2405:201:4006:C054:F973:C7B6:62DC:97D5 at 07:27, 19 March 2021

2021-03-19T07:27:57Z

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{{short description|Sikh place of worship in Dehradun, India}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib
| infobox_width =
| image = Guru Ram Rai Temple, Dehradun, 1858.jpg
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| caption = An 1858 photograph of Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib taken by [[Robert Christopher Tytler]] and Harriet Tyler
| map_type = India Uttarakhand#India
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| location = Jhanda Mohalla, [[Dehradun]], [[India]]
| geo = {{coord|30.3181|78.0318}}
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| religious_affiliation = [[Sikhism]]
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| website =
| architecture = yes
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| architecture_style = [[Sikh architecture]] with influences and motifs from [[Islamic architecture]]
| groundbreaking =
| year_completed = 1699: Central complex completed <br> 1703–06: Completion of building work
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'''Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib''' or '''Guru Ram Rai Gurudwara''' is a [[Sikh]] place of worship in [[Dehradun]], India, dedicated to [[Guru Ram Rai]], eldest son of [[Guru Har Rai]], the seventh of the [[Sikh Gurus|ten Sikh Gurus]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/n/019pho000000032u00009000.html|title=No. 12. Temple of Gaaraa Nanule [sic for Guru Ram Rai], Dhera [Dun].|first=Colin|last=Wright|website=www.bl.uk}}</ref> Guru Ram Rai settled here with his followers in the mid-17th century, after he was banished by the Sikh [[orthodoxy]] for mistranslating [[Adi Granth|scripture]] in front of the Mughal emperor [[Aurangzeb]], 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|"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]].<ref name="auto1">{{harvnb|Jain|Handa|p=37}}</ref> 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 [[Mughal emperors|Muslim rulers]] of India. The Islamic influence was the result of a cordial relationship between Guru Ram Rai and the Mughal emperor [[Aurangzeb]], who provided lands and funds for the site.<ref>{{harvnb|Jain|Handa|p=35}}: "At that time [[Fateh Shah]] was reigning in Garhwal. The Emperor Aurangzeb directed him to grant some villages to the Guru in the ''Doon'' to provide for his sect and the service at the ''Dehra''."</ref>

==History==
The temple site was founded by Guru 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 [[Aurangzeb]]. He replaced the word "[[Mussalman]]" with "faithless" to prevent causing offence.<ref name="auto">{{harvnb|Jain|Handa|p=34}}</ref> The settlement is believed to have given Dehradun its name: a "dera", or camp, in the "Doon" valley.<ref name="auto"/> The central complex of the temple was completed in 1699, twelve years after Guru 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.<ref>{{harvnb|Jain|Handa|p=36}}</ref> Mata Panjab Kaur, Guru Ram Rai's wife, oversaw the construction work and managed the affairs of the Darbar till her death in 1741/42.<ref>{{harvnb|Jain|Handa|pp=35-36}}</ref>

==Architecture==
Unusually for a [[Sikh]] place of worship, [[Indo-Islamic architecture]] defines the main Darbar structure, which is surrounded by a miniature [[Mughal garden|Mughal-style garden]].<ref name="auto1"/> The central [[mausoleum]] was inspired by the [[Tomb of Jahangir]].<ref name="imp">[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V11_227.gif Dehra Town] ''The Imperial Gazetteer of India'', 1909, v. 11, p. 221-223</ref>

===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]].<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestatesman.com/travel/come-away-for-a-slice-of-art-at-jhanda-fair-1488911767.html|title=Come away for a slice of art at Jhanda fair|date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> The paintings have either been lost to successive re-paintings or re-marblings or are in poor shape and in need of preservation.<ref>{{harvnb|Jain|Handa|p=39}}</ref> Some paintings date back to the 17th century and are over 300 years old.<ref name="auto2"/> Between 2004 and 2014, [[Archaeological Survey of India]] carried out restoration work on the historic murals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/Facelift-for-Guru-Ram-Rai-Darbar-Sahib-murals/articleshow/45233960.cms|title=Facelift for Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib murals | Dehradun News - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref>

==Jhanda Mela==
[[File:Jhanda Mela Dehradun.jpg|thumb|right|The new flag being erected during the Jhanda Mela in the temple precincts.]]
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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/state-editions/historical-jhanda-mela-in-doon-from-today.html|title=Historical Jhanda Mela in Doon from today|first=The|last=Pioneer|website=The Pioneer}}</ref> The fair marks the arrival of Guru Ram Rai at the site, and starts five days after the festival of [[Holi]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/pole-falls-on-jhanda-mela-gathering-8-injured/articleshow/74618711.cms|title=Pole falls on Jhanda Mela gathering, 8 injured | Dehradun News - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Jain |first=Madhu |last2=Handa |first2=Omacanda |title=Art and Architecture of Uttarakhand |publisher=Pentagon Press |isbn=9788182744172}}
*{{cite book |last=Kamboj |first=B. P. |date=2003 |title=Early Wall Painting of Garhwal |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=9788173871399}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://sgrrdarbar.org/ Official website]

{{Sikhism|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Gurdwaras in Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:1699 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Dehradun]]
[[Category:Sikh architecture]]
[[Category:Indo-Islamic architecture]]
[[Category:Architecture of India]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Dehradun]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures with domes]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1706]]
[[Category:Rebuilt buildings and structures in India]]
[[Category:18th-century gurdwaras]]

Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib - Revision history

2405:201:4006:C054:F973:C7B6:62DC:97D5 at 07:27, 19 March 2021