Explained: What Is The Importance of Sant Ravidasa Jayanti

February 16 saw a major religious festival for tens of thousands of devotees - the birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas. It has resulted in an unusual postponement of the Punjab Assembly election from February 14 to February 20.

Meanwhile, the government of Delhi has proclaimed February 16 a public holiday. "Delhi government has announced a public holiday on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti (February 16)," Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal posted on his official twitter handle.

Who was Sant Guru Ravidas?

Guru Ravidas is said to have been born in the year 1377 C.E. in Mandhuadhe, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. On Magha Purnima, many people think Guru Ravidas was born. His Jayantior birth anniversary is observed on Magh Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Magh, due to the lack of historical records regarding his exact birth date (according to the Gregorian calendar). The devotees of Ravidassia are celebrating an auspicious and significant day. It is a Sikhism sect based on the ideals of Ravidas.

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However, in 2011, a faction claimed that it is a separate religion from Sikhism and not only a subset of it. His significance in Sikhism is evidenced by the inclusion of 40 of his poems in the religion's sacred scripture, the Adi Granth. Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan, his birthplace, is now an important pilgrimage destination for Guru Ravidas' followers.

Teacher Ravidas was an Indian mystic, poet, social reformer, and spiritual guru who made significant contributions to the Bhakti movement through devotional songs, poetry, and spiritual teachings. He also penned 40 poems for Sikhism's sacred scripture, the Adi Granth.

He was an outspoken opponent of the caste system who advocated for social harmony, spiritual freedom, and equality. His birthplace is known as Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan. For all of his fans, his birthplace has a special meaning. Meera Bai's spiritual guide was him as well.

The Varanasi connection

Dera Sachkhand or Dera Ballan is said to have been developed as a prominent centre for the articulation of the Ravidassia identity in Punjab. It began with an eclectic foundation, combining Udasi, Sikh, and Hindu traditions, but Guru Ravidas' bani has always been at its centre. Even during the heyday of Babu Mangu Ram's Ad-Dharmi movement, the Dera's temperament and traditions remained largely pluralistic.

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The Ravidassia goal for an independent identity began to show indications of impatience by the mid-1980s, as the Ad-Dharmi movement lost traction and the dominant social forces remained adamant about the integration of the lower castes into the mainstream.

The Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir in Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi, had been established in the 1970s ¡ª and as the community grew economically and a diaspora with subaltern origins yearned for its roots and shared history, Dera Sachkhand became the focal point of their ambitions and goals.

The emergence of Kanshi Ram and his politics made the Punjab's Scheduled Castes ¡ª who make up around 32% of the state's population, with the Ravidassias being the most powerful ¡ª conscious of their numerical strength's potential. Around this time, the Dera adopted Ambedkar as a political figure for use in videos and promotional materials.

Today, Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste is sold outside the Dera in Ballan, along with lockets, T-shirts, and head scarves printed with Jai Bhim and Jai Gurudev slogans, as well as framed images of Ambedkar, Dera sants, and Mirabai. There are also head scarves with Apple and Adidas logos, as well as flags from other European nations and Bob Marley photos, indicating the presence and rising influence of NRI devotees.

Coming together of a community

Pilgrims' journeys to the Janam Asthan Mandir, which began on a few Howrah Mail coaches in the 1980s, swiftly grew into the yearly Begampura Express extravaganza. Every year during the Jayanti celebrations, a deluge of Dalit followers flock to Varanasi, the ancient Hindu religious capital, beginning in Jalandhar with loud screams of "Jo bole so nirbhai, sat Guru Ravidas Maharaj ki jai (Be fearless, Guru Ravidas' disciple)".

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The pilgrimage is a massive networking exercise for co-followers, in addition to being a signal of Ravidassia desire. So, surrounding the Janam Asthan Mandir, tents carrying names ranging from Kashmir to Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra to Bihar come up ¨C the Jayanti celebration would allow a Ravidassia from Wolverhampton in the UK to meet with one from Barabanki, and perhaps stay linked on Facebook afterwards.

During the festival in Varanasi, folk singers from Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, may perform Ravidassia songs in front of large crowds, while a poet from Rae Bareli sells his own book of poems dedicated to Ambedkar, Phule, and Ravidas, and youngsters from Gaya, Bihar, purchase Ginni Mahi CDs.

For a few days each year in Varanasi, geographical borders vanish as the community comes together.

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