Sikhs in South India
An observation into the Sikh history of various parts of South India (Kerala, Karnataka, Pondicherry, the Andamans, Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Telangana)
The influence of Sikhs in north India and even the Deccan is quite meticulously documented but the legacy of Sikhs in the more Southern parts of India remains relatively undiscussed. From the influence of Sikh parcharaks in the Vaikom satyagraha to the history of Hari Singh, an influential general of Mysore, South India has always had an unspoken Sikh history.
Kerala
Guru Nanak’s Udasis
On the second Udasi, Guru Nanak had visited the town of Ananthpuram (archaic name for Trivandrum), nearby were the two towns of Palam and Kottayam, where Guru Nanak stayed and had a discussion with yogis. This place was known as Tilganji Sahib, where a gurudwara had been run by local Udasis up to the 1960s. However, there is some contention on where the actual location of the gurudwara is. A footnote in ‘Janamsakhi Tradition’ by Kirpal Singh explains the scholarly discourse on the topic:
Pandit Tara Singh Narotam refers to a place called Puliam Kota. Bhai Kahn Singh, while explaining, in his Mahan Kosh, the Tilganji, also refers to Paliport. However, instead of Paliport it is written as Palipuram... Dr. Ganda Singh had visited this gurdwara, and he has told the author that Palam and Kottayam are two small towns in the north-west of Trivandrum and that there is a gurdwara between these towns. That is why this place is called Palam-Kottayam.
This same gurudwara is also mentioned by Giani Gian Singh as Tilgan Gur Asthan and Giani Thakar Singh as Tilganji Sahib but he instead refers to it as being in Singladeep (Sri Lanka). The consensus amongst most scholars seems to be that of Dr Ganda Singh’s; the gurudwara lies between two small towns of Palam and Kottayam.
The Vaikom Satyagraha
In 1925, the Vaikom Satyagraha took place as a movement to allow all castes to use the public roads of the Sri Mahadev temple in Vaikom, these protests were carried out by many Ezhavas. A large number of Sikhs, under the Akali Dal, travelled from Punjab to open a langar for the protestors but this was stopped due to concerns by Gandhi. On Vaisakhi day in 1936, a delegation of Sikh parcharaks was sent to Kerala and 300 Ezhava families converted to Sikhi. Master Tara Singh and Sardar Lal Singh had even visited Kerala after and attempted to open a few gurudwaras there.
The first gurudwara in Kochi opened in 1955, after the first had opened in Trivandrum. Later, an Ezhava leader, KC Kuttan, converted to Sikhi and took the name Sardar Jaya Singh.
Local Sikhs
Unfortunately, many of the Ezhava generations thereafter were assimilated back into Hinduism but there remain a few Ezhava Sikh elders today. There is still a small community of Sikhs living in Kochi, of which the vast majority are Punjabi Sikhs and there are still functioning gurudwaras in Kochi, Trivandrum and Kannur.
Karnataka
Guru Nanak’s Udasis
Under the Bahmani Sultanate, the capital had been Bidar; a large town situated in Karnataka today. During the Guru’s visit here, there were two Muslim holy men that met the Guru. Near both their tombs today is a spring that commemorates the Guru’s visit, also home to a large gurudwara: Nanak Jhira Sahib. This gurudwara still acts as a local institution for Sikhs in surrounding areas, similar to Hazur Sahib in Nanded or Dhubri Sahib in Assam.
Local legend also posits that during the construction of the city of Bangalore by the emperor Kempe Gowda I, he was met by Guru Nanak who gave his blessings for the development of Bangalore.
Hari Singh, general of Mysore
Amongst the Mysore court, one of the most prominent military leaders was Hari Singh, a Sikh military adventurer, quickly becoming a rival to the military leader Hyder Ali, who eventually went on to become the Sultan of Mysore. The Mysore general-ruler Devarajya sent Hyder Ali to subjugate the Nayars of Calicut but after difficulties, had to send Hari Singh to collect tribute from them. Devarajya deliberately played off the burgeoning factionalism between these two.
After the Maratha invasion of Mysore, Hyder Ali had pacified a potential rebellion amongst the Mysore army and in the process, seizing the wealth of Hari Singh and putting him to death. After Hyder Ali’s ascension to the throne of the Sultan of Mysore, he began to increase the number of Sikhs serving under Mysore, including many Risaldars and Jamadars, as mentioned in the Hydernama.
