MrLanda

Mate,

To be honest the only way to ever learn about nihang singhs is to be one, live with them, learn what they do. Everyone will always tell you stuff but until you have lived with them it will only be knowledge, and not lived.

All UK fauj have done that, stayed with them.

There is a point of the question because the main key differentiation between the Sikh Sampardas is the expertise they have in a particular field. If you claim to be a Nirmala, then as part of your path and lifestyle you would have knowledge in Vedant, History, Scriptures more than the normal Sikh. In the same way, a Nihangs lifestyle is based upon Jang Yudh, his maryada and rehni behni is such that reflects the preparations for the battlefield. But above this, their devotion to the Satguru, to Gurbani, to Seva, to Kirat Karni, Naam Japna, and respect for Kirtan Traditions are all the same.

As you call the Akali Nihangs a Fauj, you yourself have established that they are an army, and what is an army without knowledge of Jang Yudh? So my point to asking would be, as a Nihang youself, how much training have you done in Shastarvidiya that qualifies you to be a Nihang?

As youve asked me, ive been learning for the past 6 yrs, week in week out. As you are trying to uphold the Maryada of Nihang Singhs, it is important for you to establish how close you are to living that ideal.

Due to geographical reasons, shastar vidiya has not been taught where i am located. You are clearly very lucky to have the access to Nihang Niddar Singhs classes, but nevertheless i still see the relevance of being martially astute which is why i am equipped in another field of martial art - muay thai. I totally agree when you say to live that ideal as a nihang singh, and a nihang singh is someone who covers all above stated elements, kirtan, seve, naam, etc. Not just being tyar bar tyar in jang yudh, but in other aspects too.

As you know the fundamental of sikhi is naam, and we will not attain salvation just by studying a martial art.

Anyway, this is diverting from the topic, you are a nihang singh also if you from the midlands area you will know all of the fauj that i too know. So i wont argue with you, as you are an upholder of purtan maryada. Again, my argument is about, those who pretend to be something they are not!

Akaaal Fateh!!

Mr Landa, how much Shastarvidiya have you trained in?

I dont see the point of the question, but i will answer by saying how much have you trained in?

Let me start off by saying I have received amrit from Budha Dal and respect the traditions of the Nihangs and other sampradays, but this topic is absurd.

Honestly lets think what the difference is between a Nihang bana and a Taksali bana. You said they are different thats why Taksalis wear that bana. They both don't wear pjyama, they both wear dresses that come down past their waist. The only difference is that Taksalis have a different slit at the bottom of the dress, instead of having the middle open like Nihangs, theirs is closed to cover their kachera while sitting, which they do for extended periods of time. Only other different are the gathra holders on the shoulders and breast pockets, both of which came into style due to the British army uniform, they do not appear to be worn before the time of the British.

Like a member said on this board, go view old Rajputs and Mughals from that time period they all use to wear these types of dress, its called a Jamah. The style Nihangs wear now is a slighty modified jama.

If you read historical books like Gurpratap Suraj Prakash Granth you'll see that Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj wore many different types of bana, ranging from a blue warrior jama to the well known Sadhu/Nirmala bhagva style of robe.

If you read the old historical books they do not even mention what type of dress Singhs wore, it wasn't an issue many didn't even wear cloths. The main bana, or uniform, was simply a Dastar, Kamarkasa (extremely important), and Kachera. Nowadays if you look at most Nihangs they do not even know how to tie a kamarkasa properly to hold their shastars intact and secure without the use of a gathra.

Sure Nihangs can claim some things like the farla tradition, but going on a mission to de-robe any premi seems ludicrous. Will you do the same with the Adh Chand?

Instead of cussing the Akhand Keertani Jatha for wearing Bana and not respecting the Nihang traditions, maybe your initiative needs to go to the Nihangs, who claim to be great warriors but very few even spend time to practice their Shastar Vidiya. No group is without faults so if you claim to be in a group help fix those faults.

I do not disgaree with your points at all, i am aware of the historical references and of the fact that many never even used to wear a bana. I am not de-robing anything, as i too am a nihnag singh of the budha dal, and promote puratan maryada, tradition just like you! And i also agree that many nihang singh in india are just nangs, as in they have no gian of gurbani or like you said practice shastar vidiya!! But i think you have misunderstood my point, simply those who try to be something there are not!!

Perhaps you are right, infact you are i should direct my efforts towards those nihangs who are simply not.

But i still thought this had to be said, i am merely throwing them a life line a chance of realising there is something more that then just staying in your comfort zone.

Example of what i mean of those trying to be something they are not. I was talking to this 'nihang'(dressed like a nihang, so i assumed he is). He then asked me if i eat meat, i replied yes as i follow the maryada of chatka. He was absolutely shocked, he then started to preach that i shouldnt and that it is wrong, and there are claims in Aad Guru Granth Sahib that agree with this. Now analysing what just happened, this is a nihang singh who is cussing his own maryada, now for those sikhs who are trying to find themselves approach such a possible. There understanding of nihangs would be somewhat confused.

