When I arrived in Gujarat to start my Fellowship journey at the Centre for Environment Education, I noticed one thing over and over again. It was a unique feature of almost everywhere I went. From roaming in Ahmedabad to doing field work in Saurashtra and Northern Gujarat, waving in the wind were green and/or multicolored, triangular flags. These flags marked temples and tombs dedicated to a folk deity who has been ascribed many names by his followers – most commonly he is referred to as Ramdev, Ramapir, Ramdev Pir, Ramshah Pir, or Hindava Pir. Across the street from the CEE campus in Ahmedabad, there is a small, hundred-year-old mandir dedicated to Ramdev Pir fitted with colorful flags and a beautiful green temple. Going there gives me great comfort and clarity of mind before I start my day or when I depart from the office.
Ramdev Pir was born into a Rajput family who ruled over 16th century Pokhran in modern day Rajasthan. Ramdev Pir is thought by some to be the incarnation of the Hindu figure Krishna. Although he was born into a Hindu family, over the course of his life he garnered admiration from Muslim communities due to legendary miracles he performed. Furthermore, he expressed sentiments of unity in god and denounced paying any importance to difference based on religion, caste, gender, etc. Today he is celebrated as a divine incarnation of god in the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat as well as in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
The followers of Ramdev Pir are diverse in caste and religion. In fact, Hindus and Muslims alike venerate Ramdev Pir. This is reflected in Ramdev Pir’s various names. Ramdev is a uniquely Hindu name while Pir is associated with Islam and is a title originating in the Persian language and generally given to Sufi saints. I have chosen to refer to ‘Ramdev Pir’ by this name in this blog post as it reflects the unity in diversity that he symbolizes to many.
The popularity of Ramdev Pir among varying communities is owed to his origin story and message of service and compassion towards all people as an act of devotion to God. Even today the syncretic conceptualization of Ramdev Pir is evident in the use of both typically Islamic and Hindu motifs into temples dedicated to Ramdev Pir. Green is a popular color for Ramdev Pir temples, which is a particularly revered color in Islam. I have even seen Islamic dargah chadars, or thin stoles, placed in temples and tombs dedicated to Ramdev Pir.
At Ramdev Pir’s time of death he is said to have delivered twenty-four commandments, or farmaan, to his friends, family, and followers. A few of these farmaan have been especially inspirational to me on my fellowship journey while I work with many different rural communities to deliver climate justice and climate resilience. I would like to share four of these as a practice of reflecting on my Fellowship journey as I near its end.
જીવમાત્ર પર દયા રાખવી ભૂખ્યાને દેવું અન્નદાન.
“Be kind to all living creatures and feed the hungry ones.”
Part of my AIF Fellowship journey at CEE has been about coming back to nature. During field work, I have had to reacquaint myself with a more adventurous and ‘outdoorsy’ side of my personality. Because of this, I have grown to care more for the life that fills the environmental niches around me. Even at the office in Ahmedabad, taking care of the dogs and giving them some treats or attention fills my heart. Everywhere in India there are bowls of water and occasionally food set out for animals. There are also water stops for people that community members replenish for thirsty passersby. I am thankful that this year’s experience has kindled in me a deeper appreciation and care for life.
જૂજ જીવવું જાણી લેજો કરવો સાર અસરનો વિચાર.
“Remember that life is too short and you must think of what is right and wrong”
In the past ten months, I have felt that the Fellowship and my time in Gujarat is too long, too short, too slow, and too fast. Part of my personal growth has been to learn to be more present, adjust myself to my circumstances and focus on doing my best for the communities I serve. I think it is clever that Ramdev Pir sent the message that life is short and one must think about what is right and wrong in the same commandment. This resonates with me because I find that I make the best decisions when I am focused on the present rather than letting past and future anxieties cloud my vision and mission.
દીનજનોના સદા હિતકારી પર દુઃખે અંતર જેનું દુઃખાય; નિધાય જાણવા તે સેવક અમારા કદીયે નવ વિસરાય.
“Be sympathetic towards the poor and always be ready to help the needy. I will always remember such devotees and they will remain close to my heart.”
This sentiment helps me to internalize generosity and cast out greed. I have all that I need and sharing is always more fulfilling to me than hoarding. However, I can definitely feel greedy sometimes and a reminder can lend perspective about how much I have rather than what I may temporarily feel I lack.
જન સેવામાં જીવન ગાળે તે નર સેવાધર્મી કહેવાય; ઉંચ નિચનો ભેદ ન રાખે તેવા સમદર્શી નર પૂજાય.
“Those who spend their life for the cause of humanity and those who do not discriminate between color, caste, creed, or religion are worthy of my worship.”
This excerpt of the twenty-four farmaan is especially close to my heart as it summarizes my mission well. Through working closely with communities and grassroots organizations it is clear to me that I will be most fulfilled through a career of service to others. I believe that land is so essential to all identities. I feel that through working in climate change and the environment wherever I may be, I can support communities to access a just and equitable future in which their cultures and voices count. Many individuals that I have met across the two states share similar sentiments as evidenced from their stories about taking initiative to do community service inspired by Ramdev Pir’s example. From delivering community COVID-19 relief for low caste and adivasi communities to operating community kitchens, Ramdev Pir devotees are doing valuable service.
Ramdev Pir’s popularity among several communities across Gujarat and Rajasthan has connected me to those communities in a deeper way. Being able to talk to locals about the inspiring story of Ramdev Pir shows people how my values may align with their values using local context. Greeting people with “જય બાબા રી” (“Jay Baba Ri”meaning ‘victory to Ramdev Pir’) in rural settings starts us off on the right foot and warms people up to my presence on their land.
Ramdev Pir’s message has been incredibly inspiring to me while I work with diverse communities of various castes, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds in Gujarat and beyond. Ramdev Pir reminds me that service to others and working towards social inclusion of all people is an important aspect of personal and community wellbeing.