Banjaras of Karnataka
Banjaras were wandering traders that worked under the Mughals. Due to their occupation, they are found spread throughout India and a sizeable minority are even found in Karnataka today. Many Banjaras tend to have syncretic beliefs that align with Sikhi. Piara Singh Padam’s ‘Sikh Sampradavali’ talks about how Banjaras can be found across India albeit with different names:
ਇਹ ਗੁਜਰਾਤ ਵਿਚ ਲੁਹਾਣੇ, ਆਂਧਰਾ ਕਰਨਾਟਕ ਵਿਚ ਲਬਾਨੇ ਯਾ ਲੰਬਾੜੀ ਕਹੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿਚ ਵਸਦੇ ਲੁਬਾਣਿਆਂ ਦੇ 10 - 12 ਗੋਤ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਹਨ - ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਿ ਅਜਰਾਵਤ, ਦਾਤਲਾ, ਪੀਲੀਆ, ਪੁਰਵਾਲ, ਖਸਾਂਰੀਆ, ਗੋਜਾਲੀਆ, ਗੁੱਜਰ, ਤਦਰਨ, ਵਾਮਿਆਲ ਤੇ ਨਾਜ਼ੋਵਾਲ।
In Gujarat, they (Banjaras) are Lohanas, in Andhra and Karnataka, they are called Lubanas or Lambadis. In Punjab, there are 10 to 12 well-known tribes, including Ajrawat, Datla, Pilia, Purwal, Khasaria, Gojalia, Gujjar, Tadran, Wamiyal and Nazowal.
Bahadur Bandi fort was a fort built in the 17th century in Koppal, Karnataka. The fort is a sacred place for the local Banjara community and often celebrate Holi there. Since many Banjaras were hired by Banda Singh Bahadur to build the Lohgarh fort, he remains an important figure in Banjara tradition. One possible conclusion deducted from this is that the fort was posthumously named by local Banjaras after Banda Singh Bahadur.
Bidar genocide
Bidar was always home to a small but influential Sikh minority. After 1984, many Delhi Sikhs would send their children there and it eventually grew into a hub of Sikhs in the South. In 1988, this community was subject to an outbreak of violence by the local population due to the Guru Nanak Foundation setting up a medical college. A hospital, school, polytechnic and engineering college were already set up by the foundation, the chairman Joga Singh alleged that other educational trusts were behind the violence.
These organisations there would often threaten Sikhs and spread rumours that if Sikhs accumulate too much power, they would create a Khalistan being formed in Bidar. On the night itself, houses rented to Sikh students in college were attacked by mobs of up to 100 people. The police had even participated in the arresting of students for ‘safety’. Police vans were also stationed at strategic points and when asked by a Sikh about the stationing, they’d say “There is nothing right now but you will soon know.”
This had a large effect on the Sikhs of Bidar, many of which who became dispirited seeing local police and gangsters work together against them. This gave rise to many who would be involved in the kharku movement including Bhai Navneet Singh Qadian, who did civil engineering in Bidar. Afterwards, many of the perpetrators of the genocide were tracked down and assassinated.
Local Sikhs
Apart from the local Banjaras residing in Karnataka and the Sikhs of Bidar, there are Sikhs in Bangalore and other minor cities. Karnataka is home to 23 functioning gurudwaras, with 8 being in Bangalore. The company operated by Namdharis for organic food distribution, Namdharis Fresh, operates in Karnataka too, using innovative techniques to maximise their farm yield. Alongside that, Baljeet Singh’s influence in the Karnataka minority commission has helped Sikhs get a separate budget for development, alongside focusing on the upliftment of Banjaras.
Pondicherry
Sarkar-i-Khalsa in exile
In his bid to bring Maharaja Duleep Singh back to the throne, Thakur Singh Sandhawalia set up his headquarters in exile in the erstwhile colony of Pondicherry. This took place after Maharaja Duleep Singh’s reinitiation to Sikhi in the port of Aden. Thakur Singh Sandhawalia’s sons, Gurbachan Singh and Narendra Singh, also lived there as they feared government action from the British. After a while, the British gave the two sons a nominal allowance on the basis of good behaviour and would reside in the wealthy quarters of Delhi.
