Whenever I visit a new city or a town, I like to explore its historic past. I believe that such sites in a way are foundation of a place and also play an important role in shaping its identity. When I decided to visit Uttarakhand’s capital city of Dehradun, I knew where I would have to go to know more about its past – not some fort or palace, but a Gurudwara.
Called the Shri Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib, it is located in the heart of the Dehradun town, bustling with crowd, traffic, noise and dust. But when you enter this Gurudwara, you get that required sense of calm and peace. The information signage says that it is the oldest and holiest place in Dehradun and was built in the 17th Century by Guru Ram Rai, the eldest son of the seventh Guru of the Sikhs, Sri Har Rai ji.
Interestingly, the name Dehradun has its roots here: “The city of Dehradun itself derives its name from the historical fact that Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji, the eldest son of the Seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai Ji, set up his ‘dera’ (camp) in ‘dun’ (valley) in 1676. This ‘Dera’ ‘Dun’ later on became Dehradun.”
Local legends say that the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was highly impressed by the miraculous powers of Guru Ram Rai Ji. Hence he asked Raja of Garhwal, Fateh Shah to extend all possible help to Sri Guru Ram Ji. Initially a Gurudwara was built in Dhamawala. The construction of the present building of Darbar Sahib was completed in 1707.
This place is not as big as other Gurudwaras, but it has its own charm. It is a fine example of Indo Islamic architecture. But, what really intrigued me was its mural painting. Walking around this religious place was like walking around an art gallery. The walls and ceiling are filled with colourful motifs of leaves, flowers and geometric patterns. Little further, you are treated with more art as now you come across Hindu religious motifs and figures of Lord Krishna, Shiva, Durga. It also speaks about local legends, stories of Hanuman and even British sepoys. There are numerous stories painted on these walls from different religions, be it Hinduism or Sikhism. You just have to be little patient and spend some time in discovering them in this wall art.
The best part of the murals is at the other side of the Gurudwara, where the annual Jhanda fair is held annually on the 5th day after Holi. On this day a flag is hoisted in memory of Guru Ram Rai.
Here, not even an inch of space on the walls is left without a painting. The walls are full of colourful murals and it is just breathtaking. Here again you will discover many stories from mythology, human figures of important personalities, folk legends, etc. The best part of these murals is that you can touch and feel them. And most of it is still in good condition.
The gurdwara’s website gives a little insight on these paintings and architecture. It says, “There are pictures of flowers and leaves, animals and birds, trees, similar faces with pointed noses and big eyes on the arches which are the symbol of the colour scheme of Kangra-Guler and Mughal art. High minarets and round pinnacles are the models of the Muslim architecture.”
Here art is definitely revered and its setting makes the whole experience enriching.
Arti Das 