Dayalbagh

Dayalbagh

Dayalbagh  means 'Garden' (bagh) of 'Merciful' (dayal), inferring "Garden of the Merciful", is a locality in metropolitan Agra in western Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the headquarters of the Dayalbagh sect of the Radhasoami faith where the 8th revered leader (Sant Satguru) lives and presides over the satsang (holy service) .

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. It has affiliated educational institutes such as the Dayalbagh Educational Institute. Radhasoami Satsang Sabha is the chief working committee of Radhasoami Faith Dayalbagh.

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 km²) 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 at a very nominal cost (no-profit, no-loss basis) to pilgrims. The residents can also obtain meals from there and free themselves from household chores