Local Sikhs
Currently today, there is one gurudwara in Pondicherry: Gurudwara Guru Nanak Pondicherry. As Dr Iqbal Singh was Lt. Governor of Pondicherry, he gave financial assistance to local Sikhs to create a gurudwara and so eventually, it was created in 2013. The local sangat mostly consists traders, army men and government officials.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are popular for being home to the infamous Kalapani jail, where many Sikhs were jailed, including Sohan Singh Bhakna and Diwan Singh Kalepani.
Diwan Singh Kalepani
Shaheed Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani was a Sikh physician transferred from Rangoon to the Andaman Islands and was instrumental in setting up the first gurudwara on the Andaman Islands, in 1937. Five years after his transferring, 20,000 Japanese soldiers invaded the Andaman Islands during the South East Asian theatre of WW2. The same afternoon, the Japanese took part in looting and various war crimes. The Japanese sought to strengthen their hold and established a government there with a governor. Since Dr Diwan Singh was naturally seen as a leader by many of the residents in the town of Aberdeen near Port Blair, he met with the governor, in an attempt for a compromise.
In protest to the killings of Indian officials by Japanese soldiers, Dr Diwan Singh officially led a protest against the Governor and was arrested on the 23rd of October 1943. The Japanese used various sorts of torture including hanging them upside down, electric shocks and water torture, for a total of 82 days. According to various sources, he was hung by his hair from the ceiling, water pumped through his nostrils, ribs crushed whilst subjected to electric shocks. He died on the 14th of January 1944.
Since then, there has been a small minority of Sikhs living in Port Blair today, with four active gurudwaras currently there, including the main one named after Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani.
Tamil Nadu
Guru Nanak’s Udasis
According to Kirpal Singh, the infamous ‘Kauda’ sakhi occurs in the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu. In this sakhi, a member of the cannibal tribe of Kadan, referred to as Kauda, got a hold of Mardana and was ready to kill him. However, as the Guru reached the cauldron, the Kadan fell at the Guru’s feet and asked for forgiveness. The name ‘Kauda’ comes from the Bhai Bala janamsakhi but the Vilayatvali janamsakhi also mentions the sakhi. However, this is quite a contentious subject between janamsakhi scholars, the popular narratives are that the Kauda tribes shown in the sakhi are either the Gonds of Odisha or the Nagas of Assam.
According to the Vilayatvali janamsakhi, Guru Nanak also visited Kanchipuram and met a Jain ascetic near a large Jain temple, who challenged Guru Nanak. To which Guru Nanak responded with a hymn. After listening to the hymn, the Jain bowed in front of the Guru. Kanchipuram was home to a large number of Jains and Buddhists and even had a historical gurudwara, which was managed by a Udasi Mahant Narinder Nath until the 1960s.
Travelling southwards, Guru Nanak arrived in the town of Trivanmalai; this is where Parvati did penance after closing the eyes of Shiva and causing darkness in the world. The historic gurudwara here was also managed by Narinder Nath, along with the gurudwara in Rameshwaram.
Sikh impact on Tamil literature
The Tamil ideologue Bharathidasan (1891-1964) was inspired by the Akali movement, writing the poem Akaliyar Anmai, in eulogy of the Khalsa and in support of Sikhs carrying the kirpan. One theory is that he could’ve been influenced by Periyar, who’d visited Punjab and frequently attended Sikh meetings. His poem ‘Akaliyar Anmai’ written in 1923 shown below:
Carrying kirpan is our religious right
It is our life force
The mighty rulers show their demonic power
Though death is near at end
We shall fill the prison
Getting imprisoned is like
Tasting sweet candies
Likewise arose a fierce race
They won, see the Akalis' chivalry
Shuddhananda Bharati is a Tamil philosopher, responsible for authoring the epic Bharthia Sakthi Mahakavyam. In the epic, one of the chapters is on the creation of the Khalsa, where interestingly, one of the Panj Pyare is reimagined as a Tamil named Dharuman.
Apart from these two, Sikhs can find mentions in other parts of contemporary Tamil literature too, including VVS Iyer’s Guru Gobind Singham and Subramaniya Bharati’s Guru Gobind Singh Vijayam.
