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{{short description|Indian shrine for Ravidassis}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan
| infobox_width =
| image = Seergovardhanpur.jpg
| image_size = 350px
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| location = [[Sir Gobardhan]], [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India
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| religious_affiliation = [[Ravidassia]]<ref name=":6" />
| rite =
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| architecture = yes
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| architecture_style = [[Mughal architecture]]
| groundbreaking = 14 June 1965
| year_completed = 1972 (initial structure),<br/> 1994 (current structure)
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{{Ravidasi}}

'''Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan''' is a temple located in [[Sir Gobardhan]], [[Varanasi district|Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India.<ref name=":4" /> It was built to mark the birthplace of [[Ravidas]], and it is an important cultural and religious site for [[Dalit|Dalits]], [[Ravidassia|Ravidasis]], [[Ad-Dharmi|Ad-Dharmis]], and [[Ramdasia]] Sikhs. Millions of devotees gather there for [[Guru Ravidass Jayanti|Ravidas's birthday]] each year.

==History==
In the mid-1960s, the leaders of [[Dera Sach Khand|Dera Ballan]] began an effort to build a place of pilgrimage at the birthplace of Ravidas.<ref name=":6" /> They determined that Ravidas had been born in [[Sir Gobardhan]], and one of them, Hari Dass, laid the [[Cornerstone|foundation stone]] for this temple on 14 June 1965 while Sarwan Dass was the head of the Dera. Dera Ballan provided funding for the first phase of the temple's construction – a small shrine was built at the site in 1972. The more impressive current structure was completed in 1994 with the help of people from India and other countries, especially overseas devotees who donated through a trust formed by Dera Ballan in 1983.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Ram |first=Ronki |date=2008 |title=Ravidass Deras and Social Protest: Making Sense of Dalit Consciousness in Punjab (India) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20203488 |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=67 |issue=4 |pages=1355–1356 |doi=10.1017/S0021911808001800 |jstor=20203488 |issn=0021-9118|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Singh |first=Gurharpal |date=2012 |title=Religious Transnationalism and Development Initiatives: The Dera Sachkhand Ballan |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23065577 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=53–58 |jstor=23065577 |issn=0012-9976}}</ref> [[Kanshi Ram]], founder of the [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] (BSP), ceremoniously installed the temple's golden dome.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Times Of India 2">{{Cite news |date=2011-11-24 |title=Deciphering dera politics {{!}} Dera Sachkhand Ballan |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Deciphering-dera-politics/articleshow/10849962.cms |access-date=2023-12-03 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

During the temple's construction, Dera Ballan's ownership of the temple through a trust was disputed by the All India Adi-Dharm Mission based in [[New Delhi]]. Dera Ballan responded with legal action, and they documented the ceremonies they organized at the temple to prove their ownership of it.<ref name=":4" />

On 25 May 1997, Kanshi Ram laid the foundation stone of the huge monumental gate, Guru Ravidas Gate, which leads to the temple. [[K. R. Narayanan]], then [[President of India]], performed the opening ceremony of the gate on 16 July 1998.<ref name="The Times of India 2011">{{cite web |date=24 November 2011 |title=Dera Sachkhand Ballan |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Deciphering-dera-politics/articleshow/10849962.cms |accessdate=20 October 2015 |website=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> The gate was the destination of a [[candle march]] carried out by students from [[Banaras Hindu University]] to support natives of [[Nepal]] after [[April 2015 Nepal earthquake|an earthquake in April 2015]].<ref>{{cite news |date=29 April 2015 |title=Varanasi pours out heart for Nepal earthquake victims |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Varanasi-pours-out-heart-for-Nepal-quake-victims/articleshow/47094022.cms |access-date=7 December 2023 |work=The Times of India}}</ref>

