Namdhari
Vishav Namdhari Sangat | |
| Nickname | Kuka |
|---|---|
| Formation | April 1857 |
| Founder | Satguru Ram Singh |
| Founded at | Sri Bhaini Sahib |
| Type | Sect of Sikhism |
| Headquarters | Sri Bhaini Sahib |
| Membership | Claim to number between 5 and 10 lakhs (500,000-1 million), consisting primarily of Jat, Ramgarhia, Arora, and Mazhabi castes. |
Official language | Punjabi |
| Leader | Satguru Uday Singh |
Key people | H.S. Hanspal (president of Namdhari Darbar) |
Main organ | Namdhari Darbar |
| Website | sribhainisahib |
The Namdharis or Namdhari Sikhs (Gurmukhi: ਨਾਮਧਾਰੀ; Devanagari: नामधारी; nāmadhārī, meaning "bearers of the name"), also known as Kuka (Gurmukhi: ਕੂਕਾ; kūkā (sing.); ਕੂਕੇ; kūkē (pl.): from Punjabi kuk, “scream” or “cry”), are a Sikh sect that differs from mainstream Sikhs chiefly in that they believe that the lineage of Sikh Gurus did not end with Satguru Gobind Singh (1666–1708) in 1708, as they recognize Satguru Balak Singh (1797–1862) as the 11th Guru of the Sikh religion, thus continuing the succession of Sikh Gurus through the centuries from Satguru Nanak Dev to the present day. Their 12th Guru is Satguru Ram Singh [1816–1885(disputed)], who moved the sect's centre to Sri Bhaini Sahib (Ludhiana) and is regarded as the first Indian to use non-cooperation and non-violence boycott in order to combat the British Empire in India.