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Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib is a
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
place of worship in
Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, district and is governed by the Dehr ...
, India, dedicated to
Baba Ram Rai Baba Ram Rai (Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮ ਰਾਏ; ''rāma rā'ē''; 1645–1687) was the eldest son of the seventh Sikh Guru, Guru Har Rai, and the founder of the Ramraiyas, an unorthodox sect in Sikhism. He founded the Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib, ...
, eldest son of
Guru Har Rai Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: ; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the ''seventh Nanak'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.ten Sikh Gurus. Baba Ram Rai settled here with his followers in the mid-17th century, after he was banished by the Sikh
orthodoxy Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Church ...
for mistranslating
scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...
in front of the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
, so as to not cause offence. It is believed the city, Dehradun, gets its name from the religious camp established by him: a "
dera Dera, Dero, Daro, Dhoro, Dahar or Dehra is a word in several languages of South Asia, whose meaning is 'camp', 'mound' or 'settlement'. It appears in the names of a number of places. Geography India * Dera, Himachal Pradesh * Dera Bassi, Moha ...
", or camp, in the "doon" valley. The building is historically and architecturally significant, as it derives many of its architectural motifs, like minarets, domes and gardens, from
Islamic architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...
. While Sikh architecture, in general, drew inspiration from Mughal styles, the Darbar Sahib was unique in that it relied more heavily on elements that give it the appearance of a mosque than a conventional
gurudwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
. This was unusual in the 17th-18th centuries, as at the time Sikhs were generally in conflict with the
Muslim rulers Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraham ...
of India. The Islamic influence was the result of a cordial relationship between Baba Ram Rai and the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
, who provided lands and funds for the site.


History

The temple site was founded by Baba Ram Rai in the mid-17th century after he was banished by the orthodox Sikh sect for mistranslating a word in the
Adi Granth The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the r ...
in front of the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
. He replaced the word " Mussalman" with "faithless" to prevent causing offence. The settlement is believed to have given Dehradun its name: a "dera", or camp, in the "Doon" valley. The central complex of the temple was completed in 1699, twelve years after Baba Ram Rai's death, and the complete structural work was finished between 1703 and 1706; embellishment and painting work is thought to have continued long after the structural completion. Mata Panjab Kaur, Baba Ram Rai's wife, oversaw the construction work and managed the affairs of the Darbar till her death in 1741/42.


Architecture

Unusually for a
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
place of worship, Indo-Islamic architecture defines the main Darbar structure, which is surrounded by a miniature Mughal-style garden. The central
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be cons ...
was inspired by the Tomb of Jahangir.Dehra Town
''The Imperial Gazetteer of India'', 1909, v. 11, p. 221-223


Wall paintings

The buildings in the complex were once lavishly decorated with Mughal-style wall paintings, which were specimens of rare wall paintings found in
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
. The paintings have either been lost to successive re-paintings or re-marblings or are in poor shape and in need of preservation. Some paintings date back to the 17th century and are over 300 years old. Between 2004 and 2014,
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...
carried out restoration work on the historic murals.


Jhanda Mela

Jhanda Mela, literally "flag fair", is an annual religious fair that takes place in the temple precincts; it is believed to have been held since 1676. The fair marks the arrival of Baba Ram Rai at the site, and starts five days after the festival of
Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...
and continues till
Rama Navami Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu. people from different parts of Jharkhand attended the world famous international Hazaribagh procession organized in the city every ...
. The symbolic flag is a hundred-feet tall tree trunk wrapped in layers of clothing. During the fair, devotees, who come from across India and abroad, gather in large numbers and replace the previous year's flag in a religious ceremony.


Mahants and Gurus

The head of Darbar Sahib, called Sajjada Nashin Shri Mahant leads a life of celibacy and dedicate his life for the noble cause of the society. # Shri Mahant Aud Dass (1687-1741) # Shri Mahant Har Prasad (1741-1766) # Shri Mahant Har Sevak (1766-1818) # Shri Mahant Har Swaroop Dass (1818-1842) # Shri Mahant Preetam Dass (1842-1854) # Shri Mahant Narayan Dass (1854-1885) # Shri Mahant Prayag Dass (1885-1896) # Shri Mahant Lakshman Dass (1896-1945) # Shri Mahant Indiresh Charan Dass (1945-2000) # Shri Mahant Devendra Dass (Since 25 June 2000)


Bibliography

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References


External links


Official website
{{Sikhism, state=collapsed Gurdwaras in Uttarakhand Buildings and structures in Dehradun Sikh architecture Indo-Islamic architecture Architecture in India Tourist attractions in Dehradun Religious buildings and structures with domes Religious buildings and structures completed in 1706 Rebuilt buildings and structures in India 18th-century gurdwaras