Paper short abstract:

The paper focuses on the performative and iconic role of counter-scriptures recently adopted by several religious / pseudo-religious communities (deras) in India's Punjab for reassessing their role in the history of Sikhism.

Paper long abstract:

In 2010, the Punjab-based Dera Sachkhand Ballan announced a new religion, Ravidassia Dharam, in order to create a separate identity for contemporary followers of Sant Ravidas, a medieval saint whose hymns are part of the Sikhs' Guru Granth Sahib. In a year, the Ravidassia community launched the Amritbani Granth - own holy book that comprised some 240 hymns attributed to Ravidas. A copy of this scripture was installed in the Dera's bhavan (temple) in Jalandhar, Punjab, and in 2012, another copy was inaugurated in Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Sthan Mandir (birthplace of Guru Ravidas) in Varanasi, UP. Since then the Amritbani Granth has been displayed in many Ravidassia bhavans where its hymns are recited during daily worship.

Setting up an alternative scripture triggered an active discussion among Ravidassias both in India and overseas about their affiliation with Sikhism, and brought about a question of reassessing the historical role of Ravidassias in the Sikh community. The paper focuses on Amritbani Granth' s ritualization in Punjab and beyond through the analysis of the scripture's performative and iconic dimensions (Watts 2013) and explores how Sant Ravidas's ideas are currently used to envision the Ravidassia community's future.