Local Sikhs
Most Sikhs in Tamil Nadu reside the larger cities like Chennai and Coimbatore but there are a few exceptions; small communities of Sikh farmers in rural areas and granthis living near gurudwaras of historical significance.
An example of a popular Tamil Sikh was the cricketer AG (Amritsar Govindsingh) Ram Singh. His father had migrated from Amritsar in 1904 and had adopted Tamil naming customs, hence the AG in front of the name. AG Ram Singh’s sons would also become popular cricketers. His children were AG Milkha Singh and AG Kripal Singh, both of which went on to be cricketers too. This cricket-playing family would be known as the ‘Singhs of Madras.’
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
Guru Nanak’s Udasis
The regions of Andhra and Telangana are sparsely mentioned in janamsakhis but however, there is one mention of Guru Nanak staying in a town called Guntur. According to the Miharban janamsakhi, Guru Nanak stayed in this town briefly, reciting a hymn and complimenting the surrounding beauty of the town.
Chandu Lal and Hyderabad state
The Hyderabad nizamate was created in a power struggle against the Mughals and would eventually become one of the major powers of the Deccan region. Under the third Nizam, Chandu Lal, a Sehajdhari Sikh, would become prime minister. One of his primary feats is creating gurudwaras throughout South India, many of the gurudwaras mentioned previously such as the Rameshwaram, Sri Rangam, Trinamallai, Kanchipuram gurudwaras in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were built. In addition to these, the historical gurudwara of Guntur was also built.
Under the tenure of Chandu Lal, the nizamate and Sarkar-i-Khalsa would have better relations. Under this condition, Maharaja Ranjit Singh agreed to work close to the Nizam as long as the construction of Sri Hazur Sahib occurred in Nanded. Henceforth, a barrack of soldiers was sent by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to Hyderabad and were settled in surrounding cantonments, one example being Sikh Village located in current-day Secunderabad. Since the barrack of soldiers were successful in their duties, they were rehoused permanently in Hyderabad state. After the British invasion of the Sarkar-i-Khalsa, many Nihangs would migrate to the Deccan where they were employed as mercenary forces under the Hyderabad state.
Banjaras of Andhra
Banjaras tend to be quite syncretic in their religious identity; incorporating Sanatan beliefs, belief in Guru Nanak and ancestor worship. According to oral tradition, Mohula, a follower of Guru Nanak, was involved in the division of Banjaras. The Banjara aarti references their devotion to Guru Nanak and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib:
Praise Guru Nanak ji
May your praise and fame spread and increase.
Give us prosperity, let my belongings be doubled.
Let truth be proved and upheld.
I praise you and offer you bhog (offerings and puja) at your shrine at Nanded
During Aurangzeb’s invasion of South India, Banjaras migrated to the Deccan and Telangana from Rajasthan. After the collapse of the Mughals and replacement by the British, the trade of the Banjaras dwindled and many had to sell their cattle. The British also considered them a 'criminal tribe.'
After the independence of India, they had to resort to labour-intensive occupations to make money but still had relatively low economic freedom. They can be found today especially in the Nalgonda and Warangal districts and work primarily as agriculturalists. Since the 1980s, measures have been taken out for Banjaras to be reintegrated into Sikhi and a few Banjaras have become Sikh as a result, perhaps for upward mobility.
Local Sikhs
There are many different subgroups of Sikhs in the Andhra and Telangana region, with Punjabi Sikhs, Deccani Sikhs and Banjaras. Punjabi Sikhs mostly live in the cities and are among the richest groups in both states, whereas Deccani Sikhs are usually middle-income and work various labour-intensive jobs but slowly, they are also entering the upper echelons of Deccani society.
At the moment, Banjaras are mostly agriculturalists but their conversion to Sikhi helps facilitate upward mobility. As of the 1970s, there have been many Banjara villages who’ve converted fully to Sikhi. The village of Gachubhai Thanda is now a Sikh majority village; the village has fully shunned tobacco and alcohol and only consume meat killed by jhatka. Parcharaks from Hazur Sahib often come to preach and give economic aid to the Banjara locals.
Well documented and pretty accurate.