The Multifarious Faces of Sikhism
throughout Sikh History
Page 6 of 8
Hazoori
Sikhs cont'd
h) The Khalsa initiation for women, as in Budha
Dal, is separate from the men in Hazoor Sahib.
The Amrit is prepared by just reading ‘Japji’
and six verses from Anand Sahib, and wielding
a ‘Kard’ (single-edged
sword or knife) only. J. D. Cunningham mid 19th
century also noticed such a practice:
‘Women are not usually,
but they are sometimes initiated in form
as professors of the Sikh faith.
In mingling the sugar and water for women,
a one-edged and not two-edged, dagger is
used.’ ‘History
Of The Sikhs’, by J.D. Cunnigham,
1849, Pa 315
Japji Sahib
Opening bifolio of Adi Guru Durbar done in the
Kashmiri style depicting
'Japji Sahib' surrounded by images of Ganesh,
Laxmi, and the Sikh Gurus, circa 1820-40
In 1903, Sunder Singh Ramgharia,
speaking of Khalsa initiation ceremony at beginning
of this century at the Akal Takht further verifies
Hazoor Sahib and Budha Dal tradition:
‘When a woman is to
be baptized a one-edged miniature sword,
called Kard, is used.’ ‘Guide to the
Golden Durbar Sahib or Golden Temple of
Amritsar’, S.S. Ramgharia, P. 35
For practical reasons of bearing and rearing
children, the Sikh women who do get initiated
into the Khalsa, do not have the same restrictions
with regards to the five K’s (in particular
the ‘Kashehra’).
Sikhni
Pahari painting of a Sikh woman dressed in
traditional Punjabi dress with her husband,
circa mid 19th century
During his travels, Nihang Niddar Singh met
up with Giani Partap Singh,
former head Granthi of Hazoor Sahib. In the
presence of Nihang Baba Avtar Singh
at Sursingh, Giani Ji commented:
‘When women have children
drawers will be taken off. Then, if on initiation
of Khalsa all Khalsa are declared ‘brothers’,
then this makes in similar manner our wives
[become] our sisters. So women cannot
be initiated with men [for it would result
in incest on a technical basis].’
Giani Partap Singh, transcript of interview
on 24-03-03
Bhai Avtar Singh Bidhi Chandi
Nihang Baba Avtar Singh Ji of the Bhai Bidhi
Chand Nihang Dal at Sursingh
Historically speaking, the practice of giving
of same Khalsa initiation to women as men only
came in with the notorious Panch Khalsa
Diwan of ‘Babu’ Teja Singh
Bhasauria in early 1900s. It was later adopted
by S.G.P.C. in the 1920s. The followers of Teja
Singh Bhasauria’s disciple, Bhai Randhir
Singh Narangwal, still insist on the same initiation
for both men and women (for more information
on Teja Singh Bhasauria click here).
