Ajay Kumar at 18:00, 12 August 2023

2023-08-12T18:00:24Z

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{{Short description|14th century Hindu saint}}
{{Religious text primary|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bawa Lal Dayal
| image = Detail of Bhagat Lal (Bawa Lal Dayal) from a painting of a gathering of holy men of different faiths, by Mir Kalan Khan, ca.1770–75.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Detail of Bawa Lal Dayal from a painting of a gathering of holy men of different faiths, by Mir Kalan Khan, {{circa|1770–75}}
| birth_name = 
| birth_date =
| birth_place = [[Kasur]], [[Delhi Sultanate]]
| death_date =
| death_place = [[Dhianpur]], [[Gurdaspur district]], [[Punjab]]
| nationality = Indian
| other_names = Bawa Lal Dayal Ji, Lal Das Bairagi, Lal Jiv, Lal Dayal, Lal Dyal
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for = Spreading peace, social welfare
| notable_works =
}}

'''Bawa Lal Dayal''' ('''Lal Das Bairagi''')<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 22, 2018 |title=Dara Shukoh and Baba Laal Bairaagi. (दारा शुकोह और बाबा लाल बैरागी की वार्ता ) |url=https://blog.sufinama.org/dara-shukoh-and-baba-laal-bairaagi/ |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=Sufinama Blog |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brahmanyan |date=2015-10-10 |title=Brahmanyan: DARA SHIKOH - THE ENLIGHTENED PRINCE |url=https://brahmanyan.blogspot.com/2015/10/dara-shikoh-enlightened-prince.html |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=Brahmanyan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-08-04 |title=My Favourite Sufi Prince |url=https://sanatana-dharma.livejournal.com/109815.html |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=sanatana-dharma.livejournal.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oflLAQAAIAAJ |title=Madhya Bhāratī |date=2005 |publisher=Sāgara Viśvavidhyālaya |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-11 |title=हमारी विरासत: लालदास बैरागी के मुरीद थे दारा शिकोह |trans-title=Our heritage: Dara Shikoh was a follower of Lal Das Bairagi |url=https://www.jansatta.com/national/jansatta-dharma-diksha-heritage-laldas-bairagis-admirer-dara-shikoh-history-and-fame/1402670/ |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=Jansatta |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bawa Lal Ji :: Biography |url=http://bawalalji.org/web/biography.php |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129095221/http://bawalalji.org/web/biography.php |archive-date=2014-11-29 |access-date=2019-06-17 |website=bawalalji.org}}</ref> was a 14th-century Indian [[saint]], revered in [[Hinduism]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=http://news.statetimes.in/664th-birth-anniversary-of-baba-lal-dayal-celebrated/ |title=664th Birth Anniversary of Baba Lal Dayal celebrated |website=State Times |date=6 February 2019 |location=Jammu & Kashmir, India |access-date=2019-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/jai-shri-bawa-lal-ji |title=Jai Shri Bawa Lal Ji !! |website=www.speakingtree.in |publisher=[[The Times of India#Times Group Network|Speaking Tree]] |location=India |access-date=2019-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918011540/http://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/jai-shri-bawa-lal-ji |archive-date=2017-09-18 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.punjabkesari.in/lent-and-festival/news/birth-anniversary-of-baba-lal-dayal-ji-441063 |title=आज बावा लाल दयाल जी की जयंती: हिन्दू और मुसलमान हैं उनके मुरीद |date=2016-02-10 |website=Punjab Kesari |location=Punjab, India |language=Hindi |access-date=2019-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816012841/http://www.punjabkesari.in/lent-and-festival/news/birth-anniversary-of-baba-lal-dayal-ji-441063 |archive-date=2017-08-16 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jagran.com/punjab/hoshiarpur-11052445.html |title=बॉटम-बाबा लाल दयाल ने योग शक्ति से प्राप्त की थी 300 साल की आयु |website=Dainik Jagran |location=India |language=hi |access-date=2019-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801100417/http://www.jagran.com/punjab/hoshiarpur-11052445.html |archive-date=2017-08-01 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/bawa-lal-dayal-ji-maharaj/ |title=Bawa Lal Dayal Ji Maharaj |last=Excelsior |first=Daily |date=2013-02-09 |website=Jammu Kashmir - Latest News |publisher=[[Daily Excelsior]] |location=India |access-date=2019-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013164333/http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/bawa-lal-dayal-ji-maharaj/ |archive-date=2018-10-13 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Biography ==
[[File:BabaLalDayalImage.jpg|thumb|Modern painting of Baba Lal Dayal]]
Bawa Lal was born in the village of Kasur near [[Lahore, Punjab]]. His father was Bohlamal and his mother was Krishna Devi. He left his home at the age of 8 in search of guru Chetan Swami and went to Lahore. From Lahore, he went to Behra, [[Gujranwala]], [[Sialkot]], Riyas, [[Rajouri]], [[Kashmir]], [[Mansarovar]] ([[Kailash Parvat]]), and then moved towards [[Badrinath]] and [[Kedarnath]]. Eventually, he returned to Punjab. Upon reaching Lahore, near Shahdra on the bank of the [[Ravi river]], he had a [[Darshan (Indian religions)|''darshan'']] of Chetan Swami.

