Dadu Dayal was born in the state Gujarat in 1544 and this city in which he was born was Ahmedabad. His father name was Lodhi Ram and it is said that, he found Dadu Dayal floating on the river of Sabarmati. But soon he moved to Jaipur region of Rajasthan and there he started working as cotton carder. There he got married and had two son and daughter. But soon he came in to touch with the sayings of various saints and just like Sant Kabir, he transformed himself in to yogi and started representing the value and customs of Nirguna saint of northern India. He was quit interested in music and wrote several manuscripts that were the part of his daily routine.
As he learned more, many people started following him, and led to the formation of ‘Dadu Panth’. It is said that, he was having followers more than 100. But his followers were not limited to the regions of Rajasthan, but also from other states like Haryana, Punjab etc. There are five places where his Ashram or also called as the Thomba. Also, one interesting fact is that Mughal emperor Akbar was also follower of Saint Dadu Dayal.
There are five places where his ashrams are there Naraina, Bhairanaji, Sambhar, Amer, and Karadala and people have a lot of reverence towards these sacred places. Every year people in large numbers with only one motive in their minds of offering their prayers to the saint Dadu Dayal come to this place.
Dadu means, ‘the brother’ and the Dayal means the ‘compassionate one’. Among all the ashrams of his, Shri Dadu Dham Bhairana has become a sacred place among the people. The importance of this place is due to an incident or the event which took and was supernatural in the nature. When Saint Dadu dayal took Samadhi in the year 1603, he was taken from the Naraina to the Bhairana. People were carrying his body in Palanquin. Large number of other saints were present at the place where last rites of Dadu Dayal was to be carried out.
Suddenly a bright light glow was there and people saw, Saint Dadu Dayal was standing on the hill in white cloths and spoke the word ‘Satya Ram’. Each and every saint present there saw this supernatural event, and soon Dadu Dayal was invisible and the only thing which left in place of the palanquin was flowers. Then, people present there picked the flowers and performed the last rites with them.
This place is so sacred that, now the ashes of any died saint is brought here for the last rites. It is same like pouring the ashes in the river Ganga.
How People Celebrate Dadu Dayal Jayanti?
Every year Dadu Dayal Jayanti is celebrated with great reverence, devotion, joy and happiness. Generally the celebration includes the performing prayers in the temple. Those people who follow the saint Dadu Dayal got to the ashrams that are dedicated to this guru and offer their prayers to him. They woke up early in the morning, have a bath, and wore new cloths to go to the ashrams.
Many events are related to music and songs etc are performed because, Guru Dadu Dayal was always associated with the music and he wrote various manuscripts related to music.
Men and women chant various spiritual songs. In the ashrams food is prepared for all the people and distributed among all as done in Gurudwara. On this day, people give cloths, food etc to the people and children who are poor.