Baba Dayal Das, Background, Contributions, Nirankari Movement

Baba Dayal Das (1783-1855) was a Sikh religious reformer from Punjab. He is known as the founder of the Nirankari Movement. He believed in the worship of one formless God and wanted people to follow the original teachings of the Sikh Gurus. He opposed idol worship and unnecessary rituals and encouraged a simple and moral way of life based on the Guru Granth Sahib.

Baba Dayal Das Background

• Baba Dayal Das was born in 1783 in Peshawar in a Malhotra Khatri family. In his early life, he followed religious customs and rituals like others around him. After the death of his parents, he moved to Rawalpindi, where he started a small medicine shop.
• As he grew older, he became unhappy with the condition of religion in society. He felt that Sikhism had moved away from the true teachings of the Sikh Gurus and had become influenced by superstitions, idol worship and Brahmanical rituals. He believed that Sikhism should return to its original form.
• In the 1840s, he began preaching the worship of one formless God (Nirankar). He opposed idol worship, unnecessary rituals and the role of Brahman priests in Sikh ceremonies. He encouraged people to follow the teachings of Guru Nanak and accept the Adi Granth (Guru Granth Sahib) as the main source of authority.
• He asked his followers to live a simple and moral life. He introduced simple birth, marriage and death ceremonies without the involvement of Brahman priests. His ideas faced opposition from religious authorities and for some time the movement worked quietly. Later, it became more open during British rule in Punjab.

Baba Dayal Das Contributions

• His followers worshipped the formless God (Nirankar) and strictly followed the teachings (Shabad) of the Adi Granth. They showed humility by serving the congregation, including cleaning shoes and feet.
• He laid down clear religious rules for householders, teaching that a person could live a family and social life while following moral and religious values.
• He opposed idol worship, idol-related rituals and the role of Brahman priests in Sikh ceremonies. He also rejected those Sikhs who supported such practices.
• He emphasized that Guru Nanak’s teachings and the Adi Granth were the ultimate sources of authority and knowledge in Sikhism.
• He introduced reforms in social customs:
  • Women should not be treated as impure during childbirth.
  • Astrology and horoscopes should not decide the timing of ceremonies.
  • Dowry should not be displayed at marriages.
  • Ritual practices like placing lamps or prasad in rivers should be avoided.
• He discouraged paying Brahmans for performing rituals.
• He prohibited immoral practices such as meat and alcohol consumption, lying, cheating and using false weights.
• Through these reforms, he worked for the purification and revival of Sikhism in the 19th century.

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Baba Dayal Das and the Nirankari Movement

• Baba Dayal Das founded the Nirankari Movement in the 19th century as a reform movement to purify Sikhism and restore it to the original teachings of Guru Nanak and the early Sikh Gurus. He emphasized the worship of one formless God (Nirankar) and rejected idol worship and ritualistic practices.
• The movement accepted the Adi Granth as the supreme religious authority and encouraged followers to strictly follow its teachings. The Nirankaris issued Hukamnamas (religious instructions) and established their own worship centres with dedicated leaders to guide the community.
• It opposed Brahmanical influence in Sikh practices and discouraged superstitions, astrology and ritual payments to priests. The movement promoted simple ceremonies for birth, marriage and death without unnecessary rituals.
• The Nirankaris stressed moral discipline and social reform, discouraging alcohol consumption, dishonesty, cheating and other immoral activities, while encouraging humility, honesty, and simple living.
• The movement did not oppose British rule and expanded during the colonial period. It played an important role in clearly defining Sikh identity and distinguishing Sikh practices from Hindu customs.
• After Baba Dayal Das’s death in 1855, the movement was continued by his son Baba Darbara Das, making it a lasting reform movement within Sikhism.

Baba Dayal Das Legacy

Baba Dayal Das is remembered as an important 19th-century Sikh reformer who worked to purify Sikhism and restore it to its original teachings. Through the Nirankari Movement, he emphasized the worship of one formless God (Nirankar) and upheld the authority of Guru Nanak and the Adi Granth. He opposed idol worship, superstition and Brahmanical influence in Sikh practices, thereby contributing to social and religious reform in Punjab. His efforts helped in clearly defining Sikh identity and distinguishing it from Hindu rituals during the colonial period. The movement continued under his successors, making his reform legacy a lasting influence in Sikh religious history.