HHZy7: Created page with "'''Kala Mehar''', also spelt as '''Kala Mihr''',{{Cite book |last=Dogra|first=Ramesh Chander|title=Encyclopaedia of Sikh Religion and Culture|last2=Mansukhani|first2=Gobind Singh|publisher=Vikas Publishing House|year=1995|isbn=978-0-7069-9499-5|pages=236–237|chapter=Jathera Worship}} is the ''jathera'' (ancestor-figure) for the Sandhu clan of Jats.{{Cite journal |last=Gill |first=Kamalpreet Singh |date=3 July 2..."

2026-08-01T07:20:48Z

Created page with "'''Kala Mehar''', also spelt as '''Kala Mihr''',<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Dogra|first=Ramesh Chander|title=Encyclopaedia of Sikh Religion and Culture|last2=Mansukhani|first2=Gobind Singh|publisher=Vikas Publishing House|year=1995|isbn=978-0-7069-9499-5|pages=236–237|chapter=Jathera Worship}}</ref> is the ''jathera'' (ancestor-figure) for the Sandhu clan of Jats.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Gill |first=Kamalpreet Singh |date=3 July 2..."

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'''Kala Mehar''', also spelt as '''Kala Mihr''',<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Dogra|first=Ramesh Chander|title=Encyclopaedia of Sikh Religion and Culture|last2=Mansukhani|first2=Gobind Singh|publisher=Vikas Publishing House|year=1995|isbn=978-0-7069-9499-5|pages=236–237|chapter=Jathera Worship}}</ref> is the ''[[jathera]]'' (ancestor-figure) for the [[Sandhu]] [[Gotra|clan]] of [[Jats]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Gill |first=Kamalpreet Singh |date=3 July 2021 |title=The practice of jathera worship in Punjab: A case study of jathera Baba Kala Mehar Sandhu in Faridkot, Punjab |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17448727.2020.1844459 |journal=Sikh Formations |language=en |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=311–333 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2020.1844459 |issn=1744-8727 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":33">{{Cite book |last=Bhatti |first=Harvinder Singh |title=Folk Religion: Change and Continuity - The Units of Descent |publisher=Rawat Publications |year=2000 |isbn=978-81-7033-608-2 |page=22 |chapter=2 Society and Religion in Punjab}}</ref> He is also known as '''Kala Pir'''.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Jhutti |first=Sundeep Singh |date=October 2003 |title=The Getes: A Jat Portfolio |url=https://sino-platonic.org/complete/spp127_getes.pdf |journal=Sino-Platonic Papers  |location=Philadelphia, United States |publisher=Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania |issue=127 |pages=36–38 |issn=21579679 |eissn=21579687}}</ref> According to [[Hagiography|hagiographical]] accounts, he was originally a leader of the Sandhus, who later began worshipping him.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Sandhu |first=Kulwinder |date=29 October 2008 |title=Thousands throng Baba Kala Mehar temple: In a unique tradition, devotees offer liquor to the deity to propitiate him |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081030/bathinda.htm#6 |access-date=14 March 2026 |work=The Tribune}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Local lore claims Kala Mehar had an antagonistic relationship with the [[Bhatti|Muslim Bhatti]] clan, who supposedly decapidated Kala Mehar in a fight but he went-on fighting miracously.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> He is portrayed as a [[Cattle in religion and mythology|protector of cows]] who possessed a magical buffalo.<ref name=":0" /> Popular iconography of Kala Mehar bears Sikh influences and he is depicted similarly to [[Gogaji|Gugga]] or [[Baba Deep Singh]].<ref name=":0" />

The worship of Kala Mehar has become popularized and spread beyond the Sandhu Jats, with him being venerated not only by them but also other caste groups. Furthermore, worship is not confined to Punjab but can also be found in some areas of Rajasthan and Haryana.<ref name=":0" /> However, the hagiographies on Kala Mehar differ between Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.<ref name=":0" />

== Tale ==
According to what can be deciphered from the various accounts on Kala Mehar, the lore on his life can be summarized as follows: He was born as Kala Sandhu to a Jat father who prayed to the ''[[Panj peer|Panj Pir]]'' quintet for a son via the Mirasis.<ref name=":0" /> According to one narration, he was originally from the Lahore region and a cattle-thief.<ref name=":2" /> The story claims he was acquainted with [[Gorakhnath]] and magically produced milk from a non-lactating buffalo for Gorakhnath.<ref name=":0" /> In-return, Gorakhnath predicted he would become a warrior and bestowed him with the ''Mehar'' ("giver of miracles") title, henceforth he was known as ''Kala Mehar''.<ref name=":0" /> Kala Mehar's magical buffalo was stolen by the Muslim Bhattis of the region, thus they came into conflict with one another.<ref name=":0" />

