View source for Ramdwara

{{short description|Place of worship for the people who believe in Ramsnehi Sampradaya}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
[[File:ramdwara.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The most popular Ramdwara is situated in Shahpura.]]
'''Ramdwara''' (Devanagari रामद्वारा) means "the doorway to the ''Ram''" (i.e., to the name of God). It is a place of worship for the people who believe in Ramsnehi Sampradaya, which advocates chanting of "Ram" (राम).<ref name="x">{{Cite book |last=Sir James MacNabb Campbell |first=Reginald Edward Enthoven |url=http://archive.org/details/gazetteerbombay18enthgoog |title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency ... |date=1879 |publisher=Govt. Central Press |others=unknown library |language=English}}</ref> Ramsnehi means "People who love God". Their way of worshipping God is simple. People of all faiths, castes, sections etc. visit at the Ramdwaras.<ref name="qqa">{{Cite book |last=Śukla |first=Dineśa Candra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FhscAAAAIAAJ&q=Ramdwara+Shahpura |title=Spiritual Heritage of Rajasthan |date=1992 |publisher=Books Treasure |language=en}}</ref><ref name="a">{{Cite web |title=LakshyaRamjiMaharaj_Preface.pdf |url=https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3bUXrI1MZN1ZjI0WHhnX2s4T3M/edit?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Google Docs}}</ref> This concept of ''Ram'' or ''Rama'' is distinct from the [[Hindu]] deity [[Rama]].
== Origin of Ramsnehi==
[[File:SwamiRamCharan.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Portrait of the Founder of RamSnehi Sampradaya.<br/> Shri 1008 (Salutation) Swami Ji Shri Ram Charan Ji Maharaj.]]
Ramsnehi Sampradaya is a spiritual and religious tradition originating in 1817 [[Vikram Samwat]] in Bhilwara city of Rajasthan by the [[Apprenticeship|disciple]] of Swami Shri [[Ram Charan Maharaj]] who provided the spiritual and philosophical basis for the sect.
In present time, ''Ramsnehi Sampradaya'' has four major [[monastery|monasteries]]. All are in [[Rajasthan]], India.  They are in the following cities:
*Shahpura, Rajasthan
* Banwara, Rajasthan
*Sodha, Rajasthan
*Bhilwara, Rajasthan
[[File:People at Ramdwara Chhatribagh, Indore.jpg|thumb|200px|right|People talking to a saint at Ramdwara, Chhatribagh, Indore]]
Smaller Ramdwara centres are located at various places in states of [[Gujarat]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Maharashtra]] and [[Delhi]].
Swami Ji Shree [[Ram Charan Ji Maharaj]] came to [[Shahpura, Bhilwara|Shahpura]] from [[Bhilwara]] and did [[Tapasya]] (deep meditation).
At the place where Swami Ram Charan Ji Maharaj's body was cremated, a giant Ramdwara has been built. This is now the chief Ramdwara of ''Ramsnehi Sampradaya''.
This Ramdwara is also called Ram Niwas Dhaam or Ram Niwas Baikunth Dhaam.
== Construction ==
[[File:barahdari.jpg|thumb|250px|right|''Barahdari'' of Ramdwara.]]
The Shahpura Ramdwara was sponsored by the then King of Shahpura, Maharaja Amar Singh, and his brother Chattra Singh.
It was built by constructors named Jarror Khan and Kushal Khan. This is also a great example of the brotherhood of [[Hindu]]s and [[Muslims]] in India.
All the marble stones used in construction were sourced from a place near the north border of nearby village named ''Kanti''.
There is a speciality in all used marble stones that each marble stone has a picture and stone mark on it as of Hindi (Devnagari) alphabets of the construction of word "Ram" (Lord Ram), bow, saint, India's map, sword, lion, monkey and other natural pictures.
The main (and base) structure of Shahpura Ramdwara is an octagon shaped shiny marble pillar which is about 12 feet long. This pillar is situated at the cremation place of [[Ram Charan Maharaj]]. This pillar is called the [[Samadhi]] Stambh.
