Baba Dayal (17.5.1783 – 30.1.1855), son of Bhai Ram Sahai, was born at Peshawar. His parents died when he was still a boy. In 1802, he moved to Rawalpindi and started a grocery shop. He was married to Bibi Mula Devi of Bhera. She bore him three sons: Darbara Singh, Bhag Singh and Ratan Singh. At that time the Sikh shrines were under the occupation of Udasis, who were more Hindu than Sikh and all the Sikh rites were being mutilated by them. Baba Dayal could not acquiesce it. He began a crusade to bring an end to this. He spent the rest of his life in propagating the true mission of Guru Sahib and the authentic Sikh cultural practices and rites. [The first of these steps was marriage rituals. He solemnized his own marriage through Aanad Karaj. No Brahmin was invited to decide so-called auspicious day or to perform the rites. He and his bride sat before Guru Granth Sahib; Lawan hymns were read from Guru Granth Sahib and an Ardas was offered]. Soon, he became very popular. In 1820, (Maharaja) Ranjit Singh too visited him. All the anti-Sikh forces of India, Kashmir and the other sections, opposed him. This group managed to stop, in 1851, his entry into Gurdwara Pashaurian, at that time occupied by a Mahant. On November 3, 1851, he acquired a piece of land and constructed a small room and laid down the foundation of the Nirankari Darbar, at Rawalpindi. Baba Dayal died in 1855. After the death of Baba Dayal, his followers came to be known as Nirankaris. [After 1947, a group of bohemians, with the patronage of several State officials established a cult, at Delhi and became very powerful. It had its downfall after its gunmen killed 13 Sikhs, at Amritsar, on April 13, 1978. The leader of this group was killed, on April 24, 1980. Since then, this group has lost its following]. The other group, in fact the original one, functions from Amritsar. Also see: Nirankaris, Darbara Singh.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)