Ramraiya

Ramraiya
ਰਾਮਰਾਈਆ
Painting of a Ramraiya ascetic of Varanasi from a folio of a manuscript of the Silsilah-i-Jogiyan, ca.1800
Founder
Ram Rai
Regions with significant populations
Punjab • Uttarakhand (Dehradun)
Religions
Sikhism
Languages
Punjabi

Ramraiyas (Gurmukhi: ਰਾਮਰਾਈਆ; rāmarā'ī'ā), also referred to as Ram Raiyas, are a Sikh sect that follow Ram Rai, the excommunicated eldest son of Guru Har Rai (1630–61).[1] The sect was syncretic, combining Sikh, Mughal, and Pahari traditions.[2] It was part of the larger Udasi sect, being classified as a udaseen parampara.[2] The followers of Ram Rai are found across North India.[2] Its principal centre is the Guru Ram Rai Darbar complex in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.

History

Ram Rai

Ram Rai was sent by his father as an emissary to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi. Aurangzeb objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture (Asa ki Var) that stated, "the clay from a Musalman's grave is kneaded into potter's lump", considering it an insult to Islam. Baba Ram Rai explained that the text was miscopied and modified it, substituting "Musalman" with "Beiman" (faithless, evil) which Aurangzeb approved.[3][4][5] The willingness to change a word led Guru Har Rai to bar his son from his presence, and name his younger son as his successor. Aurangzeb responded by granting Ram Rai a jagir (fief) in the Garhwal region (Uttarakhand). The area of modern Dehradun was under the rule of King Fateh Shah of Garhwal Kingdom, who had been commanded by Aurangzeb to facilitate Ram Rai and establish himself in the wilds of the valley, where he established his Durbar in 1676, with the work on the building finally being completed by his widow, Panjab Kaur, in 1699.[6] The town later came to be known as Dehradun, after Dehra, referring to Baba Ram Rai's shrine.[4]

Ram Rai was connected to the earlier Udasi sect, being described as an "udaseen fakir".[2] As per one narration, Ram Rai became an udaseen ("dissatisfied one") after being ex-communicated by his father, Guru Har Rai. Ram Rai is believed to have performed seventy-two miracles while he was in Delhi, including conjuring a three-legged goat.[2] As per the Mahima Prakash (1776), Aurangzeb was impressed by Ram Rai's mystic powers and bestowed him with the title of qamil fakir and granted him the village Khera-Chandrawal near Majnu-ka-Tila in Delhi.[2] Ram Rai died in 1689 and the darbar was managed by his widow Panjab Kaur after his death.[2]

Mahants

Many followers of Ram Rai settled with Ram Rai, they followed Guru Nanak, but Sikhs have shunned them.[3][7] They were one of the Panj Mel, the five reprobate groups that Sikhs are expected to shun with contempt. The other four are the Minas, the Masands, the Dhirmalias, the Sir-gums (those Sikhs who accept Amrit baptism but subsequently cut their hair).[8][9]

After the death of Ram Rai, successive mahants of the Dehradun Darbar became the leaders of the sect, who were worshiped by its followers. The mahants and their darbar were patrons of Hindustani classical music in the Gwalior gharana.[2] The Ramlila tradition was held, with its particular style being known as the Jhanda Bazaar Shivaji Samiti Ramlila of Dehra Dun.[2] After the third mahant, all of the mahants were Garhwal locals. The later mahants (head-priests of the sect) would have the Darbar complex constructed and its walls were decorated with murals.[2] The constructions around the main mausoleum of Ram Rai and his wives were put-up by the mahants, which included samadhis (cenotaphs) of the mahant leaders of the sect.[2] These were built as per Sikh architecture.[2] The Jhanda Darwaza was finished in the 1880's, with its murals being mostly painted by Tulsi Ram (1881–1950, also known as Phattu Sah) likely between ca.1885–1896 during the tenure of Mahant Prayag Das.[2] Tulsi Ram's brother, Kitchlu Sah, and their father, probably painted some of the murals as well.[2]

Festivals

The Jhanda-Ka-Mela (Jhanda Fair) is held five-days after Holi, where the nishan (symbol) is changed and a new one is installed at the gateway.[2]

Leaders

No. Name

(Birth–Death)

Portrait Leadership term Reference(s)
1. Ram Rai(1645 – 1687) ? – 1687 [1][10]
Mahants
2. Aud Das[note 1] 1687 – 1741 [10][11]
3. Har Prasad 1741 – 1766 [10][11]
4. Har Sewak 1766 – 1818 [11][12]
5. Har Swaroop Das 1818 – 1842 [11][12]
6. Preetam Das 1842 – 1854 [11][12]
7. Narayan Das 1854 – 1885 [11][12]
8. Prayag Das 1885 – 1896 [11][12]
9. Laxman Das 1896 – 1945 [11][13]
10. Indiresh Charan Das

(14 November 1919 – 10 June 2000)

1945 – 2000 [11][14]
11. Davendra Das 2000 – present [11][15]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ According to the tradition of the Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib, Aud Das was the successor to Ram Rai. However, Henry George Walton in the British Garhwal: A Gazetteer, regards Har Prasad as his immediate successor, ignoring Aud Das.

References

  1. ^ a b "Rām Rāiyā", Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Ohri, Lokesh. "Performance Traditions at the Jhanda Saheb Ramlila". Sahapedia. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b Ram Rai, Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Editor in Chief: Harbans Singh, Punjab University
  4. ^ a b Louis E. Fenech; W. H. McLeod (2014). Historical Dictionary of Sikhism. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 260–261. ISBN 978-1-4422-3601-1.
  5. ^ Singh, Harinder (8 March 2017). "The Next Panjab Kaur". Sikh Research Institute. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  6. ^ "Guru Ram Rai Gets a Historian". Garhwal Post. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  7. ^ Rām Rāiyā, Encyclopædia Britannica
  8. ^ Arvind-Pal S. Mandair; Christopher Shackle; Gurharpal Singh (2013). Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity. Taylor & Francis. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-1-136-84634-2.
  9. ^ SS Kohli (1993). The Sikh and Sikhism. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 2–3.
  10. ^ a b c Kamboj, B. P. (2003). Early Wall Painting of Garhwal. Indus Publishing. pp. 26–29. ISBN 9788173871399.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mahants & Gurus, Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj - Dehradun". www.sgrrdarbar.org. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  12. ^ a b c d e Kamboj, B. P. (2003). Early Wall Painting of Garhwal. Indus Publishing. p. 130. ISBN 9788173871399.
  13. ^ Sharma, Gopi Nath (1992). Haqiqat bahida: 27-37. Haqiqat bahida: H.H. Maharana Fateh Singhji, 24th Dec. 1884 to 24 May 1930. Maharana Mewar Research Institute. p. 98.
  14. ^ Chandola, Anoop (2012). In the Himalayan Nights: Tales from Two Continents. Savant Books and Publications. p. 178. ISBN 9780982998700.
  15. ^ "Doon Sikh Welfare Society thanks Mahant Devendra Das". Garhwal Post. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
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