The floor above the pillar is called [[Baradari (building)|Baradari]] (a kind of summer house with several open marble gates ). A rectangular stone is placed in the center of Baradari which is just over the main pillar.
The Baradari has 108 small pillars which make 84 open gates.
The construction was done in different phases.
== Monks of Ramdwara ==
[[File:ramdwaramonk.jpg|thumb|150px|right|''Monk'' of Ramdwara.]]
The [[monk]]s of ''RamSnehi Sampradaya'' are identical by their dressing code. They wear a robe coloured a very light pink. After taking oaths, monks can not return to their family and must treat the whole world equally and fairly, without any prejudices. They are supposed to follow all the defined rules strictly.<ref name="x"/>
== Way of worship and belief ==
Ramsnehis believe in the name of God (Ram राम) and do not believe in [[idolatry]]. A Ramsnehi only follows the simple and easily defined rules. Ramsnehis just do [[Darśana|Darshan]] of the chair of current [[Acharya]] and monks. They pay respects to all the previous (departed) acharyas and saints as well.<ref name="qqa"/><ref name="a"/>
[[File:Ramdwara ed f.ogg|thumb|Ram dhun- Evening chanting of Ram Ram at Ramdwara Shahpura, the main centre of Ramsnehi Sampradaya.]]
Ramsnehis remember the name राम (Ram, a name of the Lord).  Three main pillars of the ideology are:
*Have the Name of God (राम) in your Heart
*Have mercy for every living being
*Be ready to serve any needy person
== {{anchor|Spiritual succession (leaders) in Ramsnehi Sampradaya}}Spiritual succession (leaders) in Ramsnehi Sampradaya ==
The following are the Acharyas who successively led the Ramsnehi Sampradaya after Ram Charan:<ref name="xr">{{Cite web |title=Ramsnehi_Bhaskar_March_and_April2005 |url=https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3bUXrI1MZN1LVQ4R1RvYlQzQkU/edit?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Google Docs}}</ref>
#[[Ram Jan]]
#Dulhe Ram
#Chhatra Das
#Narayan Das
#Hari Das
#Himmat Ram
#Dilshudh Ram
#Dharam Das
#Daya Ram
#Jagram Das
#Nirbhay Ram
#Darshan Ram
#[[Ram Kishor]]
#[[Ram Dayal]] (present)
[[Ram Dayal]] is the present Acharya.<ref name="xr"/>
==Gallery==
<gallery>
file:frontbaradari.JPG|Baradari Picture From Front
file:ramdwara2.JPG|Another View of Ramdwara
file:doorwaytoSS.jpg|Door Way to ''Samadhi Stambh''
file:SamadhiStambh.JPG|''Samadhi Stambh''
</gallery>
==See also==
* [[Shahpura, Bhilwara]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Sources==
*Sant LakshyaRam  ([[Vikram Samwat]] 2015 ). Preface of ''Ram Rahasya Darshan'', Ram Niwas Dham Trust, Bhilwara
''Ram Rahasya Darshan'' is a small compilation of Swami Ram Charan Ji's works, prepared by the late Sant Shree LakshyaRamJi.
*Capt. G. E. Westmacott, ''Some account of a sect of Hindu Schismatics in Western India, calling themselves Ramsanehis or friends of God'', Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, February, 1835 (pages 65–82) [https://archive.org/stream/journalasiatics21benggoog#page/n105/mode/2up]
*http://vijayvargia.com/maharaj.pdf
*Svāmī Rāmacaraṇa, jīvanī evaṃ kr̥tiyoṃ kā adhyayana, Mādhavaprasāda Pāṇḍeya, Hindī Sāhitya Sammelana, 1982 - On the life and works of Swami RamCharan, 1719-1798, founder of the Ram Snehi sect in Vaishnavism.
A few prayers of Ramsnehis:
*http://vijayvargia.com/aartishrimaharajji.pdf
*Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume 9, Part 1, Government Central Press 1901
*Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Ahmedabad, Government Central Press 1879
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