Bawa Lal is mentioned in famous historical works including ''Samudra Sangama'', ''Ḥasanāt al-{{Hamza}}Ārifīn'', [[Majma-ul-Bahrain|''Majma al-Bahrain'']], ''Dabistān-i Madhāhib'', and ''Mathnawi-i Kajkulāh''.<ref>[http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/webclient/StreamGate?folder_id=0&dvs=1576512182966~547 'McGill University PhD Thesis']{{Dead link|date=July 2023|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

== Temples ==
=== Main Temple: Lal Dwara Dhianpur ===
Shri Dhianpur Dham is the most sacred holy place for pilgrimage among the followers of the Bawa Lal [[Sampradaya]]. [[Dhianpur]] is a village in [[Gurdaspur district]] in the [[India]]n state of [[Punjab]]. Located about {{cvt|20|km}} from [[Batala]], it is well known for the [[ashram]] of Lal Dayal. The [[2001 Census of India|2001 census of India]] recorded Dhianpur as having a population of 3,095 forming 510 households.

In 1495, Bawa Lal arrived at this place with Dhiandasji, Gurumukh Lal and Kashi Ram and was so impressed with the beautiful and calm atmosphere that he gave it the name Dhianpur after the name of his disciple Dhiandas. The temple complex is situated on a [[hillock]] and according to belivers contains the sacred Samadhi of Bawa Lal and Gurumukh Lal, his first successor, as well as Vyas Gaddi and Ram Mandir.

Shri Dhianpur Dham is visited by hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. The city of [[Ludhiana]] also has a temple of Lal Dyal situated at New Shivaji Nagar since 1970.<ref name=":0" />

== Prince Dara Shikoh's account ==
The Prince [[Dara Shikoh]], elder son of [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Shah Jahan]], was depressed and did not have the courage to face his father, due to his defeat in a battle at Khandhar in 1653. He started residing in Lahore. Seeing his depressed state, [[Chandar Bhan Brahman|Chandra Bhan Brahman]], Jahan's ''[[Mir (title)|mir-munshi]]'', advised Dara to meet Bawa Lal. On hearing his praise, Dara was influenced and wanted to have a ''darshan'' of Bawa Lal.

From 1652 to 1653 in Lahore, he claimed to have held a series of interviews with Bawa Lal, and discussed with him the life of the ascetics, the relationship between a guru and their devotees, the circles of life and death, idol worship, the path of spiritual salvation, and various other topics.

Dara held Bawa Lal in the highest regard as evidenced by the introduction and praise in his writing. He introduces Bawa Lal with the following words in his ''Ḥasanāt al-{{Hamza}}Ārifīn'':<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Shikoh |first=Dara |title=Ḥasanāt al-ʼĀrifīn |pages=49 |author-link=Dara Shikoh}}</ref> "Lāl Mundiyya, who is amongst the perfect Gnostics{{Spaced en dash}}I have seen none among the Hindus who have reached such [[Irfan|''{{hamza}}irfān'']] and spiritual strength as he has." He also quotes three aphorisms that he claims to have heard directly from Bawa Lal:
* In the first, Bawa Lal is quoted as having said "Do not become a ''[[shaykh]]'', or a ''[[walī]]'', or a miracle worker; rather, become a sincere ''[[Fakir|faqīr]]'' (''faqīr-i bīsākhtagī'')."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shikoh |first=Dara |title=Ḥasanāt al-ʼĀrifīn |pages=55 |author-link=Dara Shikoh}}</ref>
* In the second aphorism, Bawa Lal tells Dara that "in every community, there is a perfect Gnostic, so that God shall grant salvation to that particular community through him. Therefore, you should not condemn any community."<ref name=":2" />
* In the third and last aphorism, Bawa Lal, on the authority of [[Kabir|Kabīr]], describes four types of guide: "The first type is like gold, for they cannot make others similar to themselves; the second type is like an elixir{{Spaced en dash}}whoever reaches them becomes gold, but they cannot transform others; the third type is like the sandalwood tree, which has the ability to create another sandalwood tree if that tree is prepared for it, but not otherwise; the fourth type is like a lamp, and he is the one known as the 'perfect guide', indeed from one lamp a hundred thousand lamps are illuminated".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shikoh |first=Dara |title=Ḥasanāt al-ʼĀrifīn |pages=54 |author-link=Dara Shikoh}}</ref>
== Ram Sundar Das ==
On November 1, 2001, Ram Sundar Das was enthroned as the [[Acharya]] of Shri Dhianpur Dham.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} He is the 15th Vaishnavacharya of Shri Dhianpur Dham and the present{{When|date=July 2023}} divine successor of Bawa Lal.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Indian Hindu saints]]
[[Category:People from Kasur District]]
[[Category:People from Punjab, India]]

Bawa Lal Dayal - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 18:00, 12 August 2023