("Five
Voices") is a Hindi word that means "five voices." Dadupanth, a
religious society formed by northern Indian poet-saint Dadu (1554–1603),
created a manuscript collection.
Dadu, Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Hardas are among the five
devotional (bhakti) poet– saints whose writings are included in this
compilation.
The desert environment of Rajasthan has aided in the
preservation of ancient manu scripts, some of which date back to the early
seventeenth century.
The Panchvani manuscripts are among the poets' oldest
written sources, making them an essential resource for the study of northern
Indian devotional poetry's history.
See Winand Callewaert (trans.
), The Sarvangi of the Dadupanthi Rajab, 1978; and The
Sarvangi of Gopaldas, 1993, for further information on the Dadupanth's literary
treasures.
A hereditary priest who aids pilgrims with whatever
ceremonies they may want or choose to undertake, as well as any other demands
they may have.
Each panda family at a particular pilgrimage site (tirtha)
has unique rights to serve pilgrims from a certain geographical area or
regions; travelers are expected to seek out the panda serving their original
region, whether or not the pilgrims currently reside there.
Pilgrims will write a note in the panda's pilgrim register
(bahi) on each visit, recording the names of those who came and why they came.
The records are the definitive indication of the familial
relationship between panda and pilgrim families, since some of these
registrations extend back hundreds of years.
This hereditary link was important for pilgrims in the past
since it offered resources like as housing, food, and other forms of assistance
while they were journeying.
The pandas would minister to their customers, arranging for
the appropriate ceremonies and, if necessary, lending them money.
When the pilgrims left, they would generally leave a tiny
gift for the panda, as well as a commitment for a bigger sum, which the pandas
would return to their homes to collect.
Although pandas are typically stereotyped as selfish and
rapacious because to their propensity to demand what they believe a customer
can afford, in their optimal form, both sides gain from the relationship.
Pandas have become less significant characters at many
pilgrimage sites in recent years, and as a result, their prestige and revenue
have dwindled.
Many pilgrimage locations have been established as religious
tourist destinations, and the hotels and amenities that have been erected there
have made pilgrims less reliant on their guides for lodging.
At the same time, save for the most significant ritual
actions, such as those related to death, there has been a general drop in the
performance of ritual acts in recent years.
