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Dayalbagh (Hindi: Garden of the Merciful) is the headquarters of the Radhasoami Faith religion, located in the metropolitan region of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is a self-sustained colony, where its inhabitants lead an active, disciplined and co-operative community life, conforming to the spiritual ideals of their faith. Dayalbagh has affiliated educational institutes such as the Dayalbagh Educational Institute.

History

The colony of Dayalbagh was founded on the Basant Day (translation: first day of spring) in 1915 by Huzur Sahabji Maharaj, the Fifth Revered Leader of Radhasoami Faith, as an ashram or a spiritual home for the followers of the faith, by planting a mulberry tree.

Community life

The colony is laid out in an open garden setting. The land where the colony was established once consisted of sand dunes. For more than 60 years residents of the colony - men and women, young and old - have worked with quiet dedication in a vast programme for reclamation of land launched in 1943 by Huzur Mehtaji Maharaj, the sixth Revered Leader of the Faith. The result is a lush green 1,200-acre (4.9 km) farm where food-grains, oil-seeds, fodder, and vegetables are grown.

No individual owns property in Dayalbagh, as the land, houses and institutions belong to the community. People live and work as a community. For example, the residents share various responsibilities like cleaning up the colony and arranging night security. The colony has its own water supply, electricity distribution, and civic services. The colony's dairy provides most of the milk that is needed, and a community kitchen that supplies food free to pilgrims. The residents can also obtain meals from there and free themselves from household chores.

Health care

There is a hospital with a maternity ward. Facilities exist for ophthalmic and dental treatment, ultrasound, ECG, and pathological and X-Ray testing. All consultations and treatment are free for everyone. The majority of patients are from outside Dayalbagh. There are also homeopathic and ayurvedic dispensaries.

Industries

Small-scale industries known as the Model Industries were established in 1916 to provide employment and a source of livelihood to the persons residing in the colony. It has done some pioneering work in the country. The industries have now been decentralized and cottage scale production of goods of daily necessity is taking place in units set up by Satsangis all over the country.

The Radhasoami Urban Cooperative Bank and the Dayalbagh Mahila Bank cater to the financial requirements of various organizations and individuals in the colony. The Dayalbagh Printing Press prints Holy Books and the two Satsang weeklies, one in English (also available in its e-version) and the other in Hindi.

The day in Dayalbagh begins with congregational prayers, followed by physical fitness exercise and work on the farms and in colony by way of service, where after people go to their respective vocations. The day ends with prayers in the evening.

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census, Dayalbagh had a population of 3324. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. In Dayalbagh, 8% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Dayalbagh Educational Institute

The foundation of a school was laid the very next day after the foundation of the colony. The school has grown in course of time to become a Deemed University-Dayalbagh Educational Institute-with various faculties with facilities for research. The education system followed is unique and provides value-based multi-disciplinary education with work experience. In addition, the colony has a diploma level Technical College, a Women's Polytechnic, a nursery, primary level schools and secondary level colleges for boys and girls; a school of Languages; a School of Art and Culture; a Tailoring School; a School of Dress Designing and Interior Decoration; a Day Boarding School; a Training Center for Indian Music; and a Leather Working School.

Other non-university institutions

The community is organized through 11 Regional Associations in the country and three Associations abroad comprising over 500 Branches and Centers. There are several schools and dispensaries being run in different parts of the country and intensive tribal welfare and uplift work is being done in district Harda of Madhya Pradesh.

1. Radhasoami High School, Timarni, Madhya Pradesh
2. Schools in Rajaborari Estate, Madhya Pradesh
3. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Rajaborari
4. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Temrubahar
5. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Kachnar
6. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Kairi
7. Radhasoami Adivasi Higher Secondary School, Rajaborari
8. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Mahagaon
9. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Salai
10. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Gulardhana
11. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Mogradhana
12. Radhasoami Adivasi Primary School, Dabri
13. Radhasoami Free Aided Elementary School, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
14. Radhasoami Primary School, Melathiruvengadanathpuram, Tamil Nadu
15. Madurai Primary School, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
16. Soami Nagar Pre-Primary School, New Delhi
17. Roorkee Model School, Roorkee, Uttaranchal
18. New Model School, Daudhar, Punjab
19. Chandigarh New Model School, Chandigarh
20. Model Primary School, Dhariwal, Punjab
21. Prem Nagar New Model School, Ludhiana, Punjab
22. Soami Nagar Model School, Delhi
23. Mullanpur New Model School, Mullanpur, Punjab
24. Radhasoami Boys Primary School, Timarni, Madhya Pradesh
25. Radhasoami School, Murar Bihar
26. Satsang Training Employment and Rural Uplift Institute, Murar, Bihar
27. Vocational Training Centres for Adivasi and Other Weaker Sections in Timarni and Rajaborari, Madhya Pradesh

Other colonies in Dayalbagh suburb of Agra

New residential colonies have developed around Dayalbagh, such as, Adan Bagh, Sarla Bagh, Heera Bagh, Kabir Nagar etc. The residents of these new colonies follow religions of their choice and not necessarily Radha Soami faith.

Controversy

On 15th March 2013, 27 year old PhD. scholar Neha Sharma, daughter of a retired Air Force officer was found murdered in the Nano-BioTechnology lab of the Dayalbagh Educational Institute. Her car was found abandoned about a kilometer away from the institute. In the following days, many students in Agra protested against the act. Agra police initially suspected sexual assault, however the doctors who did her post-mortem did not examine her body for sexual assault. Media reports suggest that they were pressurized to not do this. During the investigation, Agra police repeatedly claimed in front of the media that the Dayalbagh administration was hiding something. On 24th April 2013, police arrested Udai Swaroop, a B.Sc student of the institute and grandson of DEI chairman Prem Kumar, a retired senior administrative officer, and DEI lab technician Yashvir Sandhu. It was revealed that Yashvir drove Neha's car away from the institute. Media reports suggest that Prem Kumar used his political contacts to hinder the investigation. Media reports also suggest that Dayalbagh's guru knew that Uday Swaroop was the murderer and tried to keep the truth from coming out. Media reports claim that Dayalbagh's administration tried to destroy evidence on the crime scene and had plans to dump Neha's body in the bushes of Lalgarhi to hide the murder.

References

1. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
2. "Agra researcher's murder: 3 persons held". Zee News. March 19, 2013.
3. "Killer chased Agra researcher around lab: Cops". Indian Express.
4. "Students protest against Neha Sharma's murder". NewsXpress.
5. "'Not sure whether Neha was raped before death'". ZeeNews.
6. "Agra research scholar's killer nabbed". Times of India.
7. "Police arrest Neha Sharma's killers". INextLive. 25th April 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
8. "Ex-Director's grandson, aide arrested". DailyExcelsior.
9. "Save me Guru Ji".
10. "Udai Swaroop asked Dayalbagh's guru to save him".
11. "Neha Sharma's body was to be thrown in the bushes of Lalgarhi".

27°13′27″N 78°00′48″E / 27.22417°N 78.01333°E / 27.22417; 78.01333

• Sant Mat
• Neighbourhoods of Agra