NARAYANA

NARAYANA, wellknown centre, Dadu Dvara, of the Dadupanthi sect of sadhus founded by saint Dadu (15441603) of the Bhakti movement, half a kilometre from Naraina railway station and 71 km from Ajmer (26° 27`N, 74° 42`E). Guru Gobind Singh visited this Dadu Dvara in the course of his travels through Rajasthan in 1706. He was received by Mahant Jait Ram, then head of the cloister. The Guru saluted the samadh of Dadu with his arrow to which the Sikhs took exception. They said that this was contrary to his own teaching which forbade the Sikhs to bow before idols, graves and samadhs. The Guru explained that he had done it intentionally in order to test whether his Sikhs were vigilant enough to ensure strict observance of Sikh rules of conduct by all, high and low. The Sikhs imposed a fine on the Guru for this breach of religious discipline which the Guru readily paid. A platform called Thara Sahib was later constructed around the group of three banyan trees consecrated by the Guru`s brief sojourn under them. It is a marbletopped stone structure just outside the entrance to the Dadupanthi temple. 1. Gian Singh, Giani, Twarikh Gurduarian. Amritsar, n.d.
2. Narotam, Tara Singh, Sri Guru Tirath Sangrahi. Kankhal, 1975