SATKARTARIAS

SATKARTARIAS, a religious sect only remotely related to Sikhism was founded by Sarigat Das, a Julka Khatri, contemporary of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644). The name Satkartaria is derived from .Sangat Das` preceptor, Bhai Sangtia, a Sodhi of Lahore, who was initiated into Sikhism by Guru Arjan in 1593 and who used to repeat the words Sat Kartar (lit. the True Creator) and earned thereby the popular epithet of Satkartaria. Sangat Das inherited the epithet and the sect came to be known as Satkartaria.

Satkartar is still their form of salutation as well as their formula for meditation. Sangat Das enjoyed the favour of Guru Hargobind who allowed him to set up his own dharamsala or place of worship at Sri Hargobindpur on the bank of the river Beas, in Gurdaspur district.This place, a four storeyed building known as Dharamsala Satkartarian, is till today the principal centre of the sect. Another centre was established at Phagwara, in Kapurthala district, by Darbari Das, the younger son of Sangat Das.

A third centre is at Mandi, a district town in Himachal Pradesh. Another centre at Batala in Gurdaspur district was taken over by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 1940. It is still called Gurdwara Satkartariari. Satkartarias generally follows the Udasi ritual and practices. Their only link with Sikhism is that their dharamsala at Sri Hargobindpur has the Guru Granth Sahib installed in it. A suite of armour kept as a sacred relic there is claimed to have been bestowed on Baba Sangat Das by Guru Hargobind.

References :

1. Gian Singh, Giani, Sri Guru Panth Prakash. [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970
2. Kahn Singh, Gurushabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh [Reprint]. Patiala, 1981
3. Rose, H.A. (ed.) A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province. Lahore, 1911-19