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News: Thousands of Ravidassias gathered in Punjab’s Phagwara to renew their demand for a separate “Ravidassia religion”category in the Census.
About Ravidassias
- Ravidassias are a Dalit community that follows the spiritual teachings, egalitarian philosophy, and mystic poetry of Guru Ravidas.
- Distribution: The bulk of the community, comprising nearly 12 lakh people, lives in the Doaba region of Punjab, including Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, and Nawanshahr.
- Key Features of Ravidassias:
- Sacred Scripture: The community follows Amritbani, which contains 200 hymns of Guru Ravidas.
- Begampura Concept: Guru Ravidas introduced the idea of Begampura, which described an equal society free from sorrow, fear, and discrimination.
- Pilgrimage Centre: Seer Goverdhanpur in Varanasi, the birthplace of Guru Ravidas, is the major pilgrimage centre for devotees.
About Guru Ravidas
- Guru Ravidas was born in Varanasi in a cobbler’s family and became a leading mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti Movement.
- Beliefs: He believed in one God and spread his message through unbiased religious poems.
- Social Reform: He dedicated his life to abolishing the caste system.
- Contribution: His devotional songs greatly influenced the Bhakti Movement, and around 41 of his poems were included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Vision: He introduced the concept of Begampura, which represented an egalitarian society free from sorrow, fear, and discrimination.