According to the legend, Kala Mehar never closed his eyes to sleep, so the Muslim Bhattis had to kill him to steal the magical bovine.<ref name=":0" /> The Bhattis tried to learn the secret on how to slay Kala Mehar from his Muslim Mirasi companion Siddh Jivan, but he refused to give-up any intel, so they learnt how from the Brahmin cook on how to kill Kala Mehar.<ref name=":0" /> They decapitated Kala Mehar but he kept fighting the Bhattis despite not having a head, although his companion Siddh Jivan was killed in the fight with the Bhattis.<ref name=":0" /> After fighting, the headless body of Kala Mehar was riding on a horse until a woman dyeing clothes with indigo (''neel'') on the bank of a forest (''bir'') sprinkled neel on the headless body to calm it, causing the headless corpse to collapse.<ref name=":03">{{Cite journal |last=Gill|first=Kamalpreet Singh|date=3 July 2021|title=The practice of jathera worship in Punjab: A case study of jathera Baba Kala Mehar Sandhu in Faridkot, Punjab|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17448727.2020.1844459|journal=Sikh Formations|language=en|volume=17|issue=3|pages=311–333|doi=10.1080/17448727.2020.1844459|issn=1744-8727|url-access=subscription}}</ref> News reached the Panj Pir and Gorakhnath and their followers, who convened at Bir Sikhanwala.<ref name=":03" /> Gorakhnath's followers wanted to cremate the remains of Kala Mehar as per [[Indian religions|Indic]] customs whilst the followers of the Panj Pir wanted to bury it as per the customs of [[Islam]].<ref name=":0" /> However, the corpse of Kala Mehar disappeared while they were debating on how to dispose of the remains and only the bricks it had laid-on remained behind, with a voice from above commanding them that all donations dedicated to his shrine be given to the Mirasis and not to Brahmins.<ref name=":0" />

== Shrines ==
[[File:Sandhu Family Ancestor Worship Ritual.jpg|thumb|Ancestor worship ritual to bless newly weds at the shrine of Kala Mehar, including alcohol-based offerings]]
There are a number of ancestral-shrines dedicated to him. A shrine dedicated to him is located at Bhakna village near Amritsar.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bagga |first=Neeraj |date=12 June 2025 |title=The Punjab village that history almost forgot |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/the-village-that-history-almost-forgot/ |access-date=14 March 2026 |work=The Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Walia |first=Varinder |date=11 July 2005 |title=Frescoes in ancient Hindu temple damaged |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050712/main7.htm |access-date=14 March 2026 |work=The Tribune}}</ref> The largest shrine dedicated to him is located in the [[Sacred groves of India|sacred-grove]] of [[Bir Sikhanwala (sacred grove)|Bir Sikhanwala.]]<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Sandhu |first=Kulwinder |date=30 October 2008 |title=A temple where liquor is offered as prasad |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081031/punjab1.htm#4 |access-date=27 June 2025 |work=The Tribune}}</ref> At the Sikhanwala shrine, a unique practice of offering alcohol to the jathara as ''[[Prasada|prashad]]'' takes place.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The first milk of a cow is offered to him.<ref name=":034">{{Cite book |last=Dogra |first=Ramesh Chander |title=Encyclopaedia of Sikh Religion and Culture |last2=Mansukhani |first2=Gobind Singh |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-7069-9499-5 |page=89 |chapter=Bhumiya}}</ref> At one of his shrines, [[Brahmin|Brahmins]] are banned from receiving offerings and only [[Mirasi|Mirasis]] can take the offerings.<ref name=":33" /><ref name=":0" /> Annually on the ''masya'' (night of no moon) of the month of ''[[Chet (month)|Chet]]'' (March-April) Mirasis perform at the shrine and Kala Mehar and are given monetary donations and gifts by devotees.<ref name=":0" /> The Kala Mehar Sandhu Charitable Society is a namesake organization.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Jat]]

Kala Mehar - Revision history