Wednesday witnessed the strange spectacle of all major politicians prostrating before one saint. If PM Modi did Bhajan Delhi, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi partook in the langar (community feast) in Varanasi. Punjab’s CM Charanjit Channi woke up at 4 am to offer prayers at the temple of the same saint in Punjab. The saint they were all prostrating before is Sant Ravidas, a saint-devotee from the Chamar caste who worshipped Lord Ram. And why were they all paying obeisance? There are over 30 lakh devotees of Sant Ravidas, whose vote matters in Punjab elections. Ravidasia SCs form a sizeable chunk of voters in Punjab and their would could be the vote swinger in the current elections.
Modi went to the Ravidas temple in Delhi’s Karolbagh and sang bhajans penned by the saint along with the women devotees. Rahul and Priyanka distributed food at the Varanasi headquarters of the Ravidasia Mutt. Yogi Adityanth too offered prayers at the Ravidasia temple. So called secular AAP too lag behind as its MP Sanjay Singh rushed to a temple.
Ravidas wrote devotional bhajans that preached surrender to God and equality of all people. His preachings have been compiled as Amrit Vani. The total number of lyrics penned by Sant Ravidas is around 200. Since 2009, Ravidasias have parted ways from the Sikh community after radical Sikhs attacked the Ravidasia deras in Vienna.
The followers of Sant Ravidas in Punjab are under the influence of Dera Sach Khand Ballan. The Dera organises Ravidasia fete at Varanasi every year, where lakhs congregate. It is because of this fete that the polling date in Punjab was rescheduled From February 14 to February 20. Ravidasias form 60 per cent of the Dalit voters in Punjab and the state has 32 per cent Dalits
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