== Significance ==
Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan is an important cultural and religious site for [[Dalit|Dalits]],<ref name=":4" /> [[Ad-Dharmi|Ad-Dharmis]]/[[Ravidassia|Ravidasis]],<ref name="The Times of India 2015" /><ref name=":6" /> and [[Ramdasia|Ramdasia Sikh]]s.<ref name="Sports 2016">{{cite web |author=Sports |date=13 February 2016 |title=According to party leaders, more than one lakh dalit Sikhs (also called Ramdasia Sikhs) from Punjab reach Ravidas Temple in Seer Govardhan area of Varanasi every year |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/narendra-modi-arvind-kejriwal-varanasi/ |accessdate=27 February 2016 |website=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref name="Zee News 2016">{{cite web |date=13 February 2016 |title=Varanasi to witness PM Modi-Kejriwal faceoff again this month on Ravidas Jayanti |url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/varanasi-to-witness-pm-modi-kejriwal-faceoff-again-this-month-on-ravidas-jayanti_1855308.html |accessdate=27 February 2016 |website=Zee News |language= |quote=In view of Punjab Assembly polls, Ravidas Jayanti is significant as lakhs of Sikh followers (Ramdasia Sikhs) from across the country are likely to come to the city on this occasion.}}</ref> The [[Guru Ravidass Jayanti|birth anniversary of Ravidas]] is celebrated at the temple every year, attracting millions of devotees from India and abroad.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="The Times of India 2015">{{cite web |date=2 February 2015 |title=Huge congregation expected for Ravidas Jayanti celebrations |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Huge-congregation-expected-for-Ravidas-Jayanti-celebrations/articleshow/46094766.cms |accessdate=20 October 2015 |website=The Times of India}}</ref> The festivities include musical prayer and ''[[kirtan]]''.<ref name="The Times of India 2015" /> It was at this temple that, on 29 January 2010, Niranjan Dass of [[Dera Ballan]] formally announced the formation of the Ravidassia religion.<ref name=":6" /> Several politicians, including Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]], have visited the temple to gain support from followers of [[Ravidas]], who comprise a significant minority of the vote in [[Elections in Uttar Pradesh|state elections]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Dikshit |first=Rajeev |date=25 January 2022 |title=Powerhouse of Dalit politics, Ravidas temple to impact polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/dalit-politics-powerhouse-ravidas-temple-to-affect-up-punjab-polls/articleshow/89107271.cms |access-date=19 September 2025 |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=16 February 2022 |title=Ravidas Jayanti: Yogi, Channi, Rahul and Priyanka pray at temple in Varanasi |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/ravidas-jayanti-yogi-channi-rahul-and-priyanka-pray-at-temple-in-varanasi-101645034960746.html |access-date=19 September 2025 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ghazali |first=Mohammad |date=16 February 2022 |title=Guru Ravidas And His Significance In Punjab Polls Explained |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/guru-ravidas-and-his-significance-in-punjab-polls-explained-2771532 |access-date=19 September 2025 |work=[[NDTV]]}}</ref> Dera Ballan and the All India Adi-Dharm Mission consider [[Sir Gobardhan]] to be the birthplace of Ravidas, though some scholars trace his birthplace to Mandoorgarh village, also near [[Varanasi]].<ref name=":4" />

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Sant Samaj at 635th Birth Anniversary of Guru Ravidass ji at Varanasi.JPG|635th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Guru Ravidas
File:Devotees at 635th Anniversary of Sri Guru Ravidass ji.jpg|Devotees at Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan
File:GuruRavida.jpg|Engraved footprints of Ravidas
File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi offering prayers at Shri Guru Ravidas Janmsthan Mandir, Seer Goverdhanpur, in Varanasi on February 22, 2016 (1).jpg|Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praying inside the temple
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Shri Khuralgarh Sahib#Minar-e-Begampura|Minar-e-Begampura, Shri Khuralgarh Sahib]]
*[[Shri Guru Ravidas Gurughar]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{commonscat|Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan}}

{{Varanasi|state=expanded}}

{{coord|25.2565696|82.9987619|display=title}}

[[Category:Ravidassia]]
[[Category:Pilgrimage in India]]
[[Category:Pilgrimage sites]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Varanasi]]
[[Category:Religion in Varanasi]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Varanasi district]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1994]]
[[Category:1965 establishments in Uttar Pradesh]]

Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan - Revision history

GregorioBigge0: adding basic post added tags