The NIESR research (2010) reveals that, a number of Ravidassia followers in Britain worship in their own Gurdwaras. The plight of the Ravidassias in Britain reflects how prejudice and discrimination against low-caste Hindus, Dalits, can be found even within a religion like Sikhism that officially rejects it. This report provides a brief description of Ravidassias in the UK, describes where caste is found in British Gurdwaras, discusses the occurrences in Vienna in 2009, analyses why some Ravidassias are of the view that their faith should be defined as a separate religion, and explains where UK law is on this issue. The report includes the views of various Sikh organizations as well.
Who was Guru Ravidas?
Guru Ravidas was a saint who is revered in the Punjab region. The UK government’s 2010 report states that he was low caste, like the majority of his followers. The Ravidassias worship him as their Guru. Sikhs revere him as one of the many bhagats (Holy persons).
Who are the Ravidassia?
Ravidassia is another name for Ravidas Panth. Followers of Ravidas are from the Dalit community in Punjab, India and in the diaspora. In India, both Ravidassia and Valmiki communities are Scheduled Castes (NIESR). This article explains who Dalits are, and this article explains the meaning of Scheduled Caste in India.
As of 2009, an estimate by NIESR put the total number of Ravidassias in the UK at 175,000 (citing ACDA, 2009). This is a community estimate and not a census figure.
Caste in Sikhism
According to the Sikh teachings, caste is rejected. Based on the Guru Granth Sahib, there should be no case of caste-based discrimination among the followers of the Sikh Gurus. But in reality, caste particularly regarding marriage, is of dominant importance within the Sikh community (Tarosa Project, “Raising Questions”). The same report says that it is misleading to say that there is no case of caste in Sikhism.
In the UK, this is evident in Gurdwaras. There are a number of Gurdwaras in Britain that have an informal identification by case, for example Ramgarhia or Bhatra Gurdwaras (Eleanor Nesbitt-style summary by Takhar, as quoted by the Tarosa Project). One academic study reports that 83.3% of British Gurdwaras were affiliated to the mainstream groups that do not identify by caste, and a second cluster was represented by the Gurdwaras that identify by case (Gurdwaras and community-building among British Sikhs, ResearchGate). There are a number of Gurdwaras in the diaspora that are based on case. The earliest example is in Nairobi, Kenya (Ronki Ram).
Ravidassia gurdwaras in Britain
Some of the Ravidassia communities in the UK have established their own Gurdwaras. These are known as Guru Ravidass Sabhas and Bhawans. A study of the Ravidassia Community in Leicester pointed out that Ravidassias had to separate from a dominating ‘upper’ caste community to establish their own gurdwaras (Kiyotaka Sato, “Caste Divisions in Leicester”, Journal of Punjab Studies). A previous study of the Ravidassia Community in Bradford, mentioned the Ramgarhia and Ravidass organisations that established their gurdwaras along case lines (Sewa Singh Kalsi, “The Evolution of a Sikh Community in Britain,” 1992). The first Ravidassia Gurdwara in Britain was opened in Birmingham (Sato). I could not confirm the year.
The Vienna attack, 2009
In May 2009, the Guru Ravidass Gurdwara in Vienna was the site of an attack that changed things. Two visitors from Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Sant Niranjan Dass and his deputy Sant Rama Nand, were shot, and Rama Nand died. (Wikipedia, “Vienna temple attack”; Frontline, as cited by Wikiwand.) “Sikh militants” is how Frontline described the attackers (Frontline, as cited by Wikiwand.) The Austrian press wrote that the identities of six alleged attackers had been established (Die Presse, as cited by Wikipedia.) I found no outcome of any trial, so the post makes no claim about anyone’s guilt.
There were riots in Punjab (BBC, “Punjab riots after Vienna killing,” 2009) and Ravidassias in the UK also protested against the killing and what they perceived as caste discrimination (Sato). One Ravidassia website writes it was a shock and resulted in the community asserting their identity (RavidassGuru.com).
The Ravidassia religion, 2010
In the last week of January 2010, at the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas in Varanasi, leaders of Dera Sachkhand Ballan proclaimed a separate Ravidassia religion (Wikipedia, “Nishaan”; Wikipedia, “Ravidassia”). They published a new scripture, Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji, consisting of hymns of Guru Ravidas, and many Ravidassia temples started using it instead of the Guru Granth Sahib (Wikipedia, “Vienna temple attack”).
