SATNAMI SAMAJ: CHALLENGING RURAL CASTE INSTITUTION IN CHHATTISGARH

SatnamiSamaj is almost living in rural Chhattisgarh (India). It has separate social institutions from Hinduism. Satnamis have own Bhandari and Satidar (ritual priest) who are conducting the entire social functions such as marriages, death ceremonies, religious rituals and nomination of a new born baby in the society. All these changes were really challenging for the Satnamisamaj which comes after long social and religious Satnami movement. Its credit goes to Guru Ghasidas and his followers during the early 19th Century. Satnamisamaj had been rejected to caste hierarchy. Though, change is a continuous process hence rural caste institutions have been changing. Books, articles, internet and others useful secondary resources have been used to complete the research paper.