One of the most revered and ancient cities in India, Varanasi is known for its myriad of temples that hold immense religious and cultural significance. In Banaras, the “city of temples,” there are both temples to God and temples to his followers that are each special in their own way. Sant Ravidas Mandir is a significant religious site located in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple is dedicated to the renowned poet-saint and social reformer, Sant Ravidas. The temple is visited by devotees from various parts of the country, who come to pay their respects and seek blessings. Sant Ravidas Mandir holds great cultural and religious significance, serving as a symbol of devotion and inspiration for countless devotees and admirers of Sant Ravidas.
Sant Ravidas janam sthan Sear Govardhan Varanasi
Sant Ravidas Mandir is where Guru Ravidas was born. Guru Ji’s followers now consider the Janam Asthan Mandir in Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi, to be a place of peace, or Begampura. It has also become the Ultimate Place of Pilgrimage for them. Every year, when the date of Guru Ravidas’s birth comes around, millions of people from India and other places come to the Mandir to worship. Saint Ravidas’s devotion to Seer Govardhan’s labor practice was so beneficial that he is now revered by his followers as highly as God. The followers are so devoted that they gave money to build a large temple at the place where the Guru was born. This temple became the second Golden Temple of Kashi, after Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. In this temple as a whole, there is more than 200 kg of gold. This grows every year because people give more money to it. The serene and peaceful environment of the temple makes it an ideal place for prayer and meditation.
Overview of the Temple
The Sant Ravidas temple is white in color located near BHU area of Varanasi. Many things in the temple is made of gold, including the Saint Ravidas’s palanquin. Aside from Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, followers from all over the world have given money to turn the top of the saint’s temple in gold. The donation consisted of a gold palanquin weighing 130 kilograms, a gold lamp weighing 35 kilograms, a gold umbrella weighing 35 kilograms, and 32 gold urns. On July 16, 1998, K. R. Narayanan, who was President of India at the time, opened the Shri Guru Ravidass Gate, a huge, impressive entrance to the temple. Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan is reached through Shri Guru Ravidas Gate at Lanka Chauraha near BHU.
History of Sant Ravidas Mandir
The foundation stone of this Mandir was laid on Ashad Sankranti, June 14, 1965, by Hari Das and a big group of Dera Ballan devotees sent by Sarwan Dass for the job. Devotees found where Guru Ravidas was born, and a temple was built there. People think that Guru Ravidas used to live and practice bhakti here. The temple was finished being built in the year 1994. The golden roof on top of the temple was put there in a special ceremony by Banta Ram Ghera and Kanshi Ram, who is the national leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
In 1972, the first part of the building was finished. On February 22, 1974, a Murti of Guru Ravidas Ji was put up in the Mandir. At the same time, a Murti of Sant Sarwan DassJi was also put up as a way to thank him for making a beautiful Mandir at the place where Guru Ji was born. In 1993, the Trust did more construction work at the Mandir. The second phase of construction was finished on April 7, 1994, when Babu Kanshi Ram Ji put a golden Kalash on top of the Mandir dome in front of Sant Garib Dass Ji, other saints, and a large group of devotees.
The story of Sant Ravidas Mandir’s Construction
Shri 108 Sant Sarwan DassJi of Dera SachKhand Ballan took on the sacred task of keeping Guru Ji’s memory alive in Benaras and building a proper memorial to him. He was a spiritual, visionary, and revolutionary saint. He worked hard to make Bani of Guru Ravidas Ji famous among people who were poor and socially backward. He believed that his job would have been completed when a monument was built at the place where Guru Ravidas Ji gave the sermon of Begupura. Swami Sarwan Das Ji chose a small group of people to do this job. The group went to Varanasi and looked at the area around the Banaras Hindu University. The Imlee tree and other signs showed that Guru Ravidas Ji was born in a village called Seer Govardhanpur, which is near BHU and on the outskirts of Varanasi. The plot of land was bought, and work on an impressive temple began right away. On Ashad Sankranti, Monday, June 14, 1965, Sant Hari Dass Ji and a big group of Dera Bala devotees sent by Sant Sarwan Dass Ji for the job laid the foundation stone for this Mandir.
Significance of Sant Ravidas Mandir
It is the most important place of worship or pilgrimage for people who follow the Ravidasi faith. Dharma Nagri Kashi is home to Saint Ravidas Mandir, often known as the second Golden Temple of Kashi, as there is more than 200 kilogram of gold in this temple. Guru Ravidas’s followers from all over the world hope to visit Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Mandir in Seer Goverdhan (Varanasi) at least once in their lives to pay their respects.
Every year on Magh Purnima, at Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir, a big celebration is held to honor the birth of Shri Guru Ravidas. People from all over the country and the world come to this holy Mandir to pay their respects. Every year since the year 2000, a special train has run from Jalandhar City to Varanasi to make the travel convenient for the tourists.
Timing of the Temple
Today, people who follow Guru Ji know about Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir Varanasi all over the world. For them, it is a pilgrimage and a sign of Dalit identity and awakening. The doors to Kashi’s Sant Ravidas Mandir open at 7:00 AM and close at 11:00 PM. From 7:30 in the morning, the morning darshan begins.
How to Reach Sant Ravidas Mandir
Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir is situated at Seer Govardhanpur, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It can be reached from different means of transportation.
By Air: The airport closest to Sant Ravidas Mandir is the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport Babatpur, which is about 25 kilometers away. You can easily get to this temple from here by using public transportation or a cab.
By Train: The Varanasi railway station is about 9 km away from Sant Ravidas Mandir. The Banaras railway station is the closest train stop and is about 7.7 km from the temple. You can easily get to this temple from here by using any road transportation.
By Road: The roads that lead to this temple are well connected to the roads that lead to the other places in the city. This means that you can easily get to this temple from any part of the country in your own car, on a public bus, or in an auto rickshaw.