Imagine Baba Jathedar Baba Surjit Singh, talking to a 'nihang'(akj dressed like one) about chatka is wrong, he would end up chatka-ing him!

Maybe i wont continue to cuss the akj globally, but will cuss pakhand! Even if that is the nihangs!

I dont think anubody here denies Nidar Singh skills, but we are digressing from the topic. Mr Landa, forgve me but it sounds like you hate the akj.

anyways, how would one qualify to wear this bana?

who would conduct the test?

what does one have to do to pass?

what if a cheater (akj'er etc)wears one, how do we get it off them?

i hope you will see that this topic is a non-starter. it will only induce bickering, and not have any practical or workable conclusion.

I dont hate them, i feel there are lost, i want to help. But they do to much beadbi of the puratan roop. People talk about being divided, it is because of the creation of the these pathetic orders we are divided, if sikhi was as it was we would not be arguing!! It is only after the britsh raj, the difference in maryda came about!!

To wear the bana of the nihang singh you have to be a nihang singh

There is no test, to be a nihang singh you have to administered into the Budha Dal, as in take amrit from them. This way you are follow puratan maryada, and are true to sikhi!!

If an akj wears the bana thats not his, firstly maharaj will sort them out after, like i said he gets vexed, and secondly you say to them, 'what the f*k are you doing'.

Jattboot brother, I don't even know why you would want to quote from a Niddarite site. You might as well quote from an RSS site. I know that AKJ (and most other Sikhs) do not have much respect for Niddarite Nihangs, but I have seen them speak respectful of Indian Nihangs. Of course there are divisive elements in all groups, but that should not be a reason to generalise against an entire group within the Panth. We need to think in perspective of Panthic unity. While the entire Panth is coming together to fight fake Gurudoms in Punjab, let us not slow down this momentum towards unity by creating new topics to fight over which will slow us down and cause new rifts. No one is going to benefit from rifts except for our enemies.

Niddar is a man of supreme intelligence, his vidiya is awesome, however there are aspects that i do not agree with. He is not RSS or whatever, he is one man trying revive history! You and everybody talks about panthis ekta, we already had this when the maryada was one!! It is the creation of pakhand jathas and groups unity is broken, now people are saying lets get unity back, we shouldnt of had to do this in the first instance!!

dear mr landa

was not the biggest stain on the nihang bana, those sided with the indian govt for money in 84 and beyond? and deserted their own?

was not the biggest stain on the nihang bana, those who kept their heads down when Aad Guru Darbar was set on fire?

your words about the akj may be right, but dont give that nihangs are are holier than thou attitude and pretend that they are any more deserving to wear this bana than any other sikhs.

as Sant Jarnail Singh used to say, to keep weapons and harm others is a sin, but to keep weapons and fail to uphold dharma is a greater sin. Did you see ay evidence of Nihang SInghs upholdeing dharma over the last 25 years?

the very first abusers of the bana are thos eyou trying to big-up. It won't work.

I am not bigging up anybody, yes defnitely agree there have been many nihang singhs who have along the path of truth. But the bana of the Akali Nihang Singh Fauj is for them. And what is with the weird picture, are you wanting to be chatkad or something?

Nihangs have a copy right over the Chola? Are you serious? So no one else is allowed to wear a Chola? Next time you are in India, go to some museum and take a look at those old Indo Persian painting which clearly show Mughals or Muslims and Rajputs also wearing Chola, the kind that Nihangs wear. So did they have to ask permission from Nihangs to wear a Chola??? Tomorrow people like you will say the 5 kakkars are also the copy right of Nihangs, or Gurbani is also the copy right of Nihangs and no other Sikh is allowed to read it.

Since the last few months the quality of this forum is going lower and lower by the day with such useless and brain dead topics.

I always wonder why are we (Sikhs) are the only ones in the whole world plagued with such idiocy from our own who are basically detractors of our faith. You'll never see Hindus, Buddhists, Jews or Muslims have such retards amongst their ranks. It's really frustrating.

You really did not read what i had put, no one has copy over the chola. Nihang singhs have their bana, there own identity. The identity of Guru Gobind Singh, just as the other sikhs like the taksal, nirmalay etc had there own. My argument is people wear the nihang singh bana without earning it as a sign of hankar!! Read it, understand and come back to me facts not rubbish!! My argument is backed with historical truth and facts.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa! Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

Have you seen Guru Sahib's clothes - have a look next time you're in India, you'll be surprised.

I dont think so, i take you it you seen Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh wearing because you are a brahm giani who can see in the past.

I dont post to argue, i posted to help. All the puratan are not here for nothing, there bana is historically relevant, as it was given by Guru Gobind Singh!!

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh

Punishment now is a thing of the past, in the times of a Guru Gobind Singh a singh may mispronounce a word of gurbani he would get a slap, why – for not showing satkaar to gurus bani, upmost satkaar of gurbani can only be done through practice of santhiya. This principle needs to be reainstated, when beadbi is happening those in aid of it need to be slapped!

This post is a mere attempt to help those who consider the gurus bana as a uniform, as a lifeline to those to realise sikhi is alot that what certain people think it is, a steer in the direction of truth!! Please do not consider this as an attack on any jathabandi, but more as someone trying to help .

The Gurus bana, the bana of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa has lost its status from what once was something that had to be earned through living an austere life, a life dedicated to relentless seva, a life dedicated to the word of the Guru, where now it holds the respect of something equal to that of a fancy dress costume.

This image the image of the true loveable army the Akali Nihang Singh khalsa has been severly tarnished to a point of no return. It is the young, un-educated, egotistical, and incredibly stupid life forms that have polluted the Bir Ras spirit and image of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa.

Not to point fingers, but those people who hold the above criteria are associated to those of the akhand kirtani jatha. Many people where the bana, the dumalla, shastar, chand, etc, with complete ignorance not understanding any of its relevance, its significance or origins! The akj egocentrics wear the bana although they will not see it, but it is for purely for the image = hankar!!! It is to attract people to say 'look at me'.

The bana is for nihang singhs, and nihang singhs only. Just as, the Damdami Taksal, the nirmalay, they have there own dress/chola, so do the Nihang Singh Khalsa. If you are not a Nihang singh, dont wear what doesnt belong to you. A simple example, a police office would wear a police uniform, why because he is a police officer. It would be rather stupid for someone who is not a police officer to wear the outfit wouldnt it?? So why do those individuals who are not Nihang Singhs, wear the bana of the Nihangs. However those akj, may argue and are adament in saying it is the bana of Guru Gobind Singh, and there are 100% correct. But what they fail to realise is Guru Gobind Singh was an Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa! The bana was given by Akali Nihang Guru Gobind, was a that most fierceless Nihang Singh ever, he was the khalsa, khalsa=Nihang!! He was the Akaal Purakh!! This is not a difficult concept to understand. Don’t take my word for this, but ask any mahapursh, brahm giani, experienced katha vachaks, that Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singhs gets niraj if someone wears the bana without having earned it!

If you want to adapt the bana, the image, because it is a totally awesome image. Please make the effort to earn it, go the dal, live with the nihangs, adapt the Nihang Singh maryada, be true to puratan sikhi!!! These modern people who wear bana and do not understand what is covers, in most cases have not even taken amrit, do not even know there bani!! Dont wear it if you are not coming as a package!!

Many of these wannabe nihangs(undercover akjs) even insult the puritan Nihang Singh maryada. If one wanted to learn about the maryada of chatka, i would ask a Nihang Singh as i know it is there maryada. But if one is an akj disguised as a Nihang Singh how would he know such accepted element of sikh history, except what he does is insult what according to his image is his maryada. Shooting yourself in the foot. Would a Taksal Singh say dont do santheya, would an akj say don’t do exhausting saas giraas naam simran, no just as a Nihang Singh wouldn’t insult his own maryada, but these akjs who dress like nihangs do!!

In the time of Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh, there were the Akali Nihang Singhs, the Damdami Taksal, the Nirmala and the sevapanthis! Nothing else, everything else was manmade, manmat!! The akj were created in the 1930’s and are no different from the nirankaris, the radha soamis. Those jathas also respect Aad Guru Granth Sahib Ji, but not fully. Just as the akj!!

Please understand, what the Gurus created for us was a priceless jewel and something that has not been realised, if we divert from this in any way or form how can we expect to get the kirpa from our guru!! It is like the guru telling us not to cut our hair, but we still do. Just as how he has given us a path of truth, but we choose to follow our own path. These moden manmade jathay that have only started less than 100yrs ago are not the way the guru prescribed. Akali Guru Arjan Dev Ji, dedicated his life to the teaching of classical music, he wrote raags in which we could sing his beautiful sabads in, as his sikhs are we not to follow in his footsteps. Instead the akj have made a futile attempt at recreating what the Almighty Guru made for us.

Please do not consider this a post to bash, slander or judge any jatha or group but to help people realise that Sikhi is so much more. Please read the below sites which also discuss anti Sikh practices. The readers may consider the authors to be biased, that is because there are, as they too feel disrespect has been shown and something has to be said.

http://www.sarbloh.info/htmls/article_samparda_akj.html

http://neo-sikhism.blogspot.com/2008/11/akj-and-sikh-rahit-maryada.html

I will leave with the words of Akali Nihang Guru Gobind Singh:

Jhuta kehe, jhuta hm kai hai, jo sabh logh manai kurrai hai

hm kahu ke kaan na rakai, sat bachan mukh oopar bhakai

What is false i will call false, even though people try to silence me

I do not care what people think, i will speak the truth from my mouth

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh

96 Crori Shromani Panth Akali Budha Dal - Akaaaaala