Nanakpanthi

Nanakpanthis[1] (Gurmukhi: ਨਾਨਕਪੰਥੀ; nānakapathī) is a Sikh sect which refers to followers of the teachings of Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the foundational guru of a spiritual community natively known as Nanakpanth while known world-wide as Sikhism. Nanakpanth is an open frontier that references strongly an early Sikh community. Nanakpanthi signifies any person, regardless of any religious affiliation, who follows Guru Nanak and believes in his teachings of Universal brotherhood, Truth, Love, Tolerance, Compassion and most importantly Oneness of one single formless Waheguru (The creator of whole Universe).[2]

Nanakpanthis
ਨਾਨਕਪੰਥੀ

Photograph of a ‘Nanukshahe’, by J.L. Lyell, ca.1860's
Total population
Unknown
Founder
Guru Nanak
Regions with significant populations
Religions
Sikhism, Hinduism

Sikhism
People Outline History
Sikh gurus Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Guru Hargobind Guru Har Rai Guru Har Krishan Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Gobind Singh Guru Granth Sahib
Select revered saints Bhagat Kabir Bhagat Ravidas Bhagat Farid Bhagat Ramanand Bhagat Beni Bhagat Namdev Bhagat Sadhana Bhagat Bhikhan Bhagat Parmanand Bhagat Sain Bhagat Dhanna Bhagat Pipa Bhagat Surdas Bhagat Jaidev Bhagat Trilochan Bhatt Kalshar Bhatt Balh Bhatt Bhalh Bhatt Bhika Bhatt Gayand Bhatt Harbans Bhatt Jalap Bhatt Kirat Bhatt Mathura Bhatt Nalh Bhatt Salh Baba Sundar Satta Doom Balvand Rai
Philosophy Naam Japo Kirat Karō Vand Chakkō Charhdi Kalā Guru Maneyo Granth Five Thieves Five Virtues
Practices Sikh Rehat Maryada Prohibitions Ardās Kirtan Amrit Velā Dasvand The Five Ks Langar Sewa Simran Nitnem Dastar (Turban) Naam Karan Amrit Sanskar Anand Karaj Antam Sanskar
Scripture Guru Granth Sahib Dasam Granth Sarbloh Granth Five Banis
Places and Takhts Gurdwara Harmandir Sahib Akal Takht Keshgarh Sahib Damdama Sahib Patna Sahib Hazur Sahib
General topics and terminology Ik Onkar Khalsa Waheguru Panj Pyare Khanda Literature Music Names Nanakshahi calendar Criticism Jathedar of Akal Takht War Sects
Glossary Sikh Topics

Today some Sindhi Hindus consider themselves not simply as Hindus or Muslims, but more precisely as Nanakpanthis, both in Pakistan[3] and in India. Strands of Nanakpanthi culture exists in Pakistan and Afghanistan including Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and remote areas of Punjab province.[4] They generally do not sport beards or wear a turban unlike Amritdhari Sikhs.[5] Even in the 1881 and 1891 Indian censuses, the Sindhi Hindu community could not decide to collectively identify as Hindu or Sikh.[6] In the later 1911 Census Report, Shahpur District (Punjab) reported that 20,539 Hindus (being 34 percent of the total Hindu population) identified as Nanakpanthi along with 78,016 Sikhs (being 38 percent of the total Sikh population).[7] There is no data for the specific number of Nanakpanthis. Karnail Singh Panjoli, member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, claims 120-150 million people can be classified as Nanakpanthi and says that there are several communities within the term ‘Nanakpanthis’ too. "There are groups like Sikhligarh, Vanjaarey, Radha Soami, Nirmaley, Namdhari, Lubaney, Johri, Satnamiye, Udaasiyas, Punjabi Hindus and Sindhi Hindus who call themselves Nanakpanthis. They along with their religious affiliated books, follow and incorporate the teachings of Guru Nanak. Within India, Nanakpanthis are well scattered across states like Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana etc.”[4][8][9] Haroon Khalid, a cultural anthropologist, noted that after Partition, a few Muslims regularly visited Guru Nanak's shrine in Kartapur Sahib and made offerings, continuing to do so despite the shrine's dilapidated condition and harboring of smugglers and drug addicts.[10] Descendants of Bhai Mardana, a Muslim companion of Guru Nanak, have been reported to follow a syncretic tradition of both Sikhism and Islam. Muslim rubabi, including the lineage of Mardana, performed kirtans in gurdwaras prior to the Partition.[11]

Worldwide there are estimated 25–30 million Khalsa Sikhs who solely identify their religious affiliation as "Sikh".[12][13] However, there are in addition many millions of people across the world who also venerate the 10 Sikh Gurus and follow the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib.[upper-alpha 1][14] Amritsar is the holiest city in Sikhism and about 120 million people from across the world visit it each year for pilgrimage.[15]

Various number of ethnicities/sects in India follow the teachings of Guru Nanak and visit gurudwaras along with worshipping Hindu deities at mandirs. The Indian government considers them as Hindus in the official census.[16] Many Sindhi Hindus in both India and Pakistan believe in Guru Nanak and visit gurudwaras regularly.[17][18] A Sindhi temple typically houses both the Guru Granth Sahib as well images of various Hindu deities.[19] A major segment of ethnic Punjabis who are Hindu by religion especially in Indian Punjab, Pakistan's Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Jammu and Uttarakhand etc have continued heterogeneous religious practices in spiritual kinship with Sikhism. This not only includes veneration of the Sikh gurus in private practice but also visit to Sikh gurdwaras in addition to Hindu mandirs.[20]