Sant Nirankari Mission Ideology May 2026

The foundational ideology of the SNM is absolute monotheism with a formless divine. The Mission teaches that God is not an anthropomorphic being or an idol housed in temples or gurdwaras. Instead, God is an all-pervading, eternal reality that can be experienced internally. This rejection of idolatry extends to the veneration of scriptures as idols; the SNM posits that while scriptures (Guru Granth Sahib, Vedas, Bible) contain truths, they are not God themselves.

The SNM’s ideology is radically egalitarian. The Mission explicitly rejects the Varna (caste) system, declaring that all human beings are equal in the eyes of Nirankar . Langar (community kitchen) and congregational Satsang are practiced without any discrimination. Historically, the Mission attracted significant numbers of converts from Scheduled Castes and backward classes, offering them spiritual dignity denied in orthodox settings. sant nirankari mission ideology

Founded in 1929 by Baba Avtar Singh (also known as Avtar Bani), the Sant Nirankari Mission emerged as a reaction against the entrenched ritualism, priesthood, and caste discrimination prevalent in contemporary Hinduism and Sikhism. While sharing a name with the 19th-century Nirankari Sikh movement, the SNM’s ideology is distinct in its emphasis on a living Guru as the conduit for Brahm Gyan (supreme knowledge). The Mission’s central theological premise is that God is Nirankar (lit. "without form") and can be realized in this very life through the grace of a Satguru . The foundational ideology of the SNM is absolute