With many thanks to the British Ravidassia Heritage Foundation, they have conducted thorough research into the history of Guru Ravidass Ji. Some key historical events regarding Guru Ravidass Ji’s life and teaching can be seen below.
WEDDING CEREMONY OF GURU RAVIDASS JI
Guru Ravidas ji got married at the age of 13, at Chhoti Mirzapur (about 10 km from Banaras) with Mata Lona ji. According to the elders of the lineage of Guru Ravidas ji in Banaras, the in-laws performed the three-days good service of baraat (wedding procession) according to traditions. The Janwasa (place for baraat) was decorated with tender leaves of mango, banyan, tamarind, suhazna, amlatas, saigon trees etc. Beds and pillows were also made of leaves for night time comfort. The baraat was served simple food on the layed leaves, on all three days.
Despite the lack of wheat, Guru Ravidas ji’s in-laws also made a special arrangement of wheat prashadas (Chapaaties) for the baraat. A ‘Sadhu-sant’ for teachings, and ‘nat mandali’ for entertainment were with the baraat. As negi, Guru Sahib’s fufa (uncle) remained with him on the second day, Guru Ji and Mata Lona ji’s wedding ceremony was performed in the Mandap decorated with flowers under the shadow of the stars. On the third day, at Amrit Vela (Dawn), five seniors from the baraat went to Lona Ji’s house and waved the pole (Thummi) and the parents sent away the doli with singing Mangal Songs. The Baraat came to Kashi singing Hari-jas. Mata Lona Ji was five years younger than Guru Sahib So Her Gona (Muklava) ceremony was performed after five years.
GURU RAVIDASS ASHRAM SIRSAI (GUJARAT)
Guru Ravidas Maharaj ji made his first Journey to Sirsai (Gujarat) in 1436 AD for the welfare of the people. That very place is known as ‘Sant Rohidas Ashram’, Guru Sahib’s arrival has been engraved on the granite stone by the management. This place is situated at a distance of 40 km from Junagadh. Guru Sahib revealed Shaal Kund, Himal Kund, Charam Kund, Hargaro Kund, Sananghat Kund, Amar Kund, and Shivghat kund there for the convenience of the people. The first three of these are intact and the rest have disappeared.
According to the local legend, King Kangan came to his sanctuary and became his disciple along with his family. This holy place remained the centre of Guru Ji’s activities for about 12 years. From here he travelled to the major cities of Gujarat and gave the message of one God to the people through Dwarka route to Chandika, Kandhkot, Multan, Jalalabad, Abadan, Baghdad etc. He came back to Sirsai Ashram, where he gave the fresh message of one God and being honest in terms of manual labour and good deeds.
HISTORICAL SERMON OF GURU RAVIDASS JI IN CHHATRA MELA
Guru Ravidas Ji during his journey to the East in 1460 AD, reached Sonpur (Bihar) to preach at the month-long ‘Chattar Mela’ at the confluence of the Ganga and Gandak rivers. Apart from elephants and horses, women were also bought and sold in this fair. It is recorded in history that emperors like Chandragupta Maurya, Akbar, Aurangzeb etc. had been buying elephants and horses from ‘Chattar Mela’.
Guru Ravidas ji stayed here for a month and sang the praise of Parbraham (God) and gave a historic sermon for the respect of women to the devotees who came from far and wide. After his visit, the businessmen had turned away from buying and selling women. This fair is celebrated even today with pomp and show, but Guru Sahib’s footsteps for the respect of women are respected even today.
GURU RAVIDASS JI’S AARTI CHARAN PLACE: JAGANNATH PURI
Puri is located in Orissa (1818 km from Delhi) on the coast of sea Jagannath Dham. When Guru Ravidas Ji visited Puri in 1462 AD, he found that the entry of Shudras (low castes) in Jagannath Dham was prohibited. Therefore, Guru Sahib was not allowed to visit the temple. He was asked to sit at a distance of 500 metres from the temple.
Guru Sahib sat with his ‘Bhajan Congregation’ on the sandy shore of the sea near the present-day Vaddi Mochishahi, a Shudra Basti. When he came to wajad (religious ecstasy induced by the remembrance of God) and sang ‘Naam Tero Aarti Majan Murare’ Aarti, the time stood still. Thousands of people strolling along the seashore joined them in a circle like the moon and Chukar. He heard the suffering of the Bheels (ethnic tribe in India) there and gave them the message to worship God fearlessly.
