI HAR BHOG TUHAREY.;

"Thy Name Is My Aarti And Ablution, O Lord. Without God’s Name All Religious Paraphernalia Are False. Thy Name Is My Prayer-Mat, Thy Name My Saffron-Grater, And Thy Name Is The Saffron, Which I Sprinkle On Thee. Thy Name Is The Water, Thy Name The Sandal-Wood, And The Repetition Of The Name Is The Rubbing Thereof; This Is The Sandal Paste, Which I Take To Anoint Thee. Thy Name Is The Lamp, Thy Name The Wick, Thy Name Is The Oil, Which I Pour Therein. With Thy Name I Have Kindled The Light, With It’s Illumination My Entire Home Is Bright. Thy Name Is The String, Thy Name The Garland Of Flowers, Defiled Are All The Eighteen Loads Of Leaves, Offerings Of Ours. Why Should I Offer Thee What Thou Thyself Has Created? Thy Name Is The Whisk (Chawar) Which I Wave Over Thee. The Whole World Is Involved In The Eighteen Puranas, And The Sixty-Eight Places Of Pilgrimage, It Rotates Within The Four Forms Of Species. Thy Name Is The Aarti, Sayeth Ravidass And Thy True Name Itself Is Offered, O Lord, As The Ceremonial Food To Thee."

Scriptures

Ravidassias revere the Sri Guru Granth Sahib which contains 41 hymns by Guru Ravidas, which fall under the following: Raga – Siri(1), Gauri (5), Asa(6), Gujari(1), Sorath(7), Dhanasari(3), Jaitsari(1), Suhi(3), Bilaval(2), Gaund(2), Ramkali(1), Maru(2), Kedara(1), Bhairau(1), Basant(1), and Malhar(3).
The Holy book that the Ravidassias have now adopted all across India and across the World is formally known as "Amrit Bani".

Leaders

True Ravidassias devotees are aligned with a Sant who mentors them on their spiritual path, providing personalised mantras and advice. A very well known Sant by the name of Sant Rama Nand Ji was murdered in Vienna recently by Sikh terrorists, he was well known for his highly personal style of mentoring, including his knowledge of each individual devotee's name worldwide.
The head of the Ravidassia Dharam, known as the Gaddi Nasheen is Sant Niranjan Dass Ji alongside Sant Garib Dass Ji. Former leaders include Sant Hari Dass Ji, Sant Sarwan Dass Ji and Sant Baba Pippal Dass Ji.

Logo

The Ravidassia religious symbol is known as the "Sohang" nishaan. Harr means "God" in Punjabi and is used in the Ravidasi context as the One God. The Gurmukhi transliteration of the name Harr is the main symbol of the Ravidassia Faith.

Festival

The birthday of Guru Ravidass (Shri Guru Ravidass Jayanti)on February 16 is celebrated every year. It is the annual focal point for Ravidassias. On the day there is an Path of Sri Guru Ravidass Amritbani read, the "Sohang" nishaan is changed ceremonially, and there is a special arti and a Nagar Kirtan procession bearing his portrait are taken out to the accompaniment of music through the streets of the temple locality.

Slogans and chants

The following slogans have been used in Ravidassia community worship since around 1490 CE, and are still used today:

“Jo Bole So Nirbhey" – Satguru Ravidass Maharaj Ki Jai”.

Whenever any Ravidassia receives, meets, writes or addresses another he or she is supposed to say "ਜੇ ਗੁਰੂਦੇਵ" “Jai Gurudev” "जय गुरुदेव ".

References

^ Dera Sach Khand declaration 2010
^ P. 3 Folk-lore By Théodore De Puymaigre
^ P. 659, Guru Granth Sahib
^ http://www.gururavidas.org.uk/ point 15: # To address our place of worship as Ravidassia Gurdehera Sahib’ all the time and for all the purposes.

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