HOLY MEN OF INDIA - THE UDASIN

SONS OF NANAK

The major sect of Udasin ascetics was originally not Shaiva -- nor even Hindu -- but belonged to the Sikh religion.

The sect was founded in the 16th century by a son of Guru Nanak -- himself the founder of Sikhism -- called Shrichandra.

The Udasin are therefore also known as Nanakputras, the 'sons of Nanak', and they revere the Grantha Saheb, the sacred book of the Sikhs.

They were excommunicated by the successor of Guru Nanak and gradually turned to Hinduism.

The picture shows Vital Das, an udasin baba, his body covered with ash.

The Udasin worship panchayatana, a combination of five deities, namely Shiva, Vishnu, the Sun, goddess Durga, and Ganesh.

Moreover they worship their founder-Guru Shrichandra.

Their philosophy is basically the monistic Vedanta as set forth by Shankara, and in other respects as well they closely resemble the Shaiva sannyasis.

Like all Shaiva sannyasis, the Udasin usually wear red or black cloth, apply ashes, have long hair in jata, and so on, but differ in details such as their woollen knitted caps and a small silver crescent ring in the right ear.

Furthermore, whenever they had to choose sides in fights with rivalling sects, they were on the side of the Shaivas