Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib is a

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

place of worship in

Dehradun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter 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, d ...

, India, dedicated to Baba Ram Rai, eldest son of Guru Har Rai, the seventh of the 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 () is adherence to a purported "correct" or otherwise mainstream- or classically-accepted creed, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical co ...

for mistranslating scripture in front of the Mughal emperor

Aurangzeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

, so as to not cause offence. It is believed the city, Dehradun, gets its name from the religious camp established by him: a " dera", 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 Secularity, secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Muslim world, Islamic world encompasse ...

. 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. This was unusual in the 17th-18th centuries, as at the time Sikhs were generally in conflict with the Muslim rulers of India. The Islamic influence was the result of a cordial relationship between Baba Ram Rai and the Mughal emperor

, 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 in front of the Mughal emperor

. 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

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 burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

was inspired by the

Tomb of Jahangir The Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor Jahangir is buried in a mausoleum dating from 1637, located in Shahdara Bagh near city of Lahore, along the banks of River Ravi, in Punjab, Pakistan. The site is famous for its interiors that are extensively embe ...

.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 (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...

. 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 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 () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

and continues till Rama Navami. 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 dedicates his life to the noble cause of 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