Not all interprete this the same way. A 2026 commentary states that teaching and communities devoted to Ravidas are several centuries older, so it is inaccurate to say the religion was “created in 2010.” It states that some Ravidassia and Ad-Dharmi organisations follow the Guru Granth Sahib, while the Dera Ballan tradition follows Amritbani (The United Indian, 2026). A 1996 survey in Punjab states that 98.3 % of Ad-Dharmis considered themselves as a caste, and 1.6 % considered themselves as a separate religious community (Manmohan Singh Gill, 2003, as cited by Wikipedia, “Ad-Dharmi”). That is old data related to a different community, so use with discretion. Our resource on Ambedkar’s Navayana Buddhism explains a different path taken by Dalit communities during his time.
The Sikh organizations’ viewpoint
During the UK’s caste law debate, some Sikh organisations that were against the law stated, among other things, that Sikhism is against caste and caste practices are not followed by Sikhs (NIESR). Therefore, they argued, there was no need for caste legislation. On the other hand, Dalit organisations including Ravidassia organisations, campaigned for the enactment of legislation to prohibit caste discrimination (Tarosa Project). Both camps argued that they were against caste. However, they differed on its existence in Sikhism, as well as on the need to legislate against it.
What UK law says
The Equality Act 2010 doesn’t mention caste, but it permits caste to be legislated as part of race by a minister (NIESR). The 2010 report stated that provisions relating to religion in the Act can’t cover caste (NIESR). For more information on the Equality Act and case law, and the government’s decision not to legislate on caste discrimination in the UK in 2018, please see our full report.
Our comparison of international human rights instruments looks at how other countries have addressed this, and our plain guide to casteism defines this term.
Why it matters
The Ravidassia case demonstrates that caste is a phenomenon that affects all communities, not just Hindus. Our guide on how the ranking system works shows how it affects Sikhs, Christians and Muslims in South Asia and elsewhere. (It is becoming essential for communities to document and interpret their history, especially through blogging, AI writing tools and email marketing. The Ambedkarite Educational Program was created to address these needs).
Takeaway
The Ravidassia are devotees of Guru Ravidas, mostly from Dalit backgrounds, with perhaps 175,000 in the UK by a 2009 community estimate. Sikhism rejects caste in its teaching, but caste affiliation appears in British gurdwaras, and Ravidassias built their own. The 2009 Vienna attack led to protests and, in 2010, to a separate Ravidassia religion declared by Dera Sachkhand Ballan, though not all Ravidassias agree. UK law does not name caste, and Sikh and Dalit groups differ on whether it should.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Ravidassia?
They are followers of Guru Ravidas, a medieval saint regarded as low caste. Most are from Dalit backgrounds in Punjab and the diaspora, and many in Britain worship in Ravidassia gurdwaras.
Is Ravidassia a separate religion from Sikhism?
Dera Sachkhand Ballan announced a separate Ravidassia religion in January 2010, with its own scripture. Not all Ravidassia organisations agree, and some continue to follow the Guru Granth Sahib.
Is there caste in Sikhism?
Sikh teaching rejects caste. In practice, caste identification appears in marriage and in some British gurdwaras, such as Ramgarhia, Bhatra and Ravidassia ones. Sikh representatives have said caste goes against Sikh teachings.
What happened in Vienna in 2009?
Two visiting leaders of Dera Sachkhand Ballan were shot at a gurdwara in Vienna in May 2009, and Sant Rama Nand died. It led to riots in Punjab and protests in the UK.
Is caste discrimination illegal in the UK?
Caste is not named in the Equality Act 2010. Claims have been brought under race, as “ethnic origins.” Our UK guide explains this.
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SOURCES
- NIESR / GOV.UK, Caste discrimination and harassment in Great Britain, December 2010
- Journal of Sikh and Punjab Studies, Ronki Ram, “Understanding Diversity and Deras within the Sikh Panth”
- Journal of Punjab Studies, Kiyotaka Sato, “Caste Divisions in Leicester”
- University of Leeds, Sewa Singh Kalsi, “The Evolution of a Sikh Community in Britain,” 1992
- ResearchGate, “Gurdwaras and community-building among British Sikhs”
- Tarosa Project, “Raising Questions,” Ravidassia community in Britain
- Wikipedia, “Ravidassia”
- Wikipedia, “Vienna temple attack”
- Wikiwand, “Ravidassia” (citing Frontline, 2009)
- BBC, “Punjab riots after Vienna killing,” May 2009
- HandWiki, “Ravidassia religion” (summarising Ronki Ram)
- The United Indian, “Ravidas & Ravidassia Community,” 2026
- Wikipedia, “Ad-Dharmi”
- RavidassGuru.com, “Shootout at Ravidassia temple in Vienna” (a Ravidassia site)
