Origin Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak was ordained directly by
God to construct
dharamsāls (places of worship; meaning ‘abode of righteousness’), as per the B.40
Janamsakhi:The above statement separates the institution of Sikh dharamsals from those of other faiths, ordaining it as an independent institution based upon Sikhism alone. The worship centres were built as a place where Sikhs could gather to hear the guru give spiritual discourse and sing religious
hymns in the praise of . The institution of
Gurdwara evolved out of Dharamsals.
Spread Guru Nanak would arrange early Sikh followers into various
sangat congregations or parishes and instructed them to erect a dharamsal dedicated to spreading their Guru's message and teachings in their local area.
Bhai Gurdas states the following:Guru Nanak set-up an important dharamsal in the new-found
Kartarpur after settling there. Other important dharamsals were located in
Khadur,
Goindwal,
Ramdaspur,
Tarn Taran,
Kartarpur (Doaba) and
Sri Hargobindpur, all of whom had been directly founded upon the instruction of a Sikh guru. When the Manji system and the later Masand systems of preachers and dioceses was set-up, they were directed to found a dharamsal in their dedicated area of missionary work. Passionate early Sikhs would found dharamsals at various places across the
Indian subcontinent and in
Afghanistan as a means of expressing their devotion to the faith.
Udasis were commanded by Guru Hargobind and his successors to found dharamsals in the distant reaches of the subcontinent far from the nucleus of Sikh centrality and rejuvenate the abandoned, dilapidated, or struggling dharamsals which had been founded by Guru Nanak and his followers in faraway places, which struggled due to their extreme distance from the central Sikh authority located mainly in Punjab. Guru Tegh Bahadur founded new dharamsal centres during his missionary tours of the
Malwa region of Punjab and in
northeastern India. Dharamsals were also established on trade routes utilized by Sikh
Khatri merchants, especially upon the routes between
Chitagong-to-
Kabul plus
Agra-to-
Burhampur.
Structure and operation (edict) issued by Guru Har Krishan to the Sangat (Sikh congregation) of Pakpattan requesting them to attend daily functions at the Dharamsaal and to perform Kirtan Sohila'' prayers and praises of God, ca.1661–1664 The dharamsals were simple constructions and modest buildings, usually just consisting of a single humble room to house the local devotees of a locality for prayers. This was especially true in the rural areas, villages, and small towns where most of the local Sikh congregations consisted of simple peasants with little means of wealth. They were not built upon a specific axis because Sikhs believe God in omnipresent and the entire Earth is divine and equally fitting as such. The Adi Granth was installed at dharamsals after its codification and introduction in 1604. The dharamsals likely did not contain intricate and ornate furniture, fittings, and other decorative accessories, unlike modern-day gurdwaras. Dharamsals incorporated a body of water for public bathing due to the importance placed upon
isnan (customary bathing in the
morning) in Sikhism. Wherever natural sources of water were not readily available, a
baoli (step-well), bucket well, or
rahat (
Persian wheel) would be implemented and installed in the courtyard of the structure or near a pool of water. The dharamsals incorporated a
langar (communal kitchen) and lodge, especially the ones on important highways and trade routes, where persons could eat and stay without discriminated based upon their religious or caste-background. This facilitated the fast spread of Sikhism throughout the Punjab. Some dharamsals contained a hospital ward where the sick and injured could receive treatment. Other dharamsals incorporated carpentry workshops to construct beds and other needed furniture. The dharamsals often contained a school where one could learn
Gurmukhi,
Sikh music, and interpretation of
Sikh scriptures. The dharamsals were known or named after the area they belonged to. Local Sikhs performed individual worship in their homes and communal worship at the dharamsals. Worship was performed at specific times (
nitnem) and centred around the Adi Granth at the dharamsal. In the morning, the
Japji Sahib prayer was performed at the dharamsal during the morning hours.
