The origin of the Kashmiri Muslim Rishi Sufi order is lost in the mists of time. It was under Sheikh Nur-al Din or Nund Rishi that this order became popular during the early part of the 15th century. Nund Rishi is believed to have been mentored by the great Shaivite Yogini Lalleshwari or popularly known… Read More The Muslim Rishis of Kashmir: A Lesson in Religious Syncretism
A modest looking middle age man, dressed in white walked gently on to the stage. The stage, like the man, was frugal: no props, no music, no elaborate lighting. Just a small platform covered with white sheets and white pillows. At one corner of the platform were placed two steel water bowls for the artist… Read More Dastangoi and the Tales that Bind
Namdeva stands in the company of courageous revolutionary poets like Kabir, Raidas and Nanak, who apart from being saints were also radical reformers who stood above caste and organised religion, broke the bonds of ritual and ceremonies, denounced idolatry and brushed aside the authority of religious scriptures. Being a Shudra, Namdeva had to face the contempt of the Brahmins. He was also one of the pillars of the Warkari movement. He walks among the few in the world who rose from the pits of sin to the realization of the highest principals of Nirguna bhakti and Advaita… Read More The Warkari Movement III – Namdeva: The pioneer of Nirguna Bhakti
‘Yes Majnu Shah’, nodded Cherag Fakir. ‘Only he can make the Sahibs run in fear.’ Asif had of course heard about Majnu Shah and his heroic battles with the British. Villagers often talked about Majnu Shah’s soldiers who came down the hills to loot the British offices…. From: The Tattooed Fakir by Biman Nath… Read More THE SUFI WARRIOR WHO UNITED THE FAKIRS AND SANYASIS AGAINST THE BRITISH
While we Indians pride ourselves over the rich diversity of communities, race and religion that our country has, it also means dealing with differences and contradictions in the way we live, eat and pray. However there has always been a sense of, not just tolerance, but respect for these differences. This appears to be an… Read More LIVING TOGETHER: 17TH Century Maratha Empire, an Attempt at Harmonious Coexistence
For all those who equate organised religion to dharma and who, due to their narrow mind set, are compelled to box pluralistic saints like Kabir and Shirdi Sai baba into Hindu/Muslim categories, for them, Sant Eknath is an enigma, an embarrassment. His Guru – Swami Janardan, is claimed, by some scholars, to be a Sufi.… Read More The Warkari Movement II: EKNATH- A Brahmin Saint and a Sufi’s Disciple who Embraced Dalits
Since the 13th century, Pandharpur in Maharashtra became a birthplace of a religious movement which was born locally but had a universal appeal, going beyond caste and religious identity. This movement was given life to by a saint called Pundalik. According to Bahirat (4 p.6), Pundalik lived before the eighth century A.D. It is believed… Read More The Warkari Movement I : Sant Dnyaneshwar-Beyond Brahmanical Tryranny
A midst the crowded by-lanes of Old Ahmadabad city, in an obscure corner, lies the Pir Mohammad Shah Dargah Trust. You may almost miss its entrance – an ancient stone and mortar arched doorway, partly hidden by the motley shops sprawled around it. Inside the gate lie the dargah, masjid and qutubkhana (library) complex. Born… Read More A Pir and his Possessions
The Bhakti movement has its inception in the 8th century Tamil Nadu. By the 10th century it had spread to Karnataka and Maharashtra and finally by the 16th century, it had established itself in North , West and East of India . This era saw the rebel-mystic-poets who in their spiritual poetry spoke against the orthodox Brahmins,… Read More Bhakti poets – Premanand, the Manbhatt of Gujarat – II
An artists impression of Ved Vyas ‘Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the ignorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to the Knowledge alone.’ – Isha Upanishad Some time around 2000 BC, or perhaps even earlier, when much of Europe was still perfecting the art of survival, sages and seers of India were… Read More The Upanishad Diaries – I
Ashodara 