Kurahits & Bajar Kurahits

KURAHIT & BAJAR KURAHIT

Kurahit literally means: an act, which should not have been done i.e. a prohibition.

Bajar Kurahits

As a part of initiation ceremony a Sikh is expected to abstain from some acts and activities. There are four Bajar (strong, i.e. major) Kurahits: 1. Not to cut or trim hair. 2. Not to eat Halaal (meat). 3. Not to use or touch tobacco in any form. 4. Not to have sexual relations with a Muslim woman (later “Muslim woman” was replaced with “any woman other than one’s wife”). Doing a Kurahit makes a Sikh Patit (apostate, fallen from faith). According to Rahitmaryda (code of conduct) framed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, one, who commits any one of these four, has to get re-initiation.

Other Kurahits

Besides these four Bajar Kurahits, there are some other Kurahits too. These include:

Not to have relationship of any kind with Minas, Masands, Dhirmallias, Ramraias or those who having once embraced Sikhism, take to shaving, smoking or committing infanticide.
Not to dine with a non-initiated or an apostate.
Not to dye or pick out white hair.
Not to receive money in return of one’s daughter’s hand in marriage (it includes dowry).
Not to use drugs or intoxicants.
Not to perform any such ceremony, which violates any of the Sikh fundamentals.
Not to break vows taken at the time of Khande Di Pahul (the Sikh initiation). A Sikh violating any of the first four becomes apostate and he/she must get re-initiation. Breach of the latter seven leads to Tankhah (disciplinary action; it is not proper to call it punishment).

(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)