Sodar,
Aarti and
Sohila prayers were performed in the evening hours at the dharamsal by the early Sikhs. Interfaith dialogues were also held within dharamsals. In the courtyard of the dharamsal,
diwans (religious assemblies) and
jor melas (religious festivals) would be undertaken. The assemblies in the courtyard were often utilized to discuss topics related to theology, warfare, government, and so-on. Sikh
Panchayats ran their courts in the courtyard and passed judgements from there.
Roles Leaders The main dharamsals located at localities founded by a Sikh guru or connected to their life were managed directly by a
Sikh guru whilst the centres in more minor, obscure, or distant localities and areas were headed by an appointed
Manjidar, Sangatia,
Masand, or communally by the local Sikh congregation without a single discernible leader. Positions of local leaders were not dynastic nor inheritable and it was not a professional duty as they still had to live the life of a householder. They were not allowed to claim divine status for themselves. At centres directly under the supervision of a Sikh guru, the Guru was responsible for organizing
kirtan sessions and recitation of
Gurbani, leading prayers at specified times, such as
in the morning and evening, receiving visitors, performing
katha (religious discourse explaining the tenets, practices, and intrinsicness of Sikhism and exposition of its scriptures), and held dialogues. He also coordinated the langar kitchen to ensure smooth functioning. Sangatia (also spelt as
Sangtias) were head leaders from the local Sikh congregation (
sangat) who arose as local leaders based upon personal piety and merit. Anyone could arise to become a Sangatia as there was no established priestly or clergy-class in Sikhism, as long as they were well-learnt and dedicated enough to the religion. Most dharamsals ceased being headed by a Sangatia after the introduction of the Manji and later Masand systems. However, some remained under the leadership of a Sangatia due to the respect some earned. Manjidars were appointed leaders under the purview of the Guru and were responsible for a specified Manji diocese or parish. The later Masands were appointed to collect revenue and gifts from the distant dharamsals and congregations for the central Sikh authority, where they were responsible for bringing it to. The Masands from various parishes would congregate with the Sikh guru at his
durbar (court) on the occasion of
Vaisakhi and present the funds and offerings of the dharamsals under their management to him. They managed distant congregations at a regional and provincial level, such as their finances and inns, and conducted missionary activities. They were assisted in their duties by
gumashitas (deputies), which they had the power to appoint. The gumashitas helped manage the group of dharamsals in a province or region, especially ones located in small towns, under the purview of a masand head. Some Masands grew in prominence and influence to such a level that even regions falling out of their assigned region were controlled by them, such as in the case of the Masands of Patna, Burhanpur and Kabul managing the dharamsals located in
northeast India,
south India, and the Pashtun belt region comprising modern-day
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sangatias and Masands who were unable to attend the meeting with the Sikh guru at his durbar would present their collections and offerings in the form of a
hundi (bill of exchange).
Other positions At centres directly under the supervision of a Sikh guru, the Guru was assisted in their responsibilities by a special group of Sikhs known as
Hazoori Sikhs. Furthermore, the
granthis assisted after the introduction of the Adi Granth in the early 17th century.
Pathis (reciters) assisted with the recitation of the sacred hymns, known as
paath.
Rababis,
Ragis, and Kirtanis were responsible for performing and teaching
Sikh music as a means of worship. Preachers and missionaries, knowledgeable in Sikh theology, were also employed for spreading the religion to the general public.
