Ramdwara means "the doorway to the Ram". It is a place of worshipfor the people who believe in Ramsnehi Sampradaya, which advocates chanting of "Ram". Ramsnehi means "People who love God". Their way of worshipping God is simple. People of all faiths, castes, sections etc. visit at the Ramdwaras. This concept of Ram or Rama is distinct from the Hindu deity Rama.
Origin of Ramsnehi
Ramsnehi Sampradaya is a spiritual and religious tradition originating in 1817 Vikram Samwat in Bhilwaracity ofRajasthan by the 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 monasteries. All are in Rajasthan, India. They are in the following cities:
Shahpura, Rajasthan
Banwara, Rajasthan
Sodha, Rajasthan
Bhilwara, Rajasthan
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 from Bhilwara and did Tapasya. 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
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 Hindus 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 alphabets of the construction of word "Ram", bow, saint, India's map, sword, lion, monkey and other natural pictures. The main 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. 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
The monks 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.
Way of worship and belief
Ramsnehis believe in the name of God and do not believe in idolatry. A Ramsnehi only follows the simple and easily defined rules. Ramsnehis just do Darshan of the chair of current Acharya and monks. They pay respects to all the previous acharyas and saints as well. Ramsnehis remember the name राम. Three main pillars of the ideology are:
