The Damdami Taksal is an orthodox Khalsa Sikh cultural and educational order functioning as a seminary that teaches scriptural recitation and analysis, also known by the alternative names Jatha Bhindran and Sampardai Bhindran. It traces its founding to 7 August 1706, when Guru Gobind Singh's Khalsa army encamped at Sabo Ki Talwandi, a site following the Battle of Muktsar that became known as Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, and it is today headquartered at Mehta Chowk, about forty kilometers north of Amritsar, Punjab. The order requires strict lacto-vegetarianism among its initiates, a practice that differs from mainstream Sikh observance, maintains its own code of conduct separate from the official Sikh Rehat Maryada, and has experienced internal succession disputes over its leadership.
Facts
Classification
Kind of order ApostolateCharitable and Medical Work 1 Who may join Belief
Defining Doctrinal PositionSainthood and armed readiness held as one inseparable doctrine, the saint-soldier ideal, rather than two separate roles 1 Organisation
OrdinationAuthority conferred by initiation rather than by ordination 1 Practice
Liturgical LanguageGurmukhi script and Sant Bhasha, the shared literary language in which Sikh scripture is composed 1 Status
Status TodayLiving tradition, practised today 2 Connections
Belongs to Tradition
Rooted In
Uses Liturgical Language
Sources
1. Islamic Mysticism: A Short History
Alexander Knysh, Brill
2. Wikipedia: Damdami Taksal
WikipediaIntroduction, kind of orderQuote, Introduction, kind of order
The Damdamī Ṭaksāl, Jatha Bhindra(n), or Sampardai Bhindra(n) is an orthodox Khalsa Sikh cultural and educational organization, based in India.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.