Scribes were needed for the preparation of handwritten manuscripts of the
Sikh scriptures and for scribing messages in the form of
hukamnamas, which were sent from the central Sikh authority of the Guru's dharamsal to local Sikh congregations and dharamsals. The role of preparing langar and its distribution was assigned to the most "senior" and "resourceful" Sikh of the congregation. In the late 17th century, the position of
Diwan arose which assisted the Guru with the management of finances as a dedicated office within the central dharamsal. Some other duties and responsibilities of the lay visitors and parishioner were: • waving a fan to keep the assembled congregation cool during hot weather • drawing and collecting water for usage in
isnan baths and the washing of feet before entry into the dharamsal compound • collecting firewood for powering the communal kitchen • cleaning prayer carpets by shaking them and removing collected dust and debris • providing massages to fatigued visitors and fellow congregation members • distributing food to those eating in the communal kitchen
Finances and gifts Dharamsals were not patronized by the Mughal state or local government authorities but rather all finances needed for their successful operation were collected from the local Sikh congregation in the form of the
dasvandh tithing and
kar-bhent, a special campaign for voluntary offerings made by devotees to the Guru for the needs of the local and central dharamsals. The dharamsals did not rely on the central Sikh authority for funds and were independent units who raised their own funds from amongst their local congregation. Gifts and monetary donations were retained within a
golak box located in the hall of the dharamsal where Sikhs would voluntarily contribute funds when visiting for prayers. Another means of sourcing funds was the
sukh-manat, where Sikhs would donate money when a wish or desire of theirs was fulfilled as a means of expressing thanks. An additional manner in-which funds and gifts were donated is during a
kurmai (wedding) ceremony occurring within the local congregation. A
chulia was a donation on behalf of a name of a deceased individual based upon a promise. Local Sikhs provided food resources to the dharamsal, such as in the form of grains and produce, to help with the functioning of the langar. When the finances and gifts were given to the central Sikh dharamsal of the Sikh guru, a
hundi (bill of exchange) was recorded. Funds were used for the propagation of Sikhism, constructions and renovations of dharamsals, running of the communal kitchen and lodge, and payment for the
mewra messengers who would deliver
hukamnama messages, often requiring travelling great distances to do so. After the militarization of the Sikh community, the funds were used for purchasing military resources. Bhai Gurdas strictly laid out that funds were not allowed to be misappropriated by the Masands and Sangatias for their personal needs and harshly reprobates those heads who do so. However, local heads who had no profession to rely upon were allowed to use the non-monetary offerings for their personal needs and survival.
Festivals, ceremonies, and celebrations Weddings,
funerals,
births, and
initiation ceremonies of the local congregation were held in the dharamsal. During the Sikh festivals of
Vaisakhi,
Diwali,
Maghi,
Holi, and
Gurparabs, Sikhs were requested to come together publicly at the central dharamsal and present their gifts and offerings to the Sikh guru. Those who were unable to make the trip to the central dharamsal would celebrate at their local dharamsal on these occasions.
Women Women were not excluded from entry into the dharamsal but rather it was encouraged. They were not secluded from men nor were they allowed to observe
purdah or veiling of their faces.
Opposition Many figures showed opposition to the institute of dharamsal, such as Karoria and Goinda Marwaha (
chaudhry of Goindwal), the former due to Mughal administrative subjugation and the latter due to financial greed. Noorudin, a Mughal official, opposed the construction of the Tarn Taran dharamsal and seized its construction materials. Mughal emperor
Jahangir viewed the dharamsals as being
dukan-e-batil (meaning "mart [or shop] of falsehood") and actively tried ceasing their activities. Shah Jahan ordered that the
Lahori dharamsal be converted into a
mosque. When Aurangzeb sent out a judgement that temples of
kafirs ('infidels') be demolished in 1669, Sikh dharamsals were not spared. Heretical
Sikh sects and displeased descendants of the Sikh gurus who were passed over for the Guruship, often forcibly took possession of dharamsals in their area and exiled the legitimate Sikh gurus and their congregation from them. Some examples are the
Mina and Dhirmalia sects, which took over and controlled many dharamsals in the
Majha and
Doaba regions of the Punjab after having expelled the orthodox Sikh managers from these areas. Some
Yogi and
Shaikh groups opposed the establishment and operation of dharamsals in their area, due to the perceived "infiltration" upon their sacred space and zone of authority, this occurred at
Nanakmatta and Goindwal. ==See also==