The Pranami Faith: Beyond `Hindu’ and `Muslim’- Dominique-Sila Khan

Visiting a Pranami/Nijanandi shrine in a big city like Jaipur, for instance, can be a unique experience. Although it may look from outside like any ‘ordinary’ Hindu temple, one is struck at once by the particular atmosphere of the place: The absence of image worship and elaborate ritual, with male and female devotees sitting separately on the floor, on each side of a large assembly hall, listening to the recitation of fragments of their holy scripture and singing devotional songs to the accompaniment of harmonium, drums (tabla and dholak) and small brass cymbals (manjiras). This sacred text of the followers of Mahamati Prannath, the 17th century founder of the sect, contains indigenous/Hindu as well as Muslim elements. The only object of worship in the shrine is the sacred book, the Qulzam Swarup (henceforth QS), and even the usual partaking of consecrated water (amiras), together with food offering or prasad, is not considered an essential part of ritual worship in the tradition. Emphasis, instead, is on the inner, spiritual essence behind the forms of religion. Although Pranami/Nijanandi shrines do differ from Sikh temples (gurudwara), they share with them a number of similarities, and for this very reason a visitor who is not aware of the history and nature of the sect would be led to address a series of questions – among others, concerning the ‘religious identity’ of the Pranami/Nijanandi movement.

My first visit to the first Pranami temple was followed by a short discussion with one of the followers. I was given some booklets to read and explained a few basic facts, and then invited to come back. ‘We will tell you more next time… We will explain you either from the Puran or from the Quran, from Hindu or Muslim scriptures, according to your own choice…exactly as Mahamati Prannath and his disciples did in Panna, about three hundred years ago…’, a friendly middle-aged Pranami woman told me.

So, to begin with, let the Pranamis speak in their own words:

© "The Pranami Faith: Beyond `Hindu’ and `Muslim’ published by Yoginder Sikand, 4304, Oakwood Apartments IV, 8th Main, 1st Cross, Koramangala III, Bangalore 560 034. Reprinted with permission.

<< Back