Guru Ghasidas Jayanti in Chhatisgarh Date in the current year: December 18, 2024

Ghasidas was born on December 18, 1756. His father was a farmer, so Ghasidas grew up experiencing the injustices of the Indian caste system. As an adult, he became enamored with the idea of creating a society where Brahmins (the highest ranking of the four varnas) don’t have power over everyone and all people are equal.

Guru Ghasidas spent six months as an ascetic, thinking about the ways to solve the problem of social inequality and injustice in a caste-dominated society. He ended up developing a philosophical and religious doctrine, based on the principle of the equality of all people. Upon returning from seclusion, Guru Ghasidas founded a religious community located in the deep forests of Chhattisgarh, which welcomed all people, regardless of what caste they belonged to.

Guru Ghasidas derived the name of his movement from the word “Satnam” that appears in the Guru Granth Sahib, the central religious scripture of Sikhism. The first part of the world is derived from satya, a Sanskrit word loosely translated as truth, essence, everlasting. The second part is derived from nāma, a Sanskrit word for name, associated with creative power.

So, Satnam can be loosely translated as “whose name is truth”. It is used in Sikhism in connection with God, whose name is true and everlasting (unlike Hinduism, Sikhism is a monotheistic religion). As you might guess, Satnami Samaj is very close to Sikhism. Some scholars think that the Guru Ghasidas may have been influenced by Kabir or Guru Ravidas, Indian mystic poets whose works were included in Guru Granth Sahib.

The teachings of Guru Ghasidas were based on four main values: truthfulness, non-violence, freedom and brotherhood. His followers were expected to adhere to seven basic rules: to believe in Satnam, not to kill any living creatures, to abstain from meat, not to steal or gamble, not to use drugs, to abandon the caste system, and not to commit adultery.

Guru Ghasidas was the leader of the Satnami movement from its foundation in the 1820s until his death (the exact date of which is unknown, but he is generally believed to have died in 1850). After that, his teachings were carried on by his son, Guru Balakdas.

Guru Ghasidas and his legacy are highly respected in Chhatisgarh. One of the state’s largest and oldest universities, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, was named after him. And the birthday of Guru Ghasidas is celebrated as an official holiday.