GURU RAVIDASS KUTIA MANDO (MADHYA PRADESH)
Guru Ravidass Ji preached to the Sangat from place to place during the reign of Sultan Ghiyas Shah in 1476 AD, and reached Mando, which at that time was a centre of moral values due to the permanent settlement of high-ranking Ulama and Sufi saints. After discussing the spiritual matters with the Sufi saints, he travelled to Mendi Kheri village 4 km from Mando.
He camped with his ‘Bhajan Mandli’ (gathering of devotional music performers) at a beautiful secluded spot on the bank of Kakra Kho (Khad). At this place, a spring of water was revealed for the convenience of the people, which was constantly flowing, even today. People drink the water of the spring with respect and praise Guru Ravidass Ji. At the same place, his devotee Kumari Ganga jumped into the Kaakra Kho (Khadd) to protect her honour, whom Sultan Ghiyas Shah wanted to marry by force. The royal procession (Baraat) swept into the Kaakra Kho to save Kumari Ganga. The Sultan regretted his misdeeds and became the disciple of Guru Ravidass Ji.
GURU RAVIDASS GADDI IN UJJAIN
Ujjain, the main pilgrimage site of Hindus, is located at a distance of 780 km from Delhi. It has been the focal point of Indian time calculation in ancient-times.
Mahakaleshwar temple, one of the twelve Jyotilings (special shrine) of Hindus, is also adorned here. It is believed that by visiting this temple, one gets salvation. Due to this, the ritualism of the priests was dominant here. In 1476 AD, Guru Ravidass Ji returned from his journey from south India and visited this holy place to awaken the masses against ritualism, and where he gave the message of Satnam. The place where he bathed in Sipra river is known as Ravidass Ghat. A small temple is built there to symbolise his arrival.
The priest of the temple is a Pandit. Who, instead of Guru Sahib’s Bani, recties Sanskrit verses (Saloka) and gets donations from the Ravidassia people. At a short distance from Ravidass Ghat, Guru Ravidass Ji went to the Ashram of Sant Goverdhan Dass, another spiritual saint, near the Bheru Nala. In this simple temple, two thrones of Guru Ravidass ji and Sant Goverdhan Dass Ji have been built.
GURU RAVIDASS POND AT ELLORA
The pond described by top scholars at the site of Ellora in Hyderabad, is 32 km from Aurangabad located nearby the caves of Ellora, which was a part of ancient Hyderabad state. As per legend, King Yeldeo of the state was suffering from worms in his body. Hearing of his suffering, Guru Ravidass Ji dug a pit near his Aasan (seat) and asked to fetch water from the Yelganga flowing nearby and poured into it. The ruler was cured of his skin disease by taking a dip in it. He was pleased and turned that pit into a larger pond.
This holy pond dwells in the minds of people as ‘Ravidas Kund’.
GURU RAVIDASS JI’S VISIT TO CHUHARKANA
During Guru Ravidass Ji’s first journey to Punjab, he passed through the village ‘Danda’ (Amritsar) in 1482 AD. Near Chuharkana Mandi in the Saandal Bar Jangal (forest), he reached the abode made for the saints who congregated there. Among the prominent saints of this group were Satguru Kabir Ji, Satguru Pipa ji and Sant Sai Das Ji. The local people used to do devotional service to the saints and listen to their discourses at this place.
Guru Nanak Dev ji recognised the divine light of the saint-mandli and spent the money on food for them that his father Kalu Ram ji had given him to make a ‘good deal’ (Khara Sauda). This event is famous in Sikh history as ‘Sacha Sauda’.
GURU RAVIDASS TEMPLE TUGHLAQABAD
Emperor Sikandar Lodhi was suffering from a skin disease. When the treatment of the royal sages failed, he expressed his desire to take the help of ‘dua’ (blessing) rather than medicine. The emperor’s advisers told him that Guru Ravidass Ji had cured the skin disease of King Yeldeo of Barul, and so according to the king’s order, Guru Ravidass Ji was brought from Banaras to Delhi with great respect in August 1493 AD.
Hearing the suffering of the emperor, Guru Ravidass Ji blessed him with a quick recovery and immersed himself in samadhi near the ‘Johar’ (pond) of Tughlaqabad. After waking up from samadhi, a message was sent to the king to bathe in the Johar. After bathing in the Johar, which later came to be known as ‘Chamarwara Johar’, he recovered within a few days. He was happy and allotted a jagir of 700 bighas (a traditional unit of measurement of area of a land, commonly used in northern & eastern India) to Guru Ravidass Ji.
A Guru Ravidass Temple Tughlaqabad was later built here by Guru Ravidas Ji’s Charan Sevak (devotees). However, according to the order of the Supreme Court of India (10 August 2019), it was declared that the 700 bighas is government property, which was then demolished.
Faced with significant protests from the Ravidassia community, the Supreme Court pronounced the decision to give 400 square metres of land for the temple on 20 October 2019. However, the construction of the temple has not been commenced due to many obstacles.
MAHAN SANT-SAMELAN SULTANPUR LODHI
At Sultanpur Lodhi, an ancient secluded place where at present Santghat Gurdwara Sahib is built, Guru Ravidass Ji reached with his Sant-Mandli (closest disciples) in 1496 AD.
This delightful spot was for the Sadhus, Saints, Jogis, Naths, Tapisars etc. on the Jarnaili road from Delhi to Lahore. The congregations of Buddhist monks going to Kabul and Kandhar also used to stay here at Tamas Van (Black Forest). Its references are found in the writings of Hyunsang. Guru Ravidass Ji was scheduled to come here for a three-day ‘Great Saint Samelan’ (meeting). The congregations of saints from all over India started arriving at Sultanpur Lodhi. Guru Nanak also reached the meeting place, and keeping in mind the spiritual thoughts that took place there, he decided to do long Udasies (journeys) to ‘reform the world’. The turning point that took the Bhakti movement to its peak was the ‘Sant Summit’ held under the chairmanship of Guru Ravidass Ji.
GURU RAVIDASS JI ATTENDED THE MIRABAI’S MARRIAGE
Mirabai, who embraced the Sargun stream of spiritualism, came in contact with Guru Ravidass Ji and became a devotee of the Nirgun stream. Her marriage took place in Sambat 1516 AD. Even before this, Guru Ravidas Ji was the Kul Guru (Family Prophet) of the royal dynasty of Chittor. Maharani Jhali wanted to have his holy feet in her Royal Palace from the time of taking Naam Diksha from Guru Sahib.
The marriage of Kunwar Bhojraj and Mirabai became a coincidence, which presented an opportune occasion for Maharani Jhali. She sent her messengers to Banaras with a letter to invite Guru Ravidas ji. Guru Sahib read the Invitation and consulted with Satguru Kabir Sahib. On agreeing to go to Chittor, Guru Sahib went to Chittor with His ‘Bhajan-Mandli’. On the arrival of their Kul-Guru, the Rajput queens and Rajput Kings gave Guru Ji a warm welcome. Guru Sahib blessed the lucky couple. After two and a half months of preaching to the people, he returned to Varanasi.
GURU RAVIDASS ASHRAM: KASHI GOPAL TEMPLE
In the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishadas and other source texts of Hinduism, Kashi (Varanasi) is glorified as a city of temples. Located in the narrow lanes of Chaukhambha area near Maidagan Chowk, ‘Gopal Mandir ranks among the top temples of Kashi. While unfolding the layers of the history of this temple, many scholars have connected it with Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji. Inside the Tulsi cave built in this temple, those things which were used by Guru Sahib are to be said safe there. Maharani Jhali of Chittor took initiation (Naam) from him in this temple.
It is reported from the Janam Sakhis (Life records) there was a tradition of continuous Langar for the devotees and the Saints who came there during the time of Guru Sahib. According to the testimony of Gyani Barkat Singh Anand, as long as Guru Nanak Dev ji stayed in Banaras during his first Udasi (visit), Guru Ravidas ji kept arranging langar for him. It is also said that up to 1750 AD, the name of this temple was ‘Ravidas Mandir’. Now it is occupied